The first session of the Big 12 Championships is in the books in Tulsa, where the three favorites in the team race surged to the front of the pack and several notable upsets shook up the brackets. 

Here’s a look at 12 quick things that happened during the opening session. 

Iowa State Grabs Lead In Team Race

Third-ranked Yonger Bastida’s second pin of the day vaulted Iowa State past Oklahoma State and into the lead in the team race after the quarterfinal round in Tulsa. Seven Cyclones reached the semifinals as Iowa State piled up 71 points during the tournament’s first session to grab a 3.5-point lead over second-place Oklahoma State, which also has seven semifinalists. Missouri is third with 58 points and six semifinalists. 

Hill Hands Zerban First Loss 

Second-ranked 157-pounder Vinny Zerban suffered his first loss of the season in Saturday’s quarterfinals and became the tournament’s first #1 seed to fall, dropping a 4-3 decision to Oklahoma’s Jared Hill. The eighth-seeded Sooner scored a takedown late in the second period that proved to be the difference. Zerban cut into the deficit with a pair of stalling points in the final minute, but they weren’t enough to help him avoid his first loss in 23 matches this season. 

Fix, Carr Roll Along 

Oklahoma State’s Daton Fix and Iowa State’s David Carr — bidding to become the Big 12’s first five-time champions — cruised into the semifinals. Fix notched a technical fall and a pin in his two bouts at 133 pounds, while Carr scored a fall in his first-round match and a technical fall in the quarterfinals. 

Surtin Survives 

Top-seeded Noah Surtin of Missouri and California Baptist’s Elijah Griffin had one of the craziest finishes during the first session. The final 15 seconds of regulation alone feature two reversals and a last-second escape by Griffin to force overtime. In the sudden-victory period, Surtin scrambled out of a potential neutral-danger position and into a takedown for a 7-4 victory. 

Volk Prevails In Chaotic Quarterfinal

The 125-pound quarterfinal between South Dakota State’s Tanner Jordan and Wyoming’s Jore Volk was short on scoring but had a surplus of last-minute tension. Fifth-seeded Volk grabbed the upper hand with a second-period rideout. The bout remained scoreless into the final minute. Jordan appeared on the verge of scoring when the official stopped a potentially dangerous position that led to a Volk injury timeout with 41 seconds remaining. South Dakota State coaches challenged that Jordan should have received a takedown, but the call on the mat was upheld. 

Jordan elected to take the bottom position after the injury time and was close to a reversal as time expired, but Volk held on for the 1-0 win.  

Happel Avenges Late-Season Loss To Edmond

Northern Iowa’s Cael Happel dropped to the #3 seed at 141 pounds after suffering a late-season 4-3 loss to Missouri’s Josh Edmond in a bout that ended with a wild scramble in the final minute. That outcome set up a quarterfinal rematch Saturday in Tulsa. This one was all Happel, though. The Panther scored a takedown in the opening seconds and tacked on two more in the third period to cruise to a 10-3 victory. 

Petersen Drops Allard

Northern Iowa’s Adam Allard appeared well on his way to an opening-round victory, leading 14-1 early in the second period against Maxwell Petersen, when the North Dakota State 149-pounder put the Panther on his back for a fall. 

Willochell Decks McDougald 

Wyoming’s Gabe Willochell accounted for 10 of Wyoming’s 23 team points during the opening session.  After a first-round bye, Willochell, the seventh-seed at 149 pounds, went big against Willie McDougald with a head and arm toss, where the #2 seed from Oklahoma fought on his back for nearly 20 seconds before the fall.

Chittum Handles Mauller 

Iowa State’s Cody Chittum wasted no time making his presence known in his first collegiate postseason. After a first-round technical fall, Chittum carried his momentum into the quarterfinals, where he notched a 7-3 win against Missouri’s Brock Mauller to secure a spot in the semifinals. Chittum controlled the match with a steady pace, notching a takedown in the first and scrambled out of a Mauller attack for a score of his own late in the second. 

Kysen Terukina Takes Out Returning Champ Poulin

One reigning Big 12 champion’s bid for a second straight title ended during the quarterfinals. Northern Colorado’s Stevo Poulin was one of the favorites to become the Big 12 champion after another strong year for the Bears, but Kysen Terukina didn’t let it happen. Terukina’s 3-2 upset over Poulin was a crucial one for Iowa State, and is a big reason why the Cyclones are out in front after one session. 

Sax Rallies Back To Knock Off Gaitan

In one of the grittier matches of the day, Iowa State’s second-seeded MJ Gaitan held a 3-1 lead over North Dakota State’s Gaven Sax going into the third period after a late takedown in the second. Sax rode out Gaitan in the third period and picked up a stalling point and a riding-time point to force overtime. In sudden victory, after a great scramble off the whistle, Sax worked a go-behind and got the takedown to win 6-3. 

Mooberry Stuns Surber 

While many anticipated a quarterfinal bout between Oklahoma State’s Luke Surber and Oklahoma’s Stephen Buchanan, Spencer Mooberry threw a wrench in those plans. The sophomore from North Dakota State faced Surber in the first round of the 197-pound bracket. Surber went for an upper-body throw, which backfired and resulted in a head and arm for Mooberry. Mooberry wound up with a pin in 49 seconds.