Feb. 9, 2003
COLUMBIA, Mo. -
The University of Missouri wrestling team showed no signs of a letdown after their emotional 24-11 victory over 15th ranked Iowa State on Saturday, as they made quick work of the University of Wyoming Cowboys in a nonconference dual meet in the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse Sunday afternoon. The Tigers (14-5, 3-1 Big 12) defeated the Cowboys (9-6), 39-0. The victory was the Tigers fifth straight dual victory. The victory was also the Tigers fourth shutout of the year. The most shutouts in a season of any Tiger wrestling team.
Senior co-captain Mark Bader (Creve Coeur, Mo./Vianney) started the meet off with a victory in the 125-pound weight class. Bader defeated Bryce Leonhardt, 4-0 to give the Tigers the quick 3-0 lead, a lead that the Tigers would not relinquish the rest of the dual. Sophomore Chris McCormick (Leawood, Kan./Blue Valley North) increased the lead to 6-0 with his 5-3 decision over Tyson Shatto in the 133-pound bout.
2002 NCAA qualifier and 10th-ranked junior J.P. Reese (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams) picked up his 13th pin of the season and his 32nd career pin with his pin of Blake Gunter in 4:34 of the 141-pound bout. Seventh-ranked Jeremy Spates (Norman, Okla./Norman) defeated Patrick Shuler via a 11-3 major decision to earn his 20th victory of the season and his 75th career victory. The Tigers lead extended to 16-0 after four bouts.
Junior Kenny Burleson (Neosho, Mo./Neosho) continued his winning streak alive, extending it to 17 straight victories with his 9-4 decision over Andrew Shuler. It was Burleson's team-leading 30th victory of the season and his 17th dual victory.
The 165-pound match featured a showdown of 2002 NCAA qualifiers. The Tigers sixth-ranked Tyron Woodley (Ferguson, Mo./McCluer) faced off against 12th-ranked Levi Prevost. This was the third time this season that Woodley and Prevost faced each other, earlier this season they faced off twice at the Las Vegas Invite, with Woodley winning both matches including a 5-3 victory in the consolation championships to finish third. Woodley kept to pattern and defeated Prevost with a 9-1 major decision.
Sophomore Matt Turner (Leawood, Kan./Blue Valley North) broke out of his slump picking up a 5-2 decision over Trevor Murray. The win by Turner increased the lead to 26-0 and clinched the Tigers 14th victory of the season.
Tiger All-American Scott Barker (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) was to much for freshman Sam Wendland in the 184-pound bout. Barker picked up his 10th victory of the season with a 15-3 major decision over Wendland. Senior Dante Stone (Calder, Id./North Idaho Junior College), ranked 20th in the country, took on 18th-ranked Kevin Kessner in the 197-pound bout. In a tough match, Stone held on for the 3-2 victory and extended the Tigers lead to 33-0.
In the battle of the heavyweights 14th-ranked Kevin Herron (Imperial, Mo./Fox) faced-off against 19th-ranked Brad Steele. Herron picked up his record-tying 17th pin of the season, pinning Steele in 3:53. The pin tied Herron with Mark Cody (1984-85) in the Missouri record books. It also gave Herron his 40th career pin, improving on his current Tiger career record. The six points earned by the pin made the final score Missouri-39, Wyoming-0.
The Tigers return to action this weekend as they travel to Dekalb, Illinois to take on 20th-ranked Northern Illinois in a nonconference dual meet on Sunday, February 16. This will be the ninth ranked opponent the Tigers have faced in dual action this season. The Tigers are 4-4 against ranked opponents, winning their last three duals against ranked opponents (No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 9 Nebraska and No. 15 Iowa State).