Missouri Wrestling Trounces Pittsburgh 29-9
12/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Dec. 20, 2005
Pittsburgh, Penn. - The No. 13 Missouri wrestling squad earned a big victory in the first dual of their road trip to the Eastern Wrestling League, beating the Pittsburgh Panthers 29-9 Dec. 19. The Tigers lost just two matches to the Panthers, establishing early leads in nearly every match and finishing strong to improve to 3-0 on the season.
Competing at 141 pounds, senior Chris McCormick (Leawood, Kan., No. 19) upset No. 11 Ron Tarquinio 8-1. Wrestling to a 5-0 lead after the first two periods, Tarquinio was able to escape McCormick's hold for his only point of the match, but a takedown by McCormick and one point for riding time earned the senior his first victory over a ranked opponent this season.
McCormick's performance followed strong outings by senior Austin DeVoe (Columbus, Kan.) and sophomore Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.), who both entered the dual ranked No. 15 in the nation. DeVoe set the tone for Missouri's performance by scoring quickly to post a 12-2 major decision over Brad Gentzle at 125 pounds, and McCormick finished his bout with Mike Ciotti strong, stretching a 3-0 lead into a 7-0 lead during the third period.
Competing in the night's marquee matchup of ranked wrestlers, junior Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.), ranked No. 4 in the nation, defeating No. 9 Justin Nestor in a close match that entered the final period with Pell holding a 3-1 advantage. True to the Tiger's form on the night, Pell finished strong by recording a nearfall over his opponent to stretch the Missouri advantage to 19-3.
Wrestling a weight class above his normal slot in the lineup, No.1 junior Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) proved that his dominance isn't limited to the 174-pound bracket, pinning 184-pound opponent Kyle Deliere in 1:28 to record his 14th pin of the season. Also moving up a weight class, redshirt freshman Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) won by major decision over Mike Heist at 197 pounds, 12-3.
"Coming off of a fifteen-hour bus trip, I was really pleased with the way the team wrestled tonight," Head Coach Brian Smith said. "The coaching staff has stressed the importance of wrestling the full seven minutes, and tonight our guys fought hard to the end of each match."
The Tigers wrestle again Tuesday, Dec. 20, in Morgantown, W.V., facing off against the West Virginia Mountaineers in their last action before Christmas.
Results 125: Austin DeVoe (MU) maj. Dec. Brad Gentzle (Pitt), 12-2
133: Tyler McCormick (MU) dec. Mike Ciotti (Pitt), 7-0
141: Chris McCormick (MU) dec. Ron Tarquinio (Pitt), 8-
149: Josh Wagner (MU) dec. Brandon Smith (Pitt), 5-1
157: Michael Chandler (MU) dec. Sean Richmond (Pitt), 8-2
165: Matt Pell (MU) dec. Justin Nestor (Pitt), 6-1
174: Nick Padezan (Pitt) dec. Joey Garrity (MU), 7-1
184: Ben Askren (MU) WBF Kyle Deliere (Pitt), 1:28
197: Raymond Jordan (MU) maj. dec. Mike Heist (Pitt), 12-3
HWT: Lou Thomas (Pitt) WBF Sean Connole (MU), 1:42
Updated Records: Season (Career) 125 - Austin DeVoe: 16-4 (59-35) 133 - Tyler McCormick: 7-3 (27-17) 141 - Chris McCormick: 18-3 (69-45) 149 - Josh Wagner: 9-6 (27-15) 157 - Michael Chandler: 11-5 (11-5) 165 - Matt Pell: 11-1 (77-23) 174 - Joey Garrity: 14-10 (14-10) 184 - Ben Askren: 18-0 (84-8) 197 - Raymond Jordan: 14-4 (14-4) 285 - Sean Connole: 14-10 (14-10)
