2024 NCAA Quarterfinal Highlights

Photo: Missouri’s two-time defending NCAA champion Keegan O’Toole scored this takedown against Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor and eventually claimed his third pin of the 2022 Nationals Friday afternoon in Kansas City.

The following are highlights from the quarterfinal phase of the 2024 NCAA Division I Championships, held Friday morning at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.

Updated Team Scores

Updated Brackets

Top-10 Teams

125 pounds

#12 Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) dec. #4 Matt Ramos (Purdue), 4-1 — The Eagle, who finished fourth a year ago, scored the match’s only takedown with three seconds left in sudden victory against the 2023 national runner-up after a good scramble by both wrestlers.

#10 Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) dec. 15 Caleb Smith (Nebraska), 4-3 TB — A strong riding ability by the Badger helped him rally from a 3-0 first period deficit — after the Husker scored a danger nearfall. That was especially true after Barnett rode Smith the entire second period, the for the second 30-second tiebreaker phase.

#8 Richard Figueroa (Arizona State) dec. #1 Braeden Davis (Penn State), 3-2 — A reversal in the second period along with riding time advantage was the difference as Figueroa pulled the upset win.

#3 Drake Ayala (Iowa) dec. #6 Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State), 4-1 sv — This was a conservative match for both wrestlers led to sudden victory where Ayala held a single in the air as Spratley fought it off with time running out, three was called at the buzzer for an Ayala victory.

133 pounds

#2 Ryan Crookham (Lehigh) dec. #7 Nasir Bailey (Little Rock), 4-2 — The Mountain Hawk freshman scored the bout’s only takedown with three seconds left in the second period to take a 4-0 lead before the Trojan tallied a pair of stalling points in the final period.

#5 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) dec. #4 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers), 9-3 — In a rematch of Big Ten final, won then by the Scarlet Knight, it was the Wolverine who scored on a pair of takedowns, one in the first and the third frame with three seconds left to ice the victory. Ragusin also added 1:41 riding time advantage.

#1 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) dec. #8 Evan Frost (Iowa State), 2-1 tb — The difference in a Fix victory was a three-second riding time advantage in the tiebreaker periods as the Cowboy became a five-time All-American with the win. Frost had escaped in the third with a 59-second riding time advantage for Fix, sending the 1-1 match into overtime.

#6 Vito Arujau (Cornell) major dec. #3 Kai Orine (NC State) 13-3 — The defending national looked closer to last year’s form in a dominating victory as the Big Red senior scored four takedowns, two in the first and two in the third.

141 pounds

#1 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) dec. #9 Brock Hardy (Nebraska), 6-2 — Leading just 1-0 after two periods, the Buckeye first scored a two-point nearfall, then caught the Cornhusker in a spladle and held him there for the final 45 seconds of the period.

#6 Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) dec. #3 Real Woods (Iowa), 7-1 — The Tar Heel and native of Canada pulled off the upset with a cradle in the third as time expired to break open a 1-1 match over the returning NCAA runner-up.

#5 Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State) dec. #4 Ryan Jack (NC State), 5-3 — The native of Cuban clinched his first All-American honor when he scored the bout’s only takedown with 45 seconds left in the second period. The Wolfpacker scored his points off two second-period escapes and a stalling call against the Cyclone with nine seconds left.

#2 Beau Bartlett (Penn State) pinned #26 Vance VonBaum (Minnesota), 6:48 — The Nittany Lion turned a close match – he led just 1-0 after two as he scored two takedowns in the third frame; the second one coming with 16 seconds left and put the Gopher on his back and eventual fall.

149 pounds

#4 Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) dec. #5 Ty Watters (West Virginia), 8-3 — The Hokie sealed the victory when he escaped and scored a second takedown with 1:08 left after the Mountaineer cut the margin to 4-3.

#2 Kyle Parco (Arizona State) major dec. #10 Chad Lamer, 14-4 (Cal Poly) — The Sun Devil scored four takedowns, including two in the first period to dominate the match.

#1 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) major dec., #8 Casey Swiderski (Iowa State), 14-4 — The 2022 national runner-up Cornhusker left little doubt of his top seed as he first turned a first-period takedown into a two-point nearfall, then added two more takedowns in the second period.

#6 Austin Gomez (Michigan) dec. #3 Jackson Arrington (NC State), 12-9 — Gomez, the former All-American from Wisconsin, broke open the match with two second-period takedowns. Arrington didn’t have an answer until the final stretch of the third period when he scored his second takedown of the match to cut the margin to two before the Wolverine added a final escape.

157 pounds

#1 Levi Haines (Penn State) major dec. Peyton Robb (Nebraska), 8-0 — The defending national runner-up led 6-0 after the first period, thanks to a takedown and three-point nearfall, then added an escape and riding-time point.

#6 Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) dec. #3 Meyer Shapiro (Cornell), 5-4 — The Cardinal scored on a go-behind after an escape with 16 seconds remaining to secure the one-point victory in a match that was delayed for concussion protocol. Shapiro led 3-0 after scoring a takedown at the buzzer. Early in the second, Shapiro fended off a neutral attack with a double overhook throw attempt but landed on his back out of bounds, which led to the concussion protocol.

