Dec. 15, 2003
Columbia, Mo. -Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith announced Monday that senior Park Hill High School wrestler Mike Gunselman has signed a letter of intent with the Tigers for the 2004-05 season. Gunselman is the seventh signee for the upcoming year and adds to a class that W.I.N. Magazine had already ranked as the fourth-best in the nation. It is the highest ranking ever for a Missouri wrestling team, and top Big 12 recruiting class for the fall.
Gunselman, expected to wrestle at heavyweight for Missouri, enters his final year at Park Hill with a 79-14 record. A dual-sport athlete, Gunselman has garnered several honors both on the football field and the wrestling mat. As a sophomore in 2002, Gunselman was a state quarterfinalist at the high school championships and claimed first place freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling honors at the Missouri State Championships. The captain of the team, Gunselman was also a junior national freestyle qualifier. In his junior year, Gunselman was first team all-state in football as a member of the offensive line, first team all-district offensive line and first team all-conference defensive and offensive line. On the mat, Gunselman was again named team captain taking second place at the Missouri State Championships, helping his team to a first place finish. At the district level, Gunselman claimed an individual title and finished second at sectionals.
"Mike is one of the top heavyweights to come out of Missouri," Smith said. "We've seen a lot of improvement in him during his high school career, and we expect that between Mike and our other newcomer heavyweight, Chase Wetencamp, there will be a lot of good matchups in the practice room."
With seven seniors signed to the 2004-05 season, Missouri stands fourth in the nation with their incoming recruiting class. Together Ryan Joyce (Brandon, Fla.), Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.), Jake Kallestad (Belgrade, Mont.), Chris Potter (St. Charles, Ill.), Chase Wetencamp (Manitowoc, Wis.) and Ryan Williams (La Costa Canyon, Calif.) will fill in at various weights.
"We're really starting to gain some national attention," Smith said. "The first recruiting class that I brought in is graduating this year, and it will be nice to fill the voids with even better talent. This is our largest early signing recruiting class, and I'm pleased with everyone we've managed to bring on board for the upcoming season. The coaching staff continues to look forward to some really exciting seasons."
The University of Iowa wrestling program grabbed the top recruiting class in the nation, followed by Wisconsin and Illinois. Big 12 competitors Nebraska took sixth, while defending national champion Oklahoma State took eighth and Oklahoma ninth.
-MU-