The Tigers kept it close but couldn’t beat the Cyclones on Senior Day
Mizzou Wrestling showed a renewed fight against Iowa State following a three week break, but the Tigers couldn’t overcome a sleepy start against the Cyclones Saturday and fell 21-18 in the regular season finale.
“I don’t know what it is, I guess I got to take the blame on that,” head coach Brian Smith said about his team’s losses early in the dual. “We just didn’t come out with that fight.”
The defeat made it 10 losses for the team this year, the most since the 2000-01 season.
Let’s break down the action.
All rankings are according to InterMat.
125lbs: NR Ethan Perryman (ISU) over #32 Gage Walker (MIZ), 7-4 Decision
Perryman came out on the attack to open up the dual, quickly getting to a single leg shot before nice defense by Walker forced a stalemate. He went back to the single leg soon after, getting behind and securing the takedown just before going out of bounds; the call was awarded after an official’s review.
Walker got up and out for the escape quickly then went for a single, picking up Perryman, but couldn’t finish the takedown. He went to bottom to start the second, scoring a fast escape to pull within one. Walker went back to the single, but nice defense by Perryman forced a stalemate and the ISU wrestler led 3-2 entering the final period.
Perryman rolled out from bottom to start the third, nearly scoring a reversal before the two wrestlers went out of bounds; he had to settle for the escape, taking a two point lead. Instead of trying to protect the lead, he continued to attack, and the strategy paid off as he clinched the victory with a takedown off a double leg shot. Walker escaped in the final 30 seconds but it was too late.
Mizzou: 0 – Iowa State: 3
133lbs: NR Garrett Grice (ISU) over NR Kade Moore (MIZ), Victory by Fall (4:21)
Grice got his first takedown on the match’s opening shot, winning a long scramble after Moore went over the top. He added another quick score after Moore escaped, going for a double leg shot and finishing to lead 6-1. Grice rode out the period, adding four nearfall points in the final 10 seconds of the opening frame.
Grice opted to start from neutral in the second period, awarding Moore the escape. He went right back on the attack, getting behind for another takedown, 13-2. Moore escaped and went for a single leg, which was rebuffed by Grice and created an opening to attack. Grice took advantage, bringing Moore to the mat and securing the pin.
This certainly wasn’t what Moore had in mind for this match as he lost heavily to Iowa State’s backup. Moore is currently on the outside looking in for a spot at the NCAA Championships: he’ll likely need to secure one of the automatic bids at the Big 12 Championships to make it to Philadelphia.
Mizzou: 0 – Iowa State: 9
141lbs: #11 Jacob Frost (ISU) over #16 Josh Edmond (MIZ), 9-8 Decision
Edmond got on the board first with his signature move, the blast double, and rode for 16 seconds before Frost’s escape. Frost responded by going on the attack and took a lead with his first takedown off a low single, tripping Edmond to the mat and then riding out the period.
Frost took bottom to begin the second and was out quickly to take a 5-3 lead. Edmond shifted back to being the aggressor, putting Frost on his heels multiple times before getting behind and bringing him to the mat for a takedown before going out of bounds. He got the call after a video review.
Frost scored the quick escape and went for a shot which was caught by Edmond, who began to counter before it was ruled a potentially dangerous situation. The two wrestlers entered period three tied at six apiece.
Frost let Edmond up off the start and went for a single, which Edmond countered before a stalemate. Edmond was defending well, catching Frost’s shots and countering, and looked like he was in a strong position for the victory. But one move cost him dearly as he tried to muscle past Frost, countering his shot, which ended up letting Frost get behind for the takedown.
Edmond escaped, but Frost held on in the final seconds for the victory. The match was turning out to be one of Edmond’s finest this season before he made a massive mistake late in the third period – one which ended up having a far greater cost than initially expected.
Sam Simon/Rock M Nation
Mizzou: 0 – Iowa State: 12
149lbs: #7 Paniro Johnson (ISU) over NR Logan Gioffre (MIZ), 4-1 Decision
This match featured minimal action and few shots until the final thirty seconds. Gioffre took the contest’s opening lead with an escape from bottom to start the second period and held that 1-0 advantage entering the third.
