Nate Gallick

The Cyclone captain took rival Teyon Ware down as time expired in the first criteria of the second overtime, claiming a 5-3 decision and winning his third-straight Big 12 title.

The two 141-pound seniors strategically dueled just as expected, with the top-ranked Gallick (30-0) winning his seventh match in eight attempts against the second-ranked Oklahoma wrestler.

Coach Bobby Douglas said it was “perhaps the best match I’ve ever seen [Gallick] wrestle.”

Ware lost to Gallick in the 2005 Big 12 title match on riding time in double-overtime.

“It was just like last year, something stupid. I got taken down at the last second – supposedly – but hey, you’ve got to wrestle all seven minutes,” Ware said.

After the win was over, Gallick praised his competitor and answered the inevitable questions concerning his only loss to Ware – the 3-2 loss in last year’s NCAA final.

“I guess he was the better man that night,” Gallick said. “I’ve won seven of the eight matches we’ve had. They’ve all been close.”

Concerning Ware, Gallick said, “He’s real tough, he’s probably the hardest guy in the country for me to wrestle.

“He is fast, and he is strong, he is quick and he is a real good athlete . he’s got everything I have to offer, maybe more.”

Trent Paulson

The 157-pound junior won his first Big 12 title by beating Oklahoma State’s Kevin Ward, 2-0.

Ward knocked Paulson off in the championship bracket of last year’s conference tournament.

“Yeah, I’m happy to be the Big 12 champ, but I can’t let it go to my head,” Paulson said. “I’ve got to get ready for nationals.”

He is ranked second and heads to the NCAA Tournament with a 22-2 record. Paulson, as well as fellow champion Kurt Backes, suffered an ankle injury in the Cyclones final regular-season dual.

“Paulson is still nursing an [ankle] injury,” said coach Bobby Douglas. “He’s not at full steam yet, but he wrestled a great match. Both of those guys were injured a week ago, so coming off an injury and wrestling, winning a conference title – they’ve done a tremendous job.”

Paulson earned a point for an escape and riding time.

Kurt Backes

The 184-pound junior defended his Big 12 title, beating Missouri’s Raymond Jordan, 4-2. A first-period takedown determined the style of the match.

He edged Jordan, 2-0, in dual season.

“I thought if I got that first takedown then I’d have to make him wrestle,” Backes said. “I made him chase after me instead of the other way around.”

Now ranked fifth, Backes improved his record to 20-5.

His weight doesn’t have a clear favorite.

“Everyone has beaten everyone, really,” Backes said. “It’s a wide-open weight, but I believe I’ll win it.”

Backes didn’t play up the significance of the conference souvenir. He pinned Nebraska’s Travis Pascoe for the Big 12 Championship in 2005.

“I would trade two Big 12 titles for a national title any day,” Backes said. “I just wanted to qualify and get a good seed and go to the tournament.”

See articleTeam finishes in fourth place at Big 12 Championships