AMES – Iowa State heavyweight Yonger Bastida has been named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Year, the league office announced Thursday. Bastida is the second Cyclone to be recognized as Big 12 Wrestler of the Year since the award was introduced in 2016 (David Carr, 2021).
Bastida, now a two-time Big 12 heavyweight champion, had a remarkable regular season and entered the NCAA Championships with a 25-0 record, including 11 wins over top-15 opponents. He has won 53 of his last 55 matches dating back to the 2023-24 season.
Bastida was the most dominant wrestler in the Big 12 Conference this season, leading the country with 15 tech falls through conference tournament weekend. In total, he posted 18 bonus-point victories on the season (15 tech falls, two pins, one major decision).
Entering the national tournament, he ranked No. 7 nationally and tops in the league in the NCAA’s Most Dominant Wrestler Award standings averaging 4.48 team points per match.
Bastida’s victory over Oklahoma State’s Konner Doucet in the Big 12 title match was the 100th of his career. He is the 40th wrestler in program history to achieve the milestone and the first since Carr (2019-24).
Bastida and the Cyclones are in action this weekend at the NCAA Championships March 19-21 in Cleveland, Ohio.