O'Toole falls just short of third national championship

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All-time Missouri Tiger wrestler Keegan O’Toole went to the mat Saturday night in Philadelphia looking to do something special. End all five of his college wrestling seasons with a win.

In Years 1-through-4, O’Toole had placed first twice and third twice, with his only NCAA Tournament losses coming to finalist Jake Wentzel of Pittsburgh in 2021 and eventual NCAA Champion David Carr of Iowa State in 2024.

O’Toole matched up with Oklahoma State’sDean Hamiti, a rematch of the Big 12 title bout O’Toole won just two weeks ago 7-4 in sudden-victory overtime.

And the pair did not disappoint the second time around.

No points were scored in the first period and no takedowns were allowed in the second or third, though one was called for Hamiti in the third before being overturned.

With the lone points coming on escapes from the down starting position and neither grappler amassing a minute of riding time, the bout went to overtime once again.

But this time it was Hamiti forcing the overtime takedown, handing O’Toole just his third NCAA Tournament loss in his five-year career and giving him his first second-place finish.

O’Toole ends his college career with two 165-pound national championships, one 174-pound second-place finish and two 165-pound third-place finishes.

Across five college seasons, O’Toole lost just five matches, including posting a 25-0 season in 2021-22 as he won his first national championship.

O’Toole cruised to the championship bout as the top seed in the 174-pound bracket.

He opened the NCAA Tournament with a pin of Rider’s Michel Wilson in 4:24, then went into the third period down 6-3 against Stanford’sLorenzo Norman and fell behind 7-3 after Norman escaped the down starting position in the third. But a stalling penalty and two last-minute takedowns put O’Toole in front, including the match-winning takedown with 28 seconds left to clinch the win.

The Missouri great had an easier time with Virginia Tech’sLennox Wolak in the quarterfinals, amassing four takedowns and a riding time point to win 13-1, but the semifinal bout with South Dakota State’s Cade DeVos was another close one.

O’Toole opened the bout with a takedown, but DeVos escaped quickly, then escaped the down starting position in the second period before taking O’Toole to the mat to go up 5-3. O’Toole escaped before the end of the period to send the match to the third with DeVos in front 5-4.

O’Toole reversed control in the third, taking a 6-5 lead, but DeVos was able to escape with 25 seconds left, tying the match at 6, but not leaving enough time for DeVos to make up for O’Toole’s riding time point, which gave him his third chance in the national championship with a 7-6 win.

O’Toole ends his magnificent college career with a record of 108-5.

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