Nicolet graduate Parker Keckeisen wins NCAA Division I wrestling championship

For the third consecutive season, a Wisconsin high school alumnus is an NCAA Division I wrestling champion.

Northern Iowa's Parker Keckeisen, a state champion during his days at Nicolet High School, finished the season 31-0 at 184 pounds, including a comfortable 13-5 win over Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State on Saturday for his first national championship.

"I mean, damn," UNI coach Doug Schwab said. "That's one of the best guys in the country. Nothing against anyone else, but that was the most dominant guy to me in the tournament."

Keckeisen became a four-time All-American and the school's first national champion since 2019. He plans to use his extra year of eligibility granted by the COVID-19 shortened season.

When Keckeisen won the 2018 state title for Nicolet, it marked the school's first state title since 1962.

Keegan O'Toole upset in semifinals, ending chance for all-Arrowhead championship match

Keegan O'Toole of Missouri, an Arrowhead graduate, came into the showcase having won national championships each of the past two seasons. But not this time.

Competing in 165 pounds, the top-seeded O'Toole was upset by Iowa State's David Carr, 8-6. Carr, who had split four previous matches against O'Toole, went on to win the title, defeating Penn State's Mitchell Mesenbrink in the final.

Mesenbrink's name should also be familiar, because he also went to Arrowhead, winning three state titles in high school.

Not only that, but Mesenbrink is the son of John Mesenbrink, who helped build Arrowhead wrestling into a powerhouse and has helped nurture the current crop of elite Wisconsin wrestlers (like O'Toole) as part of the Askren Wrestling Academy since 2011.

Mitchell Mesenbrink transferred to Penn State from Cal Baptist and had been undefeated in his freshman season going into the final.

Of course, had O'Toole won, he would have squared off with his former high-school teammate in Mitchell Mesenbrink. Mesenbrink fell to Carr, 9-8.

Wisconsin Badgers wrestler Eric Barnett takes fourth

University of Wisconsin 125-pounder and Hortonville High School alumnus Eric Barnett took fourth at 125 pounds, dropping a 4-3 decision in a tiebreaker in the semifinal to eventual champion Drake Ayala of Iowa.

At 149 pounds, Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech defeated Austin Gomez of Michigan, 15-7; Gomez competed for Wisconsin in 2021 and 2022, taking fourth with the Badgers in 2022.

Wisconsin had 16 high-school alumni who qualified for nationals, up from five last year. That included Greyson Clark of Purdue (Kaukauna), Matty Bianchi of Little Rock (Two Rivers), Noah Mulvaney of Bucknell (Arrowhead), Blaine Brenner of Minnesota (Stanley-Boyd/Owen-Withee), Joey Bianchi of Little Rock (Two Rivers), Peyton Mocco of Missouri (West Allis Hale), Max Maylor of Wisconsin (Iowa-Grant/Highland), Shane Liegel of Wisconsin (River Valley), Garrett Joles of Minnesota (Boyceville), Sam Mitchell of Buffalo (Marshfield), Stephen Buchanan of Oklahoma (Neillsville/Greenwood/Loyal) and Keaton Kuever of Hofstra (Kaukauna).