Friday, March 6
Tulsa, OK
9:00 am
Air Force Academy
at
Big 12 Championships
Air Force Concludes Competitive Big 12 Championship with Four Placers
3/7/2026 10:27:00 PM | Wrestling
TULSA, Okla. – Four Falcons battled to podium finishes and a pair of NCAA Championship automatic qualifications at the highly competitive Big 12 Championship in Tulsa's BOK Arena, Saturday afternoon. The four place-winning finishes ties for the second most podiums in Air Force's 10 Big 12 Championship appearances.
No. 30 Carter Nogle had the standout performance, battling to a third-place finish to become the third Falcon to place third or higher in the 10-year Big 12 era. Nogle, concluding the season with a 22-6 overall record, knocked off two higher ranked opponents en route to third, besting No. 19 Haiden Drury (UVU) and No. 24 Tyler Wells (OU). It was the second time this season that Nogle upended top 20 ranked Drury. With seven automatic qualifications slots in his division, Nogle made a case for mid-twenties seeding in the 2026 NCAA Championship Tournament.
Senior co-team captain No. 31 Tucker Owens earned his second Big 12 Championship podium to join an impressive, yet short list of Falcons to accomplish two-time feat. Owens, now with 61 career wins, holds a 20-8 overall record. The 2023 NCAA qualifier will await the NCAA at-large determination to see if his season extends into a second national tournament.
C4C Karson Tompkins, nationally ranked the entire season, punched his NCAA Championship ticket with his eighth-place finish. Ranked No. 31 heading into the tournament, Tompkins had a highlight performance in knocking off two-time NCAA qualifier No. 12 Evan Bates of Missouri, 12-7. Tompkins joins an elite club of freshmen NCAA qualifiers, becoming the first since now-senior teammate Tucker Owens in 2023 and the impressive Wyatt Hendrickson in 2021 before that.
C4C Rylan Kuhn joins Tompkins, Owens, and current teammate Brian Burburija (2025) as freshman Big 12 podium winners. Kuhn, with no ranking or seeding, impressed with a ranked win over No. 28 Adam Ahrendsen of Northern Iowa. Kuhn, the Falcons' primary heavyweight in the dual season, is 18-10 overall
Coming up
Nogle and Tompkins will begin their preparations for the 2026 NCAA Championship in Cleveland, Ohio, March 19-21. A few Falcons, with the postseason hanging in the balance, will await the at-large announcements on the NCAA Selection Show on Wednesday March 11.
Notes
C3C Carter Nogle 3rd place finish *NCAA qualifier
C4C Karson Tompkins 8th place finish *NCAA Qualifier
C4C Rylan Kuhn 7th place finish
C1C Tucker Owens 8th place finish
Four big 12 podiums are the most for Air Force since 2023, tied for second most in 10 season
Falcons knocked off five ranked Big 12 wrestlers on the tournament, four of which were upsets.
