STILLWATER, Okla. - Iowa State proved that 2007's conference title and NCAA runner-up finish was no fluke with a solid day of wrestling at Saturday's Big 12 Wrestling Championship at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Cael Sanderson's Cyclones totaled 75.5 points, crowned four champions and out-distanced second-place Nebraska by 13 points. ISU qualified nine for St. Louis before the wild-card meeting even started.

"I think we wrestled well," said Sanderson. "They really executed and won some close matches which is what you want to be doing this time of year.

"Our sophomore class did a great job for us (Saturday), getting to the finals. They were at the national tournament last year, so they know what to expect."

Iowa State crowned Nick Fanthorpe (133), Nick Gallick (141), Cyler Sanderson (157) and Jake Varner (184) as champions. Mitch Mueller (149) and David Zabriskie (285) each dropped finals bouts.

In improving to 22-11, Gallick went to overtime to beat Oklahoma State's Nathan Morgan. A solid counter-attack led to the sophomore's winning takedown and avenged a regular-season loss to Morgan, who was seeking his fourth Big 12 title.

"I think everybody has improved so much during the season and I think this was a big confidence boost for us heading into the national tournament," Gallick said. "I didn't get off to a very good start, but I feel much better right now. Morgan is really tough and to beat him (in Stillwater) ... that's a big win for me."

Varner kept his perfect season intact with a decision of Oklahoma's Josh Weitzel in the finals.

"We've been training really hard," said Varner, now 25-0. "We felt like we were ready to go win (the NCAAs) last year but we came up a couple of points short. We are going with the same mindset this year, to win it."

The Cornhuskers put up a good fight, crowning a trio of champions led by 149-pounder Jordan Burroughs - named OW after is 15-6 major decision in the finals - Brandon Browne and defending NCAA champion Paul Donahoe.

Browne (30-2) rallied with a takedown in the final :10 to beat O-State's Brandon Mason in the 174-pound finals, while Donahoe knocked off OSU's Tyler Shinn in his finals bout.

The Cowboys, winners of eight of the previous 11 Big 12 meets, struggled all day, winning 2-of-6 overtime matches. Top-seeded and top-ranked 133-pounder Coleman Scott lost a 5-3 double OT decision to Missouri's Tyler McCormick in the semifinals, but came back to take third.

Senior Jake Dieffenbach lost to NU's Stephen Dwyer in overtime in the 165-pound semifinals, while 157-pounder Newly McSpadden, who opened the tourney with a pin, lost to MU's Michael Chandler in an extra session in the semifinals.

Dieffenbach also dropped a decision to ISU's Jon Reader in consolations. The fifth-ranked wrestler in the country came back to win a challenge match with OU's Max Dean just to take fourth. Dean beat Reader in the first round.

Sophomore Jared Rosholt gave the home fans something to talk about when he beat Zabriskie in the tournament's final bout. A year ago, Zabriskie beat Rosholt in the same scenario to give the Cyclones the team title.

"It was a tough day for a lot of people. We lost so many close matches," Rosholt said. "We want to be conference champions, but it is still about qualifying people for the NCAA Tournament. This is been such a crazy year and there is still one tournament left."

Missouri finished fourth with 49.5 points and the Sooners were a distant fifth with 24 points.

The Big XII will send a total of 38 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, including ISU (10), OSU (8), Nebraska (8), Missouri (7) and Oklahoma (5).

Wild Cards
Raymond Jordan: Missouri (184 pounds)
Jake Dieffenbach: Oklahoma State (165 pounds)
Kenny Jordan: Nebraska (133 pounds)
Joel Flaggert: Oklahoma (197 pounds)
Josh Wagner: Missouri (149 pounds)
Tyler Clark: Iowa State (125 pounds)
Vince Jones: Nebraska (184 pounds)
Jon May: Nebraska (285 pounds)

Final Team Standings 
1. Iowa State: 75.5
2. Nebraska: 62.5
3. Oklahoma State: 52.5
4. Missouri: 49.5
5. Oklahoma: 24

Championship Matches
125 pounds: Paul Donahoe (NEB) dec. Tyler Shinn (OSU); 7-4
133 pounds: Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) dec. Tyler McCormick (MIZZ); 7-1
141 pounds: Nick Gallick (ISU) dec. Nathan Morgan (OSU); 3-1 SV
149 pounds: Jordan Burroughs (NEB) dec. Mitch Mueller (ISU); 15-6
157 pounds: Cyler Sanderson (ISU) dec. Michael Chandler (MIZZ); 6-5
165 pounds: Nicholas Marable (MIZZ) dec. Stephen Dwyer (NEB); 3-2
174 pounds: Brandon Browne (NEB) dec. Brandon Mason (OSU); 7-6
184 pounds: Jake Varner (ISU) dec. Joshua Weitzel (OU); 4-1
197 pounds: Max Askren (MIZZ) dec. Craig Brester (NEB); 8-3
285 pounds: Jared Rosholt (OSU) dec. David Zabriskie (ISU); 9-5