#12 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) dec. #4 Ed Scott (NC State) 13-7 — The Hokie All-American, who has been beset by injuries this winter, score four takedowns to dominate his ACC rival.

#2 Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) dec. #10 Jared Franek (Iowa), 5-2 — The Sun Devil, who fought off several attacks by the Hawkeye, scored the match-deciding takedown with 31 seconds left.

165 pounds

#1 Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) pinned #8 Antrell Taylor, Nebraska, 4:06 — The Cornhusker scored an uncharacteristic takedown on O’Toole, but the scoring machine and two-time returning champ was was too much as he ended the match early with a fall in the third period while up by a 16-5 score.

#6 Mike Caliendo (Iowa) dec. #3 Julian Ramirez (Cornell), 9-4 — The Hawkeye hardly looked like the underdog in this one as he scored three takedowns against the Big Red wrestler.

#4 David Carr (Iowa State) dec. #5 Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin), 5-0 — A lone takedown with 1:40 left in the first period, a second-period escape and riding time advantage was all the Cyclone needed to set up his semifinal rematch with O’Toole.

#2 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) dec. Cam Amine (Michigan), 6-1 — The Nittany Lion opened the bout by earning a stalling call against the Wolverine, then scored a lone takedown with 55 seconds left in the second, before ending the bout with another stalling call against Amine.

174 pounds

#9 Carter Starocci (Penn State) dec. #1 Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech), 4-0 — In the most anticipated match between NCAA champs, three-timer Starocci scored the first points of the match with a takedown in the first. Stingy defense and strategic offense ensued for controlled win.

#4 Shane Griffith (Michigan) dec. #28 Jared Simma (Northern Iowa), 8-7 — Just when it looked like the unheralded Panther was about to upset the former NCAA champion from Stanford — after building a 5-0 lead and amassing over three minutes of riding time — the Wolverine battled back with two takedowns in the final 49 seconds of the bout.

#6 Rocco Welsh (Ohio State) dec. #3 Edmond Ruth, Illinois, 4-1 sv — The Buckeye freshman scored on a low double-leg takedown in sudden victory to snatch the win over the Big 10 champion.

#7 Lennox Wolak (Columbia) dec. Cade DeVos (South Dakota State), 4-2 — The Lion earned a rare All-American honor for his Ivy League school when he scored the bout’s only takedown with 48 seconds left in the second period, then added a riding time point.

184 pounds

#1 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) won by TF over David Key (Navy), 22-6 — The Panther earned his fourth All-American honor and third straight bonus-victory win with seven takedowns.

#4 Trey Munoz (Oregon State) dec. #5 Lenny Pinto (Nebraska), 5-3 — The Beaver trailed 2-1 early in the final period before scoring a takedown with 57 seconds left to clinch the victory.

#3 Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) major dec. #6 Bernie Truax (Penn State),16-6 — Truax was up 3-1, when Plott scored a takedown, which left the Nittany Lion injured and was hampered for the rest of the match with limited scrambling and mobility. The Cowboy ended with four takedowns, including two in the third period.

#2 Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota) dec. #7 Thomas Stewart (Virginia Tech), 6-4 — The Big Ten champ rallied for a 4-1 deficit in the third period when he earned a stalling point against the Hokie with 15 second left, then clinched the match on takedown three seconds later.

197 pounds

#1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) pinned #8 Stephen Buchanan (Oklahoma), 2:45 — The three-time NCAA champ scored two takedowns before securing his second straight pin and third bonus-point victory.

#3 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) won by TF over #6 Lou Deprez (Binghamton), 16-1 — The defending national runner-up rolled to the victory on four takedowns, including two in the third period; then earned a pair of stalling points.

#12 Rocky Elam (Missouri) dec. #4 Michael Beard (Lehigh), 8-2 — The native of Kansas City scored takedowns in both the first and third periods to claim another All-American honor.

#2 Trent Hidlay (NC State) major dec. #10 Silas Allred (Nebraska), 11-3 — The Wolfpack All-American clinched the major by scoring a third takedown with 29 seconds left and added a riding-time point.

Heavyweight

#1 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) dec. #9 Nick Feldman (Ohio State), 1-0 — The Nittany Lion only needed a second-period escape to claim the victory.

#4 Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) dec. #5 Nathan Taylor (Lehigh), 4-1 sv — The 2022 national runner-up clinched another All-American honor when he tallied the bout’s only takedown with 15 seconds into the sudden victory phase.

#3 Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) dec. #6 Zach Elam (Missouri), 8-1 — The Falcon ended any doubt when he scored a second takedown with three seconds left in the bout.

#10 Lucas Davison (Michigan) dec. #2 Yonger Bastida (Iowa State), 6-4 — The former All-American from Northwestern rallied from a 4-1 deficit when he earned a pair of stalling calls against the Cyclone in the last minute, then scored a takedown at the buzzer.