The Big 12 Championship field looks a little different this year from years past. Ten teams are wrestling in the the 2016 Championship in Kansas City. Three universities have been in the conference since its inception in 1997. Check out three legends from the core institutions of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State.

Michael Lightner, 1998-2001, Oklahoma Sooners

Michael Lightner was a rare four-time Big 12 champion between 1998 and 2001. He also took home All-American honors from each trip to the NCAA Championships that included an NCAA title in 2001.

At Oklahoma Lightner accumulated a career record of 144-16 in four years. He ranked second on the all-time Sooner win list when he walked off the mat with his NCAA Championship in 2001. He was only the 13th Oklahoma wrestler to complete an undefeated NCAA season with a national title.

After graduation Lightner competed on the senior freestyle circuit for several year. In 2005 he won US Nationals and the World Team Trials to secure his spot at 60kg on the 2005 World Team.

At the Big 12 Championship Lightner competed against stellar fields in the 134lb and 141lb weight classes.

As a freshman Lightner came into the championship as the #3 seed at 134lbs. He knocked of Jamill Kelly of Oklahoma State in the semifinal before defeating #1 seed Brad Canoyer of Nebraska for the title. The 10-3 decision over Canoyer gave him his first of four titles. Two weeks later Lightner defeated Kelly again in the round of 16 at the NCAA Championships. he ultimately placed 5th at the championships to earn All-American honors.

When the weight classes changed in for Lightner’s sophomore season, he moved into corresponding 141lb weight class. At the Big 12 Championship he defeated Benjie Winegarden of Iowa State and fellow All-American Jose DeAnda of Nebraska to earn the title. He entered the NCAA Championships as the #4 seed at 141lbs. He knocked off #1 seed, Mark Angle of Clarion in the semifinal before falling to Doug Schwab of Iowa in the title match.

Lightner claimed his third Big 12 Championship with victories over Jeremy Spates of Missouri and Jamill Kelly of Oklahoma State. Once again he made his way to the NCAA final, only to come up short again. A red-hot Carl Perry of Illinois defeated Lightner for the title after he took out reigning champion Doug Schwab of Iowa in the semifinals.

Lightner finished his sweep of Big 12 titles with wins over J.P. Reese of Missouri and Charles Walker of Oklahoma State. He entered the NCAA Championships as the #2 seed behind Schwab of Iowa. They both entered the title match with identical 34-0 records. Lightner won the battle of undefeated seniors to take the title from Schwab in Carver Hawkeye Arena.

Lightner is currently an assistant coach for the Sooners. He has served in that capacity since 2009.

Johnny Thompson, 2001-2004, Oklahoma State Cowboys

Johnny Thompson was a two-time NCAA Champion for the Cowboys in the 133lb weight division. He took home four Big 12 Championship and amassed a career record of 127-14.

As a freshman, Thompson burst on to the scene and won an incredibly tough weight class at the Big 12 Championships. Thompson defeated Matt Azevedo of Iowa State and Todd Beckerman of Nebraska to claim the title. The Big 12 trio of Thompson, Beckerman, and Witt Durden of Oklahoma finished 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at the NCAA Championships. Thompson had to defeat Azevedo and Beckerman on the way to the finals. In the final he fell to two-time NCAA champion Eric Juergens of Iowa.

En Route to the Big 12 Championship in 2002 Thompson defeated Joey Malia of Nebraska and Witt Durden of Oklahoma. Once again the Big 12 produced three All-Americans at 133lbs just two weeks later. Thompson improved upon his runner-up finish by defeating rival Ryan Lewis of Minnesota for the title.

For the second straight year Thompson defeated Malia and Durden to claim the Big 12 Championship at 133lbs. He continued the trend of doing things twice by defeating Lewis in the NCAA final for a second straight year.

Thompson won his fourth Big 12 Championship with a victory over Zach Roberson of Iowa State. Two weeks later the 133lb bracket was turned upside down as many upsets occurred in the quarter and semifinals. Thompson was the victim of Penn State’s Josh Moore in the quarterfinal round. Moore defeated Thompson 8-7. On the back side of the bracket Thompson defeated both the #1 and #2 seeds coming back to claim 3rd place. Roberson went on to win The NCAA title that Thompson had claimed the two prior seasons.

Cael Sanderson, 1999-2002, Iowa State Cyclones

Cael Sanderson is the only undefeated four-time NCAA champion in history. With a record of 159-0, Sanderson sits atop just about any record category you can think of. To go with his NCAA accolades Sanderson has a world silver medal and an Olympic gold medal from Athens in 2004.

Sanderson competed in the 184lb weight class for three seasons before moving up to 197lbs for his senior campaign. He is the only wrestler to be awarded the Hodge Trophy three times. The Hodge Award has existed since 1995 and only two other athletes have won the award twice.

In Sanderson’s freshman season he defeated Tom Grossman of Oklahoma and Brad Vering of Nebraska to win the Big 12 Championship. He went on to win the NCAA Championship in dominating fashion. Sanderson defeated Minnesota’s Brandon Eggum for the title. Eggum would go on to win a world silver medal at the senior level. Vering vacated the 184lb weight class and won an NCAA Championship of his own the very next year.

Again his sophomore season Sanderson defeated Oklahoma’s Grossman to make the Big 12 final. There he met future world medalist and UFC champion Daniel Cormier of Oklahoma State. Sanderson defeated Cormier 8-4 to win the title. Two weeks later Sanderson dominated the field as he defeated Eggum in the semifinal 16-5, and two-time NCAA runner-up Vertus Jones of West Virginia 19-6 in the final. His season of dominance earned him his first of three hodge trophies.

In Sanderson’s junior season he continued to own the 184lb weight class. Once again he defeated Cormier for the Big 12 Championship, 8-3. He followed that up with an 8-4 decision over Cormier for the NCAA title in Carver Hawkeye arena. Sanderson was once again named the best collegiate wrestler in the country and awarded the Hodge Trophy.

Sanderson’s senior season was a dominant one at the 197lb weight class. Sanderson defeated Grossman in the semifinal before he pinned Scott Barker of Missouri for his fourth Big 12 Championship. Sanderson dominated the field at the NCAA Championships and capped it off with a 12-4 major decision over John Trenge of Lehigh.

Sanderson is currently the head coach of the #1 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. Under Sanderson they have won four NCAA Team Championships. Prior to taking the position at Penn State, Sanderson was the head coach at Iowa State.