Jan. 13, 2007

Cedar Falls, Iowa - Advancing through the championship bracket of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Cliff Keen National Duals, the No. 1 ranked Tiger wrestling team outscored eighth-ranked Northwestern, 33-8, in the quarter-finals held in the UNI Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa. After taking wins in eight weight classes, the Tigers advanced to the semi-finals where they will face No. 4 Oklahoma State, Sunday, Jan. 14, at 11 a.m. (CT).

Opening the dual with a win at 125 pounds, redshirt freshman John Olanowski (Virginia Beach, Va.) held on for an 8-7 decision and his first victory of the day. Collecting all eight points in the first five minutes, Olanowski's opponent, Brandon Precin, closed the gap in the third with a nearfall in the final few seconds of the period.

Up next for Missouri, 15th-ranked Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) also collected his first win of the day, outscoring Eric Metzler, 8-3, at 133 pounds. Earning two of his eight points through stall calls given to Metzler, McCormick took his shots and managed two takedowns and two escapes helping the Tigers to a 6-0 lead.

Ranked 15th in the nation at 141 pounds, true freshman Ashtin Primus (South Connelsville, Penn.) improved to 2-0 on the day after notching a 13-2 win by major decision against James Kohlberg. Primus, who has 16 falls on the season, put Kohlberg on his back in the first and second period for six points, scoring the rest of his points through three takedowns.

Junior Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.), Missouri's 149 pound grappler, improved to 19-6 on the season with a 13-5 major decision of Vincent Colletti. The win by major decision was Wagner's second of the day after blanking Rob Hitschler, 10-0, in the Tiger's morning dual against No. 14 Penn.

Wrestling for the first time of the day, sophomore Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) pinned Dominic Marella in 3:33 giving the Tigers a 20 point advantage. Tacking on an additional six points, senior All-American Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) recorded his second pin of the day, this one in 4:33 over Greg Hagel.

Senior Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.), ranked No. 1 in the nation at 174 pounds, took an eight point win by major decision over 15th-ranked Nick Hayes. With the win, Askren improves to a perfect 25-0 on the season and moved the Missouri Career Wins Record up one victory to 136.

In a battle between two undefeated wrestlers, No. 1 ranked Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) outscored second-ranked Mike Tamillow, 9-4, at 197 pounds. Accumulating 3:34 of riding time, Askren wore down Tammilow allowing him only three escapes and giving him one point after being called with an illegal hold. The Askren brothers remain the only Tiger starters with perfect records.

Missouri will begin semi-final competition at 11 a.m. (CT) on mat three of the UNI Dome against fourth-ranked defending National Champion Oklahoma State. The league rival, seeded fourth at the National Duals, bested host school Northern Iowa, 29-5, and local favorite Iowa, 22-13, to advance into the semi-finals. The Cowboys hold a 32-1 lead in the all-time series that dates back to the 1928-29 season. Missouri's only win over OSU came in 2003 under the direction of current Head Coach Brian Smith. Missouri won the dual, 21-17.

On the other side of the bracket, with dual competition still underway, No. 3 Hofstra and No. 6 Iowa State as well as No. 9 Central Michigan and No. 2 Minnesota are looking for a chance to head to the semi-finals.

125	#18 John Olanowski (MU) decision Brandon Precin (NW): 8-7
133	#15 Tyler McCormick (MU) decision Eric Metzler (NW): 8-3
141	#15 Ashtin Primus (MU) major decision James Kohlberg (NW): 13-2
149	#15 Josh Wagner (MU) major decision Vincent Colletti (NW): 13-5
157	#12 Michael Chandler (MU) fall Dominic Marella (NW): 3:33
165	#7 Matt Pell (MU) fall Greg Hagel (NW): 4:33
174	#1 Ben Askren (MU) major decision #15 Nick Hayes (NW): 14-6
184	#1 Jake Herbert (NW) tech fall Joey Garrity (MU)20-5 (6:35)
197	#1 Maxwell Askren (MU) decision #2 Mike Tamillow (NW): 9-4
HWT	#3 Dustin Fox (NW) decision Tyler Perry (MU): 5-0		

**Rankings based on Jan. 9 USA Today/NWCA/Intermatwrestle.com poll.**
Wt.	Name			Season		Career
125	