Keegan O'Toole on quest for third NCAA Wrestling title for Missouri: 'Just another tournament'
Keegan O’Toole is treating the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships just like any other tournament. That’s how good the two-time national champion for Missouri is this year.
Being closer to home for this year’s tournament also helps. But O’Toole knows the 165 pound weight class is a minefield, filled with talent across the bracket.
Still, he’s one to keep it light.
“I think it just makes it more fun because we’ll have a lot more Mizzou fans,” O’Toole said Wednesday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. “I also think that Kansas, we’ve got two guys on our team that are wrestling Rocky Elam, Zach Elam from Kansas. So really great opportunity for them.
“It’s just nice that I only had to drive an hour and a half to get here. And on Sunday I’ll drive an hour and a half to go back home. It’s just another tournament.”
If the seeds hold, it’s an impending rematch with Iowa State’s David Carr, whom O’Toole beat 8-2 in last week’s Big 12 finals. The two are 2-2 against each other in their careers, with O’Toole winning the last two, including the 2023 NCAA title.
“It will be number five,” O’Toole said. Anytime you have someone that good in your weight class, they’re going to push you to get better in the areas you’re weak at. He really showed me where I was weak the first two times I wrestled. He kind of put it on me.
“But this weight class has a lot of good wrestlers. It wasn’t just him that pushed me this year. I’ve had many battles, many wars. Each and every day, each and every competition I’m learning a lot.”
Head coach Brian Smith knows it doesn’t take much motivation for O’Toole to turn it on. The wrestler is the No. 1 seed and halfway to history.
“You don’t have to push him too much,” Smith said of O’Toole. “He loves to be in the practice room. That’s what I always say, that’s what makes him special, the way he trains. It’s not just during the practice, it’s what he does after and how technical he is and breaking things down in his preparation. He’s just a special one that’s fun to coach.
“And it’s fun. Like, when we get to wrestle David, they’re both that way. I think Coach said it to me one time, Kevin said it to me one time, after they had a great match, it’s like we’re kind of lucky to sit in the corner with those two and the way they compete at such a high level, and fans get to watch it.”
How to watch 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships
Fans not in attendance for this year’s NCAA Wrestling Tournament, and ones that want to watch O’Toole, have the option of streaming on Fubo TV. Below is how to watch across all sessions!
Dates: Thursday-Saturday (March 21st to 23rd)
Session 1: 12:00 p.m ET (Thursday)
Session 2: 7:00 p.m. ET (Thursday)
Session 3: 12 p.m. ET (Friday)
Session 4: 8:00 p.m ET (Friday)
Session 5: 12:00 p.m. ET (Saturday)
Session 6: 7:00 p.m. ET (Saturday)
Location: T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, MO)
Channel: ESPN and ESPNU
Live Stream: Fubo TV (Try for free)