Ranked Wins
197: #31 Karson Tompkins over #12 Evan Bates (MIZZ), 12-7
285: Rylan Kuhn over #28 Adam Ahrendsen (UNI), 8-1
125: #31 Tucker Owens over #33 Bridger Ricks (UVU), 4-1
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #31 Jesse Vasquez (CBU), 5-4
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #19 Haiden Drury (UVU), 5-4
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #24 Tyler Wells (OU), 5-3
Championship First Round
125: #19 Mack Mauger (MIZZ) over #31 Tucker Owens, 10-2
133: #26 Gage Walker (MIZZ) over Gavin Caprella, 3-0
141: #30 Carter Nogle over Max Brady (UNI), 9-4
149: #16 Caleb Rathjen (UNI) over Bryce Shelton, 11-2
157: Gavin Drexler (NDSU) over Lincoln Gregersen, 8-1
165: #12 Max Mayfield (MIZZ) over logan fowler, 11-1
174: #14 Jared Simma (UNI) over Gunner Cramblett, 7-0
184: #33 Aidan Brenot (NDSU) over Brian Burburija, 17-3
197: #31 Karson Tompkins over #12 Evan Bates (MIZZ), 12-7
285: Rylan Kuhn over #28 Adam Ahrendsen (UNI), 8-1
Championship Quarterfinals
141: #4 Anthony Echemendia (ISU) over #30 Carter Nogle, 11-4
197: #5 Cody Merril (OSU) over #31 Karson Tompkins,
285: #1 Yonger Bastida (ISU) over Rylan Kuhn, 22-6
Consolation Round 1
125: #31 Tucker Owens over #33 Bridger Ricks (UVU), 4-1
133: Richard Murillo (CBU) over Gavin Caprella, 12-3
149: Benji Alanis (ASU) over Bryce Shelton, 8-5
157: Drayden Morton (CBU) over Lincoln Gregersen, 8-4
174: Murphy Menke (UNC) over Gunner Cramblett, 5-0
184: Shay Addison (ASU) over Brian Burburija, 11-1
Consolation Round 2
125: #31 Tucker Owens over #18 Trever Anderson (UNI), MFOR
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #31 Jesse Vasquez (CBU), 5-4
165: Gabriel Schumm (CBU) over Logan Fowler, 8-7
197: #31 Karson Tompkins over John Gunderson (UNI), 1-0
285: Rylan Kuhn over Enzo Cappabianca (UNC), 10-0
Consolation Round 3
125: #11 Jett Strickenberger (WVU) over #31 Tucker Owens, 8-6
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #19 Haiden Drury (UVU), 5-4
197: #33 Colton Hawks (ASU) over #31 Karson Tompkins,4-2
285: #21 Juan Mora (OU) over Rylan Kuhn, 8-6
Consolation Semifinals
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #16 Julian Tagg (SDSU), MFOR
Seventh Place Match
125: #19 Mack Mauger (MIZZ) over #31Tucker Owens, 6-2
197: #24 Devin Wasley (NDSU) over #31 Karson Tompkins, 2-0
285: Rylan Kuhn over Tristan Kemp (CBU), 9-2
Third Place Match
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #24 Tyler Wells (OU), 5-3
No. 30 Carter Nogle had the standout performance, battling to a third-place finish to become the third Falcon to place third or higher in the 10-year Big 12 era. Nogle, concluding the season with a 22-6 overall record, knocked off two higher ranked opponents en route to third, besting No. 19 Haiden Drury (UVU) and No. 24 Tyler Wells (OU). It was the second time this season that Nogle upended top 20 ranked Drury. With seven automatic qualifications slots in his division, Nogle made a case for mid-twenties seeding in the 2026 NCAA Championship Tournament.
Senior co-team captain No. 31 Tucker Owens earned his second Big 12 Championship podium to join an impressive, yet short list of Falcons to accomplish two-time feat. Owens, now with 61 career wins, holds a 20-8 overall record. The 2023 NCAA qualifier will await the NCAA at-large determination to see if his season extends into a second national tournament.
C4C Karson Tompkins, nationally ranked the entire season, punched his NCAA Championship ticket with his eighth-place finish. Ranked No. 31 heading into the tournament, Tompkins had a highlight performance in knocking off two-time NCAA qualifier No. 12 Evan Bates of Missouri, 12-7. Tompkins joins an elite club of freshmen NCAA qualifiers, becoming the first since now-senior teammate Tucker Owens in 2023 and the impressive Wyatt Hendrickson in 2021 before that.
C4C Rylan Kuhn joins Tompkins, Owens, and current teammate Brian Burburija (2025) as freshman Big 12 podium winners. Kuhn, with no ranking or seeding, impressed with a ranked win over No. 28 Adam Ahrendsen of Northern Iowa. Kuhn, the Falcons' primary heavyweight in the dual season, is 18-10 overall
Coming up
Nogle and Tompkins will begin their preparations for the 2026 NCAA Championship in Cleveland, Ohio, March 19-21. A few Falcons, with the postseason hanging in the balance, will await the at-large announcements on the NCAA Selection Show on Wednesday March 11.
