April 18, 2005

Evanston, Ill. -Missouri sophomore Matt Pell (163 pounds) took first-place at the Freestyle University National Wrestling Championships, April 15, in Evanston, Ill., while sophomore Ben Askren (185 pounds) and junior Chris McCormick (145.5 pounds) finished second and fourth, respectively. All three individuals qualified for the University World Championship Team Trials, May 22, in Colorado Springs, Colo.

After earning All-America honors at 184-pounds in the 2005 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) closed out Friday afternoon's National Championships with a perfect 7-0 record at 74 kg (163-pounds). Among his opponents, Pell bested 2004 NCAA Champion and three-time All-American Matt Gentry of Stanford with scores of 8-2 and 4-2 in the championship round. Earlier in the day, Pell knocked off Iowa State's Trent Paulson 6-0, and 4-1 in the semifinals. Pell recorded two wins by fall at the Championships, the fastest clocked at 24 seconds over Brian Perry of Stanford in the first round of competition.

Askren, a two-time All-American and NCAA runner up, was 6-1 on the day, suffering his only loss to 2004 All-American Tyler Nixt of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. The two last met at the 2004 NCAA Championships when Askren earned a 4-2 decision over Nixt to advance to the championship round. Competing Friday at 84 kg (185 pounds), the Hartland, Wis., native won five of his bouts in two matches. Credited with 20 falls during his sophomore campaign, Askren dropped Justin Dobies at the National Championships in the second match with the unattached wrestler in a time of 1:11.

McCormick, a native of Leawood, Kan., was 4-2 in Evanston. Opening the tournament with two, 6-0 victories over Ryan McMurray, McCormick advanced to the second round and knocked off Purdue's Andrew Patascil in two matches to advance to the third round where he held off Oregon's Skyler Woods by scores of 1-0 and 1-0. McCormick's only losses came to Cliff Moore (Iowa) and Max Meltzer (Fluffy Puff Wrestling Club) in the semifinals and third place round respectively. Both bouts were decided in the third match.

In freestyle competition, grapplers wrestle in three, two-minute periods. The winner is determined in a best of three match situation, unless a fall is recorded, in which case, the victor by fall earns the win and remaining matches are null.