Elam, Bastida Claim Second Big 12 Titles

Saturday, March 7

Tulsa, Okla.

7:00 PM

Iowa State

Big 12 Championship (Session IV)

Elam, Bastida Claim Second Big 12 Titles

03.07.2026 | Wrestling

Final Brackets Team Scores Elam Interview Bastida Interview Dresser Interview

TULSA, Okla. – Rocky Elam and Yonger Bastida claimed individual Big 12 titles Saturday night in front of a rowdy BOK Center crowd. This is Iowa State's eighth-consecutive year with a Big 12 champion and the second time in the last three seasons ISU has crowned two champions.

Both Elam (197) and Bastida (285) earned their second career Big 12 titles with Elam having also won in 2023 at Missouri and Bastida taking the heavyweight crown in 2024. Bastida is the 40^th two-time conference champion in Iowa State history.

Stevo Poulin (125) and Anthony Echemendia (141) fell short in their title attempts.

Iowa State placed second as a team with 144 points behind champion Oklahoma State (176). Nine Cyclones punched their tickets to the NCAA Championships during the weekend, ISU's eighth-straight year qualifying eight or more.

At 197 pounds, Elam allowed an early takedown to Wyoming's No. 3 Joey Novak but was unphased. The Cyclone put together a big third period with a takedown and 1:12 ride-out to win, 5-4, and capture his second Big 12 title and the third conference title of his career. It was Elam's second win over Novak this season.

Top-ranked heavyweight Bastida captured a second Big 12 title of his own with a 4-1 decision against Oklahoma State's No. 7 Konner Doucet. The Cyclone notched the only takedown of the match in the closing seconds of the second period.

It is Bastida's second Big 12 title in as many title match appearances, also owning the 2024 heavyweight Big 12 title. He becomes the 40^th two-time conference champion in Iowa State history.

Poulin came up short in his championship bout to Oklahoma State's No. 6 Troy Spratley at 125 pounds. The Cyclone led 1-0 after two periods but Spratley used a reversal and two near fall points in the third to take control of the match. Poulin would ultimately fall, 5-2, after a Spratley riding time point.

At 141 pounds, No. 3 Anthony Echemendia came up just short against No. 2 Sergio Vega in double overtime. Neither wrestler could muster a takedown in a low-scoring match that saw regulation end in a 1-1 tie. Both wrestlers had opportunities to score in the extra period. In double overtime, Echemendia held Vega down for 0:18 before the Cowboy escaped but ultimately it was Vega who managed to ride Echemendia for the next 0:30 to come out on top, 2-1.

UP NEXT
Iowa State will close its 2025-26 season at the NCAA Championships March 19-21 in Cleveland, Ohio.

MATCH-BY-MATCH RESULTS
*No. 2 Stevo Poulin (125) – Runner-up
R16 – W-MD vs. Anee Vigil (ASU), 14-3
QF – W-Inj. Def. vs. No. 7 Trevor Anderson (UNI), 0:36
SF – W-D vs. No. 6 Ezekiel Witt (NDSU), 9-3
Finals – L-D vs. No. 1 Troy Spratley (OKST), 5-2

*Garrett Grice (133) – 6^th Place
R16 – L-TF vs. No. 1 Jax Forrest (OKST), 15-0 (2:59)
Consis. Rd. 1 – W-D vs. Tristan Daugherty (NDSU), 5-2
Consis. Rd. 2 – W-MD vs. No. 7 Luke Willochell (WYO), 11-2
Consis. Rd 3 – W-MD vs. Carter Schmidt (OU), 17-8
Consis. Rd. 4 – L-MFF vs. No. 5 Julian Farber (UNI)
5^th-Place Match – L-MFF vs. No. 6 Gage Walker (MIZ)

*No. 2 Anthony Echemendia (141) – Runner-Up
R16 – W-TF vs. David Saenz (WYO), 22-6 (6:33)
QF – W-D vs. No. 7 Carter Nogle (AF), 11-4
SF – W-D vs. No. 6 Tyler Wells (OU), 2-1
Finals – L-D vs. No. 1 Sergio Vega (OKST), 2-1 TB-1

*No. 2 Jacob Frost (149) – 4^th Place
R16 – WBF vs. Kenneth Evans (UNCO), 6:52
QF – W-TF vs. No. 7 Paul Kelly (CBU), 19-4 (6:32)
SF- L-D vs. No. 6 Caleb Rathjen (UNI), 4-3
Consis. Rd. 4 – W-D vs. No. 8 Gabe Willochell (WYO), 11-4
3^rd-Place Match: L-D vs. No. 3 David Evans (UVU), 12-5

No. 3 Vinny Zerban (157) - DNP
R16 – W-D vs. Daishun Powe (UNCO), 7-2
QF – L-MFF vs. No. 6 Cael Swensen (SDSU)
Consis. Rd. 2 – L-MFF vs. Drayden Morton (CBU)

*No. 5 Connor Euton (165) – 3^rd Place
R16 – Bye
QF – W-D vs. No. 4 Max Mayfield (MIZ), 8-6
SF – L-MD vs. No. 1 LaDarion Lockett (OKST), 11-2
Consis. Rd. 4 – W-MD vs. No. 7 Sloan Swan (WYO), 12-2
3^rd-Place Match – W-D vs. No. 2 Ryder Downey (UNI), 13-12

*No. 4 MJ Gaitan (174) – 3^rd Place
R16 – W-MD vs. Murphy Menke (UNCO), 12-3
QF – WBF vs. No. 5 Jared Simma (UNI), 4:40
SF – L-D vs. No. 1 Alex Facundo (OKST), 7-3
Consis. Rd. 4 – W-D vs. No. 6 Moses Espinoza-Owens (SDSU), 8-5
3^rd-Place Match – W-D vs. No. 2 Carter Schubert (OU), 5-2 SV-1

*No. 7 Isaac Dean (184) – 6^th Place
R16 – W-MD vs. Brock Fettig (SDSU), 11-2
QF – W-Inj. Def. vs. No. 2 Zach Ryder (OKST), 3:15
SF – L-D vs. No. 3 Eddie Neitenbach (WYO), 5-1
Consis. Rd. 4 – L-MFF vs. No. 8 Aidan Brenot (NDSU)
5^th-Place Match – L-MFF vs. Mahonri Rushton (UNCO)

*No. 1 Rocky Elam (197) - Champion
R16 – W-D vs. Colton Hawks (ASU), 5-0
QF – W-MD vs. No. 8 Devin Wasley (NDSU), 9-1
SF – W-D vs. No. 5 DJ Parker (OU), 9-4
Finals – W-D vs. No. 2 Joey Novak (WYO), 5-4

*No. 1 Yonger Bastida (285) - Champion
R16 – W-TF vs. Brock Kehler (WVU), 24-6 (5:23)
QF – W-TF vs. Rylan Kuhn (AF), 22-6 (4:49)
SF – WBF vs. No. 4 David Szuba (ASU), 1:57
Finals – W-D vs. No. 2 Konner Doucet (OKST), 4-1

*Denotes NCAA Qualifier