Tiger Wrestling Signs Ten to 2003 Recruiting Class
5/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
May 23, 2003
Mizzou Head Wrestling Coach Brian Smith announced that 10 wrestling standouts have signed National Letters of Intents and will join the Tiger wrestling program next fall. The class for Missouri has been ranked as the sixth-best recruiting class in the nation by Intermat.
Paul Collum will transfer to Mizzou from Iowa Center Junior College where he was a NJCAA National Champion at 133 pounds. He was the top recruit coming out of high school in Romeoville, Ill. He was a two-time Illinois State Champion and finished fourth at the University Nationals in 2002. He also considered Minnesota and Iowa before choosing Mizzou. He will be a junior at MU next year and wrestle at 133 pounds.
Tyler McCormick was a State Champion last year in the 125-pound weight class at Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kan. McCormick was a High School All-American in 2003 at 125 pounds. He was a four-time state qualifier and had a third place finish in 2002 and a fourth place finish in 2001 to go along with his state title as a senior. He holds the school records for most wins in a career with 142 and most wins in a season with 46. McCormick, who had a 3.9 GPA in high school, chose MU over Oklahoma and will join his brother, Chris, in the 133-pound class at Mizzou.
Doug Mitchell compiled a career record of 74-26 and had 55 career pins at North Kansas City High School. He will join Mizzou as a heavyweight next year. He placed third at the State Championships as a senior in 2003 and took fourth in 2002 as a junior. Mitchell was also named to the Suburban Middle 8 Conference First Team in 2002 and 2003 and was selected to participate in the Missouri/Kansas All-Star dual.
Brett Watkins is a four-time state qualifier and a two-time State Champion from Grandview (Mo.) High School. He won the state titles in his junior and senior seasons, finished fourth as a sophomore and took fifth in his freshman season. In 2003, he was named the 2003 Class 2A Wrestler of the Year. Watkins won the Missouri State Freestyle Championship in 2002. He was a four-year Honor Roll student with a 4.16 GPA and was a four-time Academic All-State selection and a four-time Academic All-American honoree. Watkins will join the 133-pound class at Mizzou.
Jake Diffenbach finished with a record of 135-26 and was a four-time State medallist at Oakville High School in St. Louis, Mo. He was twice was a State finalist and entered state tournament as the No. 1 ranked wrestler in his junior at senior seasons. He holds several school records, including most takedowns in a season, at Oakville, whose wrestling alumni includes current Tiger and 2003 National Runner-Up Scott Barker. Diffenbach will wrestle at either 157 pounds or 165 pounds at Missouri.
Justin Cole compiled a 177-21 record at Oak Park High School and won the State Championship as a senior. He was runner-up as a junior and finished fourth in his sophomore season. Cole was also a Junior National Greco All-American. He holds the record for most wins ever for a wrestler in the state of Missouri. Cole served as team captain at Oak Park and will join either the 141-pound class or the 149-pound class for the Tigers.
Zac Lazzari from Wooster High School in Reno, Nev. won the State Championship in both his junior and senior seasons. He finished second in his sophomore season and took third as a freshman. Lazzari compiled a career record of 155-33 and was named the Wrestler of the Year for the State of Nevada in 2003. He was also given the award for the highest GPA of his high school team. He will wrestle in the 149-pound weight class for Mizzou.
James Williamson is a product of Blue Springs South High School in Blue Springs, Mo and is a two-time State Champion. Williamson will wrestle at 184 pounds for the Tigers next season. He was fifth at the state tournament as a sophomore and finished with a 118-15 record at Blue Springs South. Williamson will join his brother, Joe, on the Mizzou roster. Joe will be a sophomore next year at MU.
Mark Wall is from Oak Grove (Mo.) High School, the same school that produced former Tiger great Shaon Fry and current MU coach Kevin Stanley, where he compiled a record of 146-10. He was named an All-American by Wrestling USA and was a three-time State Champion and a four-time Conference Champion. Wall holds the school record for career takedowns with 523. He was a four-time Academic All-Conference and All-State selection. Wall will wrestle in the 184-pound class for the Tigers.
Mike Whitehead was a two-time Oregon State champion who will transfer from Southern Oregon. He took third at the Junior College Nationals and finished second and third in the NAIA National Tournament. Whitehead will join the heavyweight class at Mizzou.
"We are very pleased with the class of newcomers that will be joining our program," Smith said. "I think this group understands what it takes to be successful and will be able to contribute to our team. One thing we've tried to do is keep the top wrestlers in Missouri in the state and I think if you look at this class you will see we've been successful doing that. Our recruiting classes have continued to improve and that is a credit to my assistants and staff."
The new signees join Tim Kephart of Francis Howell High School and Joshua Wagner from Milton, Wisc., who signed National Letters of Intent to attend Missouri during the early singing period.
INTERMAT'S 2003 RECRUITING CLASS RANKINGS
1. Minnesota
2. Oklahoma State
3. Ohio State
4. Michigan
5. Oklahoma
6. MIZZOU
7. Northern Iowa
8. Cornell
9. Iowa
10. Northwestern
16. Nebraska
24. Iowa State