Notes
C3C Carter Nogle 3rd place finish *NCAA qualifier
C4C Karson Tompkins 8th place finish *NCAA Qualifier
C4C Rylan Kuhn 7th place finish
C1C Tucker Owens 8th place finish
Four big 12 podiums are the most for Air Force since 2023, tied for second most in 10 season
Falcons knocked off five ranked Big 12 wrestlers on the tournament, four of which were upsets.
Ranked Wins
197: #31 Karson Tompkins over #12 Evan Bates (MIZZ), 12-7
285: Rylan Kuhn over #28 Adam Ahrendsen (UNI), 8-1
125: #31 Tucker Owens over #33 Bridger Ricks (UVU), 4-1
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #31 Jesse Vasquez (CBU), 5-4
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #19 Haiden Drury (UVU), 5-4
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #24 Tyler Wells (OU), 5-3
Championship First Round
125: #19 Mack Mauger (MIZZ) over #31 Tucker Owens, 10-2
133: #26 Gage Walker (MIZZ) over Gavin Caprella, 3-0
141: #30 Carter Nogle over Max Brady (UNI), 9-4
149: #16 Caleb Rathjen (UNI) over Bryce Shelton, 11-2
157: Gavin Drexler (NDSU) over Lincoln Gregersen, 8-1
165: #12 Max Mayfield (MIZZ) over logan fowler, 11-1
174: #14 Jared Simma (UNI) over Gunner Cramblett, 7-0
184: #33 Aidan Brenot (NDSU) over Brian Burburija, 17-3
197: #31 Karson Tompkins over #12 Evan Bates (MIZZ), 12-7
285: Rylan Kuhn over #28 Adam Ahrendsen (UNI), 8-1
Championship Quarterfinals
141: #4 Anthony Echemendia (ISU) over #30 Carter Nogle, 11-4
197: #5 Cody Merril (OSU) over #31 Karson Tompkins,
285: #1 Yonger Bastida (ISU) over Rylan Kuhn, 22-6
Consolation Round 1
125: #31 Tucker Owens over #33 Bridger Ricks (UVU), 4-1
133: Richard Murillo (CBU) over Gavin Caprella, 12-3
149: Benji Alanis (ASU) over Bryce Shelton, 8-5
157: Drayden Morton (CBU) over Lincoln Gregersen, 8-4
174: Murphy Menke (UNC) over Gunner Cramblett, 5-0
184: Shay Addison (ASU) over Brian Burburija, 11-1
Consolation Round 2
125: #31 Tucker Owens over #18 Trever Anderson (UNI), MFOR
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #31 Jesse Vasquez (CBU), 5-4
165: Gabriel Schumm (CBU) over Logan Fowler, 8-7
197: #31 Karson Tompkins over John Gunderson (UNI), 1-0
285: Rylan Kuhn over Enzo Cappabianca (UNC), 10-0
Consolation Round 3
125: #11 Jett Strickenberger (WVU) over #31 Tucker Owens, 8-6
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #19 Haiden Drury (UVU), 5-4
197: #33 Colton Hawks (ASU) over #31 Karson Tompkins,4-2
285: #21 Juan Mora (OU) over Rylan Kuhn, 8-6
Consolation Semifinals
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #16 Julian Tagg (SDSU), MFOR
Seventh Place Match
125: #19 Mack Mauger (MIZZ) over #31Tucker Owens, 6-2
197: #24 Devin Wasley (NDSU) over #31 Karson Tompkins, 2-0
285: Rylan Kuhn over Tristan Kemp (CBU), 9-2
Third Place Match
141: #30 Carter Nogle over #24 Tyler Wells (OU), 5-3
Players Mentioned
197
/ Wrestling
133
/ Wrestling
174
/ Wrestling
165
/ Wrestling
141
/ Wrestling
HWT
/ Wrestling
HWT
/ Wrestling
149
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
197
/ WrestlingSam Barber Interview - March 3rd, 2026
Tuesday, March 03
Sam Barber Interview February 17, 2026
Tuesday, February 17
Sam Barber Interview February 10, 2026
Tuesday, February 10
Sam Barber Interview - February 3rd, 2026
Tuesday, February 03
