NORMAN, Okla. -- Eight starters from the 14th-ranked Oklahoma wrestling squad will compete at the 2014 NCAA Championships March 20-22 (Thursday-Saturday) inside Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Seven Sooners qualified automatically following the Big 12 Championship last weekend, and redshirt freshman Ross Larson received an at-large bid at heavyweight on Wednesday. Larson will join teammates Jarrod Patterson (125), Cody Brewer (133), Nick Lester (141), Kendric Maple (149), Justin DeAngelis (157), Andrew Howe (174) and Travis Rutt (197) at the event.

The total surpasses the five participants OU sent to the NCAA Championships last season, where it finished 12th overall.

Additionally, complete brackets and first round matchups were announced by the NCAA on Wednesday. Sooners awarded national seeds are No. 6 Patterson, No. 13 Brewer, No. 4 Maple, No. 2 Howe and No. 7 Rutt.

The first session of the NCAA Championships is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. CT on Thursday, March 20, with the matches airing on ESPNU and online at ESPN3.