EDMOND, Okla. – Ouachita junior heavyweight BK Seago qualified for the 2026 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships after winning a 3-2 trilogy in the third place match at the Central Regional 4 Tournament. 

Trailing 1-0 heading into the third period of a rivalry that already completed two chapters, Seago chose to take control of the match instead of simply escaping from bottom position. Seago found an opening and didn't hesitate to score a reversal to seize a 2-1 lead, then rode Newman's Caleb Wensch for nearly two minutes to secure enough riding time for the win.

"I felt an opening and a release of pressure, so that felt like the right moment to capitalize on and always continue to stay moving," Seago said.

The Oklahoma native won four straight matches, defeating Wensch to cap a bracket run defined by resilience. The victory was the third meeting in a season-long trilogy between the two ranked heavyweights. Wensch claimed the first bout at the Midwest Classic in Indianapolis. Seago answered five weeks later, delivering the dual-deciding 13-4 major decision that sealed Ouachita's first Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association victory over Newman. The regional showdown carried even greater stakes with a ticket to nationals on the line, but Seago made sure to shut the final chapter in dramatic fashion. 

The road through the regional gauntlet was anything but smooth for Seago, who opened the tournament with a heartbreaking triple-overtime loss to the eventual regional runner-up. That draining battle could have unraveled a lesser competitor. Instead, it brought Seago back to a calm state of mind.

"After my first loss, I really just felt more relaxed for some reason," Seago said. "I felt confident in my plan and did not look too far ahead. I just thought about one match at a time, and to just let it all go because these are the moments we train for."

What followed was a four-match surge through the consolation bracket that tested his conditioning and training. Over five bouts, Seago logged 33:27 of total mat time to punch his ticket to Sioux Falls.  

After falling to the consolation bracket, Seago started his climb back into the competition with a commanding 9-0 major decision over Thomas More's Joseph Scarborough. The next brought a familiar foe in Drury's Hunter Tennison. For the second time this season, Seago wasted little time and stuck Tennison to the mat with a first-period pin to keep his momentum alive. In the consolation semifinals, Seago met No. 11-ranked Jonovan Smith of Maryville, surviving a tactical battle that swung on discipline and mat awareness. Seago won a 5-4 decision over Smith to advance to the "ticket round" with a trip to nationals within reach.

That set the stage for the decisive third match with Wensch. Seago relied on his agility to score reversals when the opportunity surfaced. The shifty heavyweight stayed patient until pressure shifted just enough to make his move. Seago's performance marks the fourth consecutive season that a Ouachita wrestler has qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships.

Seago turns his focus to train for one last trip to Sioux Falls, S.D., where the NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships begins on March 13. The junior will have two weeks to sharpen the details that carried him through one of the toughest brackets of his grappling career. For a wrestler who needed four clutch wins after an opening round loss, the lesson from Edmond is simple: stay present, stay moving, and trust the training. Because when the opening comes, Seago has proven he's versatile enough to adapt to any scenario and emerged victorious.