March 4, 2006

Ames, Iowa - Competing in the morning session of the 10th annual Big 12 Championships at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, the No. 7 Missouri wrestling program advanced four grapplers to the title bout of their weight classes. Wrestling in the championship bout ensures a trip to the NCAA Championships March 16-18 in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Tigers are in third place in the team standings, trailing Oklahoma by three team points.

Sophomore Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) secured his first trip to the NCAA Championships with a 7-4 decision over No. 18 Jesse Sundell of Iowa State, the third time McCormick has beaten Sundell this season. Ranked No. 14 at 133 pounds, McCormick fought to a 4-4 stalemate through the first six minutes of the bout, then scored on an escape and a takedown to win the match.

No. 6 junior Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) took down No. 8 Travis Paulson late in the first period to jump out to a 2-0 lead, then escaped early in the second to stretch the lead to three. Racking up 2:28 of riding time after staying in control throughout the final frame, Pell advanced to the title bout at 165 pounds against No. 2 Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State. The 4-1 win ensured Pell's third consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships.

No. 1 junior Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) advanced to his third straight Big 12 Championship final with a 6-3 win over #15 Wes Roberts, stretching his record to 39-0 on the season. Askren recorded a takedown in each of the first two periods and received a point after the referee called stalling on Roberts to enter the final two-minute set ahead, 5-2. Choosing the top position for the final frame, Askren racked up 2:33 of riding time for a 6-3 decision.

Wrestling in the most exciting bout of the semifinals, redshirt freshman Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) advanced to the championship bout at 184 pounds by beating Nebraska's Vince Jones, 11-10. Ranked No. 12 in the country, Jordan gave up several takedowns to his opponent, but was able to reverse the hold of No. 11 Jones in each case. With the match tied at 10 after regulation, Jordan earned a point for 1:15 of riding time, the deciding factor in a hard-fought battle.

All 10 Missouri starters are still alive in the tournament, with consolation bouts beginning at 4 p.m. CST, followed by the finals at 7 p.m.

Quarterfinal Results
125 - #17 Austin DeVoe (MU) dec. Ben Hanisch (ISU): 3-0
141 - Ethan Kyle (OSU) maj. dec. #18 Chris McCormick: 9-0
149 - Robert Sanders (NU) maj. dec. Josh Wagner (MU): 13-4
157 - Michael Chandler (MU) dec. Will Rowe (OU): 3-2
197 - #16 Jeff Foust (MU) dec. Joe Curran (ISU): 11-4
HWT - Richard Schopf (ISU) won by fall over Sean Connole (MU): 4:14

Semifinal Results
125 - #2 Sam Hazewinkel (OU) maj. dec. #17 Austin DeVoe (MU): 12-2
133 - #14 Tyler McCormick (MU) dec. #18 Jesse Sundell (ISU): 7-4
157 - #2 Trent Paulson (ISU) dec. Michael Chandler (ISU): 5-3
165 - #6 Matt Pell (MU) dec. #8 Travis Paulson (ISU): 4-1
174 - #1 Ben Askren (MU) dec. #15 Wes Roberts (OU): 6-3
184 - #12 Raymond Jordan (MU) dec. #11 Vince Jones (NU): 11-10
197 - #2 B.J. Padden (NU) maj. dec. #15 Jeff Foust (MU): 10-2

Updated Records:
125 - Austin DeVoe: 30-13 (73-44)
133 - Tyler McCormick: 26-6 (46-20)
141 - Chris McCormick: 28-10 (79-52
149 - Josh Wagner: 19-13 (37-23)
157 - Michael Chandler: 17-13 (17-13)
165 - Matt Pell: 30-3 (96-25)
174 - Ben Askren: 39-0 (105-8)
184 - Raymond Jordan: 31-9 (31-9)
197 - Jeff Foust: 15-6 (85-35)
HWT - Sean Connole: 18-24 (18-24)

Team Standing
1. Oklahoma State - 58.00
2. Oklahoma - 35.00
3. Missouri - 32.00
4. Iowa State - 25.00
5. Nebraska - 17.00