University of Missouri
Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
Wrestlers Finish 10th at Las Vegas Invitational
12/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Dec. 8, 2002
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -
The #14 Missouri Tiger wrestling team finished 10th at the 21st Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational. The invite included 47 NCAA teams including 11 top 25 teams. The two day invite showcased many of the top wrestlers in the country and is considered by many in the wrestling community as the premier wrestling invite in the country year-in and year-out.
The Tigers had three wrestlers place at the invite. Sophomore Tyron Woodley finished third in the 165 lbs. weight class and juniors J.P. Reese (141 lbs.) and Kenny Burleson (157 lbs.) each placed fourth in their respected weight classes.
Woodley went 5-1 in the invite on his way to his third place showing. On the first day of wrestling he defeated #19 Nick Frost (Arizona State), 9-4 then Curtis Scott (Northwest College) 18-5 and Josh McDonald (San Francisco State), 8-0. On day two Woodley defeated #18 Levi Prevost (Wyoming), 2-1 in the quarterfinals. This set up a semifinals showdown with #1 Matt Lackey (Illinois), a rematch of the 2001 and 2002 Missouri Open 165 lbs. finals. In a tightly contested battle Lackey defeated Woodley 4-3. In the third place match Woodley defeated Prevost again, this time 5-3.
Reese led the Tigers in wins at the Invite, he went 6-2 on his way to placing fourth. On the first day of action he went 4-0, including pins over Jeremy Roe (South Dakota State) in 1:52 and Jeff Ratliff (Ohio State) in 5:44. He started day two off the same way pinning Cal Ferry (Illinois) in 2:39. He then defeated Tyler Laudon (Wisconsin), 12-8. In the quarterfinals he fell to #17 Clinton Frease (Brown), 7-4. The third place match pitted Reese against #10 Gabe Vigil (Boise State). Vigil off Reese and won 2-1.
Burleson went 5-2 on his way to a fourth place finish. On day one he went 4-0 setting himself in position for making a run at the championship match. After defeating Dustin Vance (Cal State-Fullerton) 4-2, he lost to #10 Adam Britt (V.M.I.) in the quarterfinals. In the third place match he fell to #16 Alex Tirapelle (Illinois), 5-2.
The Tigers return to action this weekend with a home tri-meet against Central Missouri State and Princeton. The meet is on Sunday, December 15 in the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse. The start time is at 1:00 p.m.
LAS VEGAS INVITE TEAM SCORES: 1. Minnesota (#1): 131.0 2. Illinois (#10): 123.5.0 3. Ohio St. (#5): 118.5 4. Arizona St. (#18): 112.0 5. West Virginia (#8): 96.5 6. Nebraska (#15): 89.0 7. Michigan (#6): 87.0 8. Wisconsin (#19): 77.5 9. Boise St. (#12): 75.5 10. Missouri (#14): 73.5
