TULSA, Okla. – On the final day of action inside the BOK Center, true freshman Ty Watters claimed the 149-pound championship and six others landed on the podium to lead the West Virginia University wrestling team to one of its greatest overall performances at the Big 12 Championship.

After becoming the second Mountaineer to make the finals at 149 pounds and first since Roman Perryman in 2015, Watters battled No. 4-seed Jordan Williams of Oklahoma St, who escaped with a 8-7 victory over No. 1-seed Casey Swiderski of Iowa State in the closing minute of the semifinal bout last night.

Watters started the championship bout by securing the first takedown in less than minute and then added another one after pulling off an escape to hold a 7-0 lead early in the second period. The true freshman eventually came away with the victory over Williams due to a injury default.

The Imperial, Pennsylvania, native joins former West Virginia standouts Dylan Cottrell (2017), Noah Adams (2020) and Killian Cardinale (2022) as the fourth Mountaineer to reach the top of the Big 12 since WVU moved to the conference in 2012 and third to do it during head coach Tim Flynn's tenure.

He now attempts to become the first grappler in school history to capture a Big 12 championship as well as top-8 finish on the mat at nationals in the same season heading into his first appearance at the Division I Wrestling Championships in Kansas City, Missouri.

Six other Mountaineers solidified their spot on the podium as well. Junior Jett Strickenberger (125) claimed third, senior Peyton Hall (165) finished fourth, redshirt freshman Brody Conley earned fifth, redshirt freshman Jordan Titus (141) and redshirt senior Michael Wolfgram both finished sixth, and redshirt junior Dennis Robin (184) completed the day in seventh.
 
This output from the 2024 squad matched the 2016 and 2022 teams for the most wrestlers on the Big 12 podium in WVU history with seven.

Of note, Watters, Strickenberger, Hall and Conley have all clinched a trip to the NCAA Championships in Kansas City, Missouri, while Titus, Robin and Wolfgram look forward with anticipation for the NCAA committee's announcement of who will be awarded one of the remaining 47 at-large bids on Tuesday, March 12.

Final brackets and seeding are set to be announced on Wednesday, March 13, via NCAA.com at 8 p.m. ET.

As a team, West Virginia scored 97.5 points to conclude the annual two-day showcase in sixth place, which marked the team's highest point total since joining the Big 12 as well as matched the program's best finish at the postseason spectacle since the conference expanded from four schools to 10 in 2016 (6th – 65.5 team points).

Finals
149: No. 3 Ty Watters (WVU) by injury default over No. 4 Jordan Williams (Oklahoma St)
[Champion]
 
Consolations
125: No. 7 Jett Strickenberger (WVU) by medical forfeit over No. 1 Noah Surtin (Missouri)
125: No. 7 Jett Strickenberger (WVU) won by fall over No. 6 Kysen Terukina (Iowa St), [T – 4:58]
[3rd place]
141: No. 7 Josh Edmond (Missouri) by injury default over No. 4 Jordan Titus (WVU)
141: No. 5 Clay Carlson (South Dakota St) by medical forfeit over No. 4 Jordan Titus (WVU)
[6th place]
165: No. 3 Peyton Hall (WVU) tech. fall over No. 5 Giano Petrucelli (Air Force), 19-2 [T – 4:27]
165: No. 4 Izzak Olejnik (Oklahoma St) dec. No. 3 Peyton Hall (WVU), 5-1
[4th place]
174: No. 3 Brayden Thompson (Oklahoma St) dec. No. 8 Brody Conley (WVU), 4-2
174: No. 8 Brody Conley (WVU) major dec. No. 4 Peyton Mocco (Missouri), 10-1
[5th place]
184: No. 7 Dennis Robin (WVU) won by fall over No. 8 Ethan Ducca (Wyoming), [T – 2:32]
[7th place]
HWT: No. 4 Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma) dec. No. 7 Michael Wolfgram (WVU), 4-2
HWT: Konner Doucet (Oklahoma St) dec. No. 7 Michael Wolfgram (WVU), 5-2
[6th place]

*No. Seed
 
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