Feb. 11, 2005
Returning home from tough losses to No. 1 Oklahoma State and No. 7 Oklahoma, the 13th-ranked Missouri wrestling team (13-5, 0-3) will take on No. 2 Iowa State (15-1, 1-1) at home, Sunday, Feb. 13, at 1 p.m., in the Hearnes Center. Down to the final three duals of the season, Sunday's pairing will provide the Tigers with one final opportunity to knock off a league opponent before meeting Saturday, March 5, in the Big 12 tournament.
Currently down 40-1 to Iowa State in the all-time record book, Missouri found it's only win over the Cyclones during the 2002-03 campaign. Wrestling at home under Head Coach Brian Smith, Missouri won seven of the 10 matches, with then-sophomore Tyron Woodley knocking off his higher-ranked Cyclone opponent in a key victory at 165 pounds.
This season's matchup will see five matches between top-20 opponents, 157-165-,174-, 184- and 197-pounds.
Woodley, No. 8 in the nation at 165 pounds, looks to continue his seven-match win streak with a victory over ISU opponent Travis Paulson (No. 5). Throughout Woodley's collegiate career, he has never squared off with Paulson.
Also fighting to continue win streaks are senior Brad Cieleski (157) and sophomore Matt Pell (184). Woodley, Cieleski and Pell were the only three MU wrestlers to win both of their matches last weekend against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Cieleski took major strides in his senior campaign after handing No. 15 Kevin Ward (OSU) his seventh loss of the season and No. 20 Charles Jones (OU) a 10-1 major decision.
Pell, ranked 10th in the nation at 184 pounds, will take on No. 2 Kurt Backes for what could arguably be the afternoon's most intense match. The two sophomores have exchanged shots in only one other dual, last season's Feb. 13, regular-season matchup in Ames, Iowa. Pell won the battle in a hard-fought 8-7 decision. Backes enters the match ranked No. 2 in the nation with a 22-2 record, while Pell comes in at 29-5.