Putting an odd end to a strange season in context.
Another season of Mizzou Wrestling has come to a close, one that will surely be remembered for years to come for the twists and turns of its final months. The Tigers came into the year with high expectations and largely delivered on that promise until a bizarre sequence of illnesses and injuries conspired to douse the flame of potential this team displayed.
Mizzou ended the NCAA Championships in a tie for 11th, its lowest finish since 2014. The Tigers finished with three All-Americans, two wrestlers who fell just short of reaching that distinction with losses in the blood round, and five who were eliminated on the first day. For a more detailed description of the action from the championships, here are my live threads from all five sessions that involved Tiger Style:
This article takes a bigger picture view of the performance of each wrestler, along with what comes next. Without any further ado, let’s begin:
Noah Surtin
Surtin went 0-2 at the championships to be eliminated on day one. He was unable to generate any offense in Kansas City and was dominated in the second consolation round. Surtin looked downright unstoppable at times later in the year before an injury. He was on the fast track to becoming an All-American this season before an unfortunate end and should enter next season as a favorite for a top-8 finish.
Kade Moore
Moore was another early exit with an 0-2 record who failed to regain his regular season form. It’s important to remember he was up 7-2 in his last dual match this year against national champion Vito Arujau before giving up last minute takedowns. He didn’t wrestle in the second half of the season and never looked the same during the Big 12’s or NCAA’s. The hope will be that he returns to wrestling the way he was midseason this year and continues to improve as a still young and inexperienced starter. He’s a breakout candidate for next season and could be key to the team’s success.
Josh Edmond
Edmond went 3-2 and lost a heartbreaker to Vance VomBaur of Minnesota in the blood round to come up just short of an All-American finish. The way he lost that match was highly controversial, something sure to fuel the fire leading into next season. He had a much-anticipated breakthrough towards the end of the year with the best wrestling of his career, something the team will need him to continue and carry over. Edmond should begin next season highly ranked and a favorite to make All-American for the first time.
Logan Gioffre
We never truly got to see how Gioffre turned out this year. He had a short stay at the championships with an unceremonious 0-2 finish. He faced a gauntlet of top opponents early in the season and showed the ability to wrestle at that level. Similar to Moore, he missed the second half of the season and only returned at the Big 12 Championships. Gioffre will be a wild card entering next year, but he’s shown plenty of promise and I expect him to be a quality starter.
Brock Mauller
Mauller’s Tiger career came to a finish with an 0-2 record, a disappointing end to a decorated career. He began the season firing on all cylinders with his offense but saw it sputter later in the year, failing to find success in the end at 157lbs after bumping up from 149. Cam Steed will be the favorite to win his opening starting spot.
Keegan O’Toole
O’Toole finished 3rd at 165lbs with his only loss of the tournament coming to David Carr, ending his quest for a third consecutive NCAA title. O’Toole seemed better than ever this season but could not win his final college battle with a fantastic opponent. His year isn’t over yet, either, as he’s a legitimate contender to earn a spot at the Olympic Trials next month. A third national title will be the expectation for O’Toole next season.
Peyton Mocco
Mocco was eliminated by the end of the first day after going 0-2 at NCAAs. He lived up to All-American expectations earlier this season but saw his performance regress as the season went on like Mauller. This was an unfortunate end to a fantastic Tiger career. What’s next at 174lbs will be very interesting. O’Toole could bump up, Clayton Whiting could bump down, a transfer could come in, or something else entirely could occur. It is very difficult right now to project next year’s starter at this spot.
Colton Hawks
Hawks was one of the team’s bright spots late in the season, supplanting Clayton Whiting as the starter after he’d been ousted from the spot at the beginning of the season. Hawks impressed at Big 12’s and earned the 11th seed in his weight class. He lived up to those expectations with a 3-2 record, falling one round short of an All-American finish. I’m excited to see what Hawks could do with an entire offseason to prepare for a full season in the starting lineup, and he looks poised to avenge his loss in the blood round and go for a top-8 finish.
Rocky Elam
Elam proved the argument he was severely under-seeded with a strong performance at the championships, placing sixth to become a four-time All-American after entering the tournament as a 12-seed. He was strong in the tournament but lost some matches to fantastic wrestlers including four-time national champion Aaron Brooks alongside Jacob Cardenas and Tanner Sloan, people he lost to earlier this season. The coaching staff will be hoping for Elam to become a five-time All-American next season and take another step in his game.
Zach Elam
Elam ended his Tiger career on a high note with a fourth-place finish, becoming a two-time All-American in his hometown of Kansas City. Both of his losses in the tournament came to Wyatt Hendrickson of Air Force. Elam will be sorely missed in the program next season. Seth Nitzel is currently the top contender to take over the starting spot, but it’s entirely possible the staff goes shopping in the portal, too.
The Tigers struggled at this year’s championships and came up short of what they hoped to accomplish. But they also emerged with some key positives and saw breakout performances from returning wrestlers that could prove vital to a return to the top-10 next season. Now, Mizzou sets its sights on Philadelphia, PA and next year’s NCAA Championships.