Oklahoma redshirt freshman Willie McDougald fell 2-1 to No. 1 seed Kaden Gfeller of Oklahoma State in the 149-pound title match at the Big 12 Championship on Sunday night.
Despite the loss, the No. 2 seeded McDougald added 14 points to the Sooners’ team total in the Big 12 Championship and earned a spot in the NCAA Championship in Detroit.
McDougald’s second place effort led No. 24 Oklahoma (8-6, 3-5 Big 12) to 113 points and the runner-up spot behind No. 9 Missouri (11-4, 8-2 Big 12) after session four at the conference tournament in Tulsa.
Along with McDougald, redshirt seniors Anthony Mantanona, Joey Prata, Justin Thomas, Keegan Moore and Jake Woodley plus senior Tony Madrigal, redshirt junior Jacob Butler and redshirt sophomore Josh Heindselman secured national tournament berths.
No. 7 seed Prata finished fourth in the 125-pound class, going 2-2 in his four matches. The Virginia Tech transfer also added 10.5 team points. Fellow No. 7 seed Madrigal added 10 more points, compiling a record of 2-3 and finishing in sixth place in the 133-pound class.
Unseeded Butler upset No. 1 seed Ian Parker in the first round of the tournament en route to a sixth-place finish. The redshirt junior scored another 10 points for the Sooners in the 141-pound class.
No. 6 seed Thomas landed a fourth-place finish in the 157-pound class. The redshirt senior went 3-2 in the conference tournament and brought in 12.5 points.
No. 8 seed Joe Grello also finished with a 4-2 record, placing fifth in the 165-pound class and pitching in nine team points. The redshirt senior is the only Sooner who failed to qualify for nationals.
In the 174-pound class, No. 3-seeded Mantanona placed third, adding another 12.5 points to the Sooners’ effort with three wins. No. 7 seed Moore snatched fourth place in the 184-pound class, compiling a 4-1 record and scoring another 12.5 team points.
Woodley added 13 points to OU’s total score with a fourth-place finish in the 197-pound class. The 2021-All American went 4-2 in the conference tournament. Heindselman, the Sooners' heavyweight, wrapped things up for Oklahoma with a sixth-place finish, chipping in seven points on a 2-3 record.
OU’s nine national championship qualifiers will continue their hunt for All-American status at the NCAA Championship in Detroit from March 17-19.
Editor's note: This story was updated on March 7, at 10:25 a.m. to correct Tony Madrigal's weight class from 125 to 133.
