Dec. 9, 2005
Columbia, Mo. - After a solid showing at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational last weekend, the No. 13 Missouri Tigers open their Hearnes Center dual schedule with a match against Big Ten opponent Ohio State, Sunday, Dec. 11, with the first bout beginning at 2 pm CST.
Missouri, which opened its campaign with a 32-8 victory over Stanford Nov. 11, takes on the Buckeyes in the first of three duals before Christmas. Missouri and Ohio State have faced off in dual competition ten times, with the Tigers holding a 6-4 advantage over their counterparts from the Big Ten. This will be the third straight year that Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith and Ohio State Head Coach Russ Hellickson have faced each other, with the Tigers holding a two-match winning streak. In 2003-04 the Buckeyes traveled to Columbia, Mo. only to fall victim to Smith's squad by a 34-9 score, and last year in Columbus, Ohio, the Tigers won, 33-6.
Missouri already has one dual match under its belt, beating the Stanford Cardinal 32-8 Nov. 11 in Kansas City, Mo. However, Ohio State will be making its first appearance in dual action this season, having competed in two open tournaments. The Tigers hope to improve to 2-0 on the season, building on the success they experienced last weekend in Las Vegas, Nev.
Solidifying his status as the No. 1 wrestler in the nation at 174 pounds, junior Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) brought home his second straight Cliff Keen Invitational title last week, earning three pins on the way to the championship match. Countering the Tigers star for Ohio State is talented freshman Blake Maurer. Maurer placed fifth in Las Vegas, a sign that the Buckeyes have found a talented competitor at the weight.
Sophomore Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) faces a tough test at 133 pounds, squaring off against freshman Reece Humphrey in their second matchup of the season. Meeting in the fourth round of wrestlebacks at the Las Vegas Invitational, Humphrey earned a 5-1 decision over McCormick. McCormick carries a 5-3 record into the bout and looks to turn the tables on Humphrey and earn a victory in their second meeting.
Three Tigers look to build on impressive showings from last week's outing, after placing in the top eight at their respective weight classes. Junior Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis., 165) retained his No. 4 ranking by taking second place, losing only to No. 3 Ryan Churella in the championship bout. Pell has grappled to an 8-1 record to this point in the campaign.
Senior Austin DeVoe (Columbus, Kan., 125) built on the Missouri Open championship he earned three weeks ago by placing fifth at 125 pounds, The performance earned DeVoe national recognition, as he broke the top 20 and is now ranked No. 18 in the nation at the lightest weight in the lineup. Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C., 184) continued his stellar freshman campaign with an eighth place finish in Nevada.
In addition to the action on the mat, for each spectator at Sunday's dual, Cost Cutters will be donating $1 to the families hosted by the Mid-Missouri Ronald McDonald House and the first 250 children to enter the gate will receive free Missouri wrestling t-shirts.