Brandon Wiest

Class:
Senior
Hometown:
O'Fallon, Mo.
High School:
Ft. Zumwalt West

2010-11: Wiest wrestled at 149 pounds his junior year, going 7-4 during the 2010-11 campaign. He won seven straight matches, all by decision, to open the season. Five of those wins came at the UCM Open, where he took first place. He then won his first two matches at the Kaufman/Brand Open, defeating Nick Stahler of Colorado State University-Pueblo, 8-2, and Mitchell Means of Fort Hays State by a 6-1 final.

2009-10: Competing at 149 pounds, Wiest found himself in the starting lineup numerous times during the 2009-10 season, where he picked up nine victories. He earned a third place finish at the University of Central Missouri Open, winning four matches on the day. He pinned his first opponent in 2:40 and knocked off his second opponent by a 12-6 decision. In the third place match, Wiest defeated teammate Tyler Lee, 4-1. He won three more matches at the Nittany Lion Open, and started for the Tigers at the 2009 Midland Wrestling Championships.

2008-09: As a redshirt freshman, Wiest finished among the top-five grapplers at three tournaments including two fourth place showings at the Lindenwood Open and Northern Iowa Open. The Tiger grappler made his first career start in the Missouri lineup Nov. 29, against Walter Peppelman of Harvard. Wiest closed out the season with 10 wins, including a 22-5 technical fall victory over Wisconsin's Trey Bertram in five minutes on Dec. 7.

2007-08: Wiest wrestled in the 141-pound weight class his redshirt freshman campaign, earning two top-six tournament finishes over the course of the year. In the freshman division at the Missouri Open on Nov. 18 Wiest walked away with a third place finish after defeating Brandon Perkins from Missouri Valley College, 8-3. Wiest met with his first Big 12 opponent on Jan. 5 at the Dana Open. Battling with Nebraska's Jered Hensley, Wiest recorded a 12-2 win by major decision, his third of four on the season. Wiest managed two wins by shutout, 4-0 and 12-0.

HIGH SCHOOL: Coached by Dan Hayes at Fort Zumwalt West High School, Wiest was a three-time Missouri High School runner-up (2004, 2005, 2006) at 125, 135 and 145 pounds, respectively. Wiest took third in 2007 at 145 pounds. A high school nominee for the Wendy's High School Heisman Trophy, Wiest held a 3.9 grade-point average and was a three-time academic all-conference honoree. Wiest was also a member of the Fort Zumwalt West honor roll and received four letters with the Jaguars' wrestling team.

PERSONAL: Born May 23, 1988, to Mike and Melissa Wiest in Independence, Mo., Brandon has one brother, Trevor, who is a freshman on the Tiger wrestling team. Wiest plans to major in business.