Sept. 30, 2002

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri Tiger wrestling team was announced as the No. 18 team in the preseason NCAA Division I poll by Wrestlingmall.com. This is the Tigers highest preseason ranking in Mizzou wrestling history. Last year the Tigers opened the season ranked 20th.

Minnesota, the two-time defending NCAA Champion, is ranked No. 1 followed by Big 12 rivals Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. All five Big 12 wrestling teams are ranked, with Iowa State ranking 5th and Nebraska 8th. The Tigers will compete against ten ranked teams during the 2002-03 season including #6 Ohio State, #9 Illinois, #15 Purdue and #16 Northern Iowa.

Wrestlingmall.com also released it's top-twenty individual rankings by weightclass. The Tigers have eight wrestlers ranked in the top-twenty in their respected weightclasses, highlighted by junior Scott Barker ranking 3rd in the 197 lbs. weight class. Other top ten rankings include J.P. Reese (5th) in the 141 lbs. and Tyron Woodley (9th) in the 165 lbs. weight class

The Tigers ended the 2001-02 season ranked as high as No. 7 in numerous polls after a finishing the year with a dual record of 18-3 and a 17th place finish at the NCAA Championships.

This year the Tigers return 9 starters, including 5 NCAA qualifiers.

NOTES: The team opens its season with the Black & Gold Meet on Nov. 1, before starting the regular season with a dual meet against Central Missouri State on Nov. 16 in Warrensburg, Mo.