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A Closer Look at the Four Cowboys Crowned Big 12 Champions this Weekend

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To no one’s surprise, Oklahoma State’s wrestling team left the BOK Center in Tulsa as Big 12 champions. This is the seventh consecutive season in which the Cowboys have won the title.

Three Cowboys were projected to win their bracket, but John Smith’s lineup produced four champions. Two of the three top seeds (Nick Piccininni, Derek White) came through, and second-seeds Boo Lewallen and Chandler Rogers made their way to the top spot on the podium, as well. Here’s a look at the matches and what Smith and his wrestlers had to say afterward.

125: No. 1 Nick Piccininni defeats No. 3 Zeke Moisey

On Tuesday, Nick Piccininni said he knew what he and his teammates were capable of doing, adding he thought OSU was going to shock people. Pinning a former NCAA runner-up in the first period probably falls under ‘shocking.’ He even said he surprised himself considering he’s not a wrestler who picks up many falls. Surprise or not, he handled his opponent with ease to start off the championship round.

“Just to be a part of Oklahoma State wrestling, in general, it’s a blessing,” Piccininni said. “It’s a blessing wrestling for coach Smith, it’s a blessing representing Oklahoma State University. I love my school, I love orange and black, I love the Cowboys, I love the fans. It’s an honor and a privilege to represent Oklahoma State wrestling. ”

149: No. 2 Boo Lewallen defeats No. 1 Max Thomsen 9-3

A wave of boos morphed into an O-S-U chant in the BOK Center on Sunday, with newly crowned Big 12 champion Boo Lewallen leading the way.

Lewallen knocked off Northern Iowa’s top-seeded Max Thomsen 9-3, earning a Big 12 title in his first Big 12 tournament appearance. The two faced off Feb. 3, but Thomsen emerged victorious in sudden victory. That wasn’t the case this time, as Lewallen didn’t need an extra period to stay alive.

He entered the tournament seeded second, which was a product of his strong recent performances. Lewallen won four of his past five matches heading into this weekend. He earned a major decision against Oklahoma’s Davion Jeffries on Feb. 11 and pinned Edinboro’s Jensen Lorea a week afterward.

He also had two sudden-victory matches during that stretch and has participated in six sudden-victory matches this season. Those close, intense matches likely primed him for moments like this weekend.

“It could have been easy for him to walk away from wrestling with some of the injuries he’s had, multiple ones,” Smith said. “He stuck it in there, and it’s good to see that it’s paying off for him.”

165: No. 2 Chandler Rogers defeats No. 4 Andrew Fogarty 12-9

Even in a championship performance, winning isn’t enough for John Smith. It took him three tries, but Chandler Rogers can finally call himself a Big 12 champion after defeating NDSU’s Anthony Fogarty 12-9.

Rogers came out firing with a thunderous takedown that almost looked like a pin, but they traded shots throughout the rest of the match.

“It’s kind of something weird with wrestlers, but when you get taken down, sometimes those guys come back 10 times stronger,” Rogers said. “They’re like, ‘Shoot. I got nothing to lose. I gotta score.’ I came in and put him to his back and kinda shocked him, and he came back hard.”

Rogers ended the match on his stomach with Fogarty on top of him, and that’s the first thing Smith pointed out after the match was over.

“I came off the mat, and coach was like, ‘You’re really gonna win the Big 12 title on your belly?’

“It’s bittersweet, and that’s just coach. That’s why I came to Oklahoma State. We’re not out here trying to win Big 12 titles. He’s trying to make champions, and that’s what he’s been doing for the last 25 years.”

Heavyweight: No. 1 Derek White defeats No. 3 AJ Nevills 13-6

Derek White usually doesn’t have much to say, and that didn’t change after claiming his first Big 12 title. He won his match 13-6 and was in control throughout. The performance solidified how reliable and effective White has been all season. He didn’t get into specifics or elaborate too much, but cracked a smile when asked what it was like to wait until the last match to hit the mat.

“Best for last,” he said.

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