He rode well to start the final frame, holding on for nearly 40 seconds before Johnson escaped as Gioffre tried to return him to the mat for a second time. With the match tied, Johnson got to a double leg shot with under 30 seconds left and drove Gioffre to the mat for his only takedown. He rode out the final seconds, securing a narrow victory.
Mizzou: 0 – Iowa State: 15
157lbs: NR James Conway (MIZ) over #11 Cody Chittum, 9-3 Decision
Chittum had Conway moving backwards constantly throughout the opening period, driving him off the mat multiple times to receive a point from a stalling penalty. The ISU wrestler led 1-0 with that point after period one and headed to bottom to start the second.
He scored the quick escape to start the frame, leading by two, then went back to the attack. But Conway was noticeably improved in the second period, catching Chittum’s shots. Conway took the lead with a rapid single leg shot off a restart, winning the scramble for a takedown. Chittum escaped, tying it up heading into the final period as Conway went to bottom.
Conway was let up off the start, taking a 4-3 lead, and didn’t stop there. He got around Chittum and established control for the takedown after a short scramble, sending the crowd into hysterics. Conway rode out the rest of the period, drawing a stalling warning and then penalty on Chittum and securing the extra point with 2:15 of riding time.
“You could see that tide change, and he just kept believing in himself and wrestling hard and came away with a really big win,” Smith said after the meet. “I’m really proud of J the way he competed today, that was a huge win for him.”
This was a landmark victory for Conway, who’s been hovering around the edge of the rankings and cut mark for the NCAA Championships most of the year. The victory over Chittum puts him in a far better spot heading into the conference championships and will provide a major boost to his chances for one of the few at large spots if he’s unable to grab an automatic bid.
Mizzou: 3 – Iowa State: 15
165lbs: #15 Cam Steed (MIZ) over NR Aiden Riggins, Victory by Fall (3:29)
Steed has been one of Mizzou’s most aggressive wrestlers all season and continued that trend today, scoring an early takedown off a double leg shot. He went to work on top, returning Riggins to the mat multiple times and scoring a three point nearfall. Riggins escaped and went for a shot, but Steed easily countered for another takedown and rode out the period for a 9-1 lead.
Steed began the second period on top again, turning Riggins for another three point nearfall. Riggins fought to his feet, getting close to an escape, before Steed slammed him back to the mat with a move he calls a snake (O’Toole described it as a honey badger in the post meet press conference but Steed vehemently disputed that term, saying there was a regional difference in the move’s name). He secured the cradle for a big pin, further building the team’s newfound momentum. Steed has been a consistent bright spot for this team when he’s healthy and will be one of the team’s top wrestlers at the Big 12 Championships.
Sam Simon/Rock M Nation
Mizzou: 9 – Iowa State: 15
174lbs: #1 Keegan O’Toole (MIZ) over NR Caden Schmidt (ISU), Victory by Fall (6:14)
O’Toole made his return wearing a big brace on his left leg, but the equipment didn’t seem to bother him much as he got to a single leg shot for the match’s opening takedown in period one. He rode tough on top, working for a tilt, but couldn’t score any nearfall points as he rode out the opening frame. Schmidt was warned for stalling on bottom during that time.
He went back to bottom to begin the second period, escaping after 38 seconds. O’Toole went right back to the single, scoring another takedown, and again rode out the period for 3:48 in riding time entering period three. Starting from neutral, Schmidt continued to shy away from O’Toole and was penalized for stalling.
O’Toole went back to the single again for a takedown then cut Schmidt, who was penalized a second time for stalling. O’Toole rapidly got around Schmidt for his fourth takedown off a restart, then drove him to the mat for a pin to tie up the dual.
The pin gave O’Toole his 100th career victory in his final collegiate match at the Hearnes Center. Despite the milestone, O’Toole (who described himself as “probably the most non sentimental person”) seemed relatively unmoved by the win’s significance. “I guess I just wrestled a lot of matches here,” he said.
But despite his nonchalance, O’Toole’s pin in a critical match for the Tigers to secure win number 100 was emblematic of his time at Mizzou as a whole. He has been a leader of this team and driven its success the past five seasons, and this milestone is another reminder of why he’s one of the greatest Tigers to ever take the mat.
