TULSA — Cody Merrill turned a frustrating semifinal loss into a strong finish Saturday afternoon at the Big 12 Wrestling Championships.
Merrill returned to the mat earlier than expected on Day 2 after falling in Friday's semifinal to No. 2 seed Joey Novak in a 5–2 sudden-victory decision.
"Yesterday, I fell short—bad calls," Merrill said. "Just going to wrestle through all of it. Win or lose, I'm just trying to wrestle my best and give the next best thing."
Nonetheless, the show must go on.
The third-seeded Cowboy had a marquee matchup in the consolation semifinals against No.