Aug. 31, 2006

For Missouri freshman wrestler Max Askren it has been a wonderful experience watching his older brother Ben win the 2006 national championship at 174 pounds. But Max has had to work hard to distinguish himself and move out from under Ben's shadow. In an attempt to do this he decided to participate in the FILA Junior World Championships in Guatemala.

"There's a team of eight of us, and it's a world tournament," Askren said. "All the big countries are going to be there, including Russia and Cuba."

Askren has spent the last few weeks training at the Olympic Training facility located in Colorado Springs, Colo. During his time there, Askren has honed a lot of his skills and improved overall as a wrestler.

"There is nothing else to do out here so there are no distractions and you can really focus on your training," Askren said. "You've got some of the best coaches and trainers in the world out here and also some of the best training partners as well."

Askren hopes all of his training will pay off when he showcases his talent in Guatemala where he will wrestle in the 96 kg weight class among some of the world's elite.

"I've never been to Guatemala, but my brother went last year," Askren said. "He told me that there are a bunch of guys that walk around with AK's. I know you can't walk around without a shirt after practice because it is a sign of disrespect, so I really don't know what to expect."

Although the intimidation of being in another country can be very overwhelming, Askren plans on using the opportunity to grow not only as a wrestler, but as a person as well.

"Any time you get to travel out of the country is great. You get to experience other cultures," Askren said. "I've never been to a world tournament before, where referees can't understand you and you can't understand them. It's going to be interesting."

Since Max and his older brother Ben have been kids they have been talking about winning a national championship. Last season Ben achieved that goal, so Max is doing everything within his power to win one of his own. He is hoping to use this experience to help him pursue a national title while at Mizzou.

"I think the bigger the tournament you are in the better you become," Askren said. "It makes you more capable to handle the pressures and perform better on a bigger stage, and I can't think of anything bigger than a world tournament."

With Ben already achieving his goal of a national championship, Max has big plans for his time at Mizzou. Max is taking every opportunity he can to help fulfill his goal of a national championship, and the FILA Junior World Championships is just another step. Max hopes for success in Guatemala, especially following last year when he placed eighth in the FILA National Junior tournament. With this experience Max is sure to take another step toward his dream of a national title.

"You know, we always talked about it and have been training for it since seventh grade," Askren said. "I plan on following in Ben's footsteps one day, which is why I came to Mizzou."

-written by Shawn Davis