Sam Simon/Rock M Nation
Mizzou: 15 – Iowa State: 15
184lbs: #10 Evan Bockman (ISU) over #9 Colton Hawks (MIZ), 1-0 Decision
Both wrestlers in this match focused on power early on, trying to establish an advantage through hand fighting and working to outmuscle their opponent. Bockman took a 1-0 lead after escaping from bottom to begin the middle frame, followed by more hand fighting.
Bockman led by one entering the third, where Hawks chose to start from neutral. After the match, head coach Brian Smith said that Hawks hasn’t been comfortable on bottom yet as he slowly recovers from his injury.
Hawks opened up the attack in the final two minutes with a double leg shot, stopped by Bockman. He went back to the strategy of trying to overpower Bockman and had a strong grip as he tried to throw Bockman to the mat, a move which nearly worked before the ISU wrestler was eventually able to slip out. Hawks continued to apply pressure until the end, but Bockman held on for another narrow ISU victory.
Mizzou: 15 – Iowa State: 18
197lbs: NR Nate Schon (ISU) over NR Jesse Cassatt (MIZ), 4-2 Decision
Cassatt took a shot near the edge in the opening frame’s final minute but the wrestlers went out, the biggest action of first period. Schon escaped off a restart to get on the board in period two, then Cassatt went for a single leg shot in the final 45 seconds but couldn’t make much of it.
Cassatt had been the better wrestler through the opening two periods but did not yet anything to show for it. That changed early in the third, when Cassatt was returned but got out for the escape after hitting the mat.
Schon took the initiative in the final period, going for a low double which was caught by Cassatt but cost him a stalling warning. The ISU wrestler then got Cassatt to the mat, but he fought out of it and drove Schon out of bounds. Cassatt continued to move aggressively late, getting in on a single leg, but Schon countered the move and won the scramble for a match-winning takedown.
Mizzou: 15 – Iowa State: 21
285lbs: NR Seth Nitzel (MIZ) over #26 Daniel Herrera (ISU), 8-3 Decision
Nitzel gained the upper hand early, driving Herrera to the mat with a double leg shot for an opening minute takedown. He went to work on top from there, unable to get a turn but riding out the period for 2:32 in riding time as Herrera was warned for stalling.
They began from neutral in period two, where the action slowed down significantly with lots of hand fighting but no real shots. Herrera chose to start from neutral in the third, awarding Nitzel an escape to extend the lead to four.
Herrera got in on a high single, tripping Nitzel to the mat for a takedown and bringing himself within one. Herrera chose neutral on a restart, giving Nitzel the escape, and went for a quick shot. But Nitzel easily defended the move and got around for a takedown, sealing the victory and riding out the period.
Head coach Brian Smith will face a tough choice between two quality wrestlers in Nitzel and Jarrett Stoner, only able to send one out to compete at the Big 12 Championships. He said the decision will likely be made tonight after a coaches’ meeting.
Nitzel also confirmed this will be his final collegiate season after the dual. He had one year of eligibility left, but after his injuries has decided to forego one more season. The senior also gave a glimpse into his post-wrestling future.
“I’ve been long distance with my girlfriend for two years so we’re gonna move in together, I’ll start working for one of my friends, and she’s gonna get into PA school somewhere,” he said. “We’re gonna be working, living together, and you know, soon marriage and all that fun stuff.”
Sam Simon/Rock M Nation
Mizzou: 18 – Iowa State: 21
Fully healthy for the first time in months with the exception of Noah Surtin and Rocky Elam (season-ending injuries), Mizzou came away with some big victories against a quality opponent in the Cyclones. But three losses by two points or less made the difference in the dual.
The Cyclones were also without three of their ranked wrestlers (Kysen Terukina, Evan Frost, MJ Gaitan). Nevertheless, the Tigers are getting healthier heading into the postseason and got their two best wrestlers back out on the mat.
Now, Tiger Style has two weeks to prepare for the Big 12 Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from March 8 to 9.
Final.#TigerStyle pic.twitter.com/1Z0IabI7kW
— Mizzou Wrestling (@MizzouWrestling) February 22, 2025