The Iowa State wrestling team proved that they are one of the elite programs in the country after a strong performance at the Big 12 championship.

The hosting Cyclones posted 64 team points to place third overall, which was one spot higher than they were expected to finish.

“We exceeded our expectations, because I don’t think anyone thought we would do as well as we did,” said Head Coach Bobby Douglas.

The Oklahoma Sooners shocked top-ranked Oklahoma State by capturing the team title with 82.5 points. The Cowboys tallied 76 points with Nebraska coming in fourth with a total of 57.5.

This all-day event also determined the participants for the NCAA tournament with the top three place winners in each weight class advancing.

“This tournament brings a lot of stress to the wrestlers, because it’s what qualifies you for the national tournament,” said Cyclone Cole Sanderson.

The young trio of Joe Heskett, Cael Sanderson and Zach Thompson all claimed individual titles to pace the Cyclones. David Maldonado and Cody Sanderson both garnered runner-up honors while Cole Sanderson and Perry Parks also earned a trip to the national tournament with third place finishes.

Cael Sanderson started out his day on a sour note after receiving a cut just above his right eye during his first match.

However, that didn’t slow down the top-ranked freshman as he proceeded to pummel his first round opponent 13-5.

After getting stitched shut, Sanderson won the 184 pound championship with a 9-5 decision over Nebraska’s Brad Vering.

Heskett started out the tournament in fine Cyclone fashion by recording an opening round fall in 1:57.

In the championship, round he defeated OSU’s Ty Wilcox 6-3 to retain his perfect record and will most likely be seeded No. 1 for the NCAA championship.

“The freshmen (Cael and Heskett) started to feel some of the pressure, but they still managed to wrestle extremely well,” said Douglas.

At 197 pounds, Thompson notched his first conference title after defeating Oklahoma’s Waymon May 5-2. That win came on the heels of a 16-6 major decision over Chad Hertzog as Thompson continued to roll over the opposition.

Cody Sanderson used a 9-4 win over Dane Valdez to advance to the finals in the 133-pound weight class. Sanderson challenged returning national champion Eric Guerrero to the bitter end before dropping a tough 5-3 decision.

Maldonado closed out his career at Hilton Coliseum by placing second at 157 pounds and qualifying for his third straight national tournament.

Maldonado notched a tough 5-4 victory in the semi-finals to send himself to the title match where he dropped a heartbreaking 3-1 decision in overtime to Nebraska’s Bryan Snyder.

After being ousted in the semi-finals, Parks was forced to wrestle his way back to claim third place at 174-pounds.

In his second match, Parks needed a dramatic third period comeback to advance in the consolation bracket.

After trailing throughout most of the contest, Parks was able to score two near fall points twice to edge John Kopnisky 6-5.

“That gave me a lot of momentum going into the next match. It also gave me the confidence I needed for the last match because I knew all I had to do was just work hard and hang in there until the end,” said Parks.

That is exactly what Parks did as he fought off the Husker’s Charles McTorry to win a close 11-10 contest. The win gave Parks a third place finish and also automatically qualifies him for the NCAA championship.

“That was my goal since I had been moved up (to 174 pounds). It feels great and I’m excited to be going to the national tournament,” said Parks.

Cole Sanderson started off the first round on the right foot by pinning Jeff Urban in 1:36.

“I was thinking about that match the week, so I just got into a zone for it,” said Cole Sanderson. After losing to Reggie Wright in the semi-finals, Sanderson edged No. 2 seed Joe Henson 6-2 to finish third at 141 pounds.

Benjie Winegarden closed out his first season as a Cyclone by placing fourth at 141-pounds. Winegarden was 1-2 on the day and won an impressive 11-3 major decision over Missouri’s Cliff Sutcliffe. Also taking fourth place honors was heavyweight Mark Knauer.

After trouncing his first round opponent 16-4, Knauer took No. 1 seed J.R. Plienis down to the wire before falling 3-1 in overtime.

In his third place contest, Knauer battled OSU’s Dave Anderton throughout their match before being pinned with only two seconds remaining. Knauer was trailing by two points and needed to score a takedown in the waning seconds, but his risky move was not enough to takedown Anderton.

Despite placing fourth, Knauer may still be invited to the NCAA tournament because the Big 12 is allowed to make five wildcard selections at the discretion of the coaches. Knauer’s hard fought and close losses should be enough to merit an invitation according to Douglas.

“I’m going to fight like hell to get him a wildcard,” said a determined Douglas.

At 125 pounds Jesse West got a tough shake, as he wrestled in a weight class that featured the No. 3, 4 and 5 wrestlers in the country.

West dropped a close 7-6 opening round match before being eliminated in the consolation round by Nebraska’s Paul Gomez 6-2.

This weight class also featured the match of the evening as OSU’s returning national champion Teague Moore was upset by Oklahoma’s Shane Valdez 5-3 in overtime.

Valdez was subsequently named outstanding wrestler of the tournament in leading the Sooners to its first conference title since 1986.

Heskett, Cael Sanderson, Thompson, Maldonado, Parks, Cody Sanderson and Cole Sanderson with the possible addition of Knauer will compete in the NCAA championship in Pennsylvania on March 18-20.

“We’re pleased with where we are right now,” said Douglas. “We need to sharpen up on some things and work on some tactics, but I think we’ll do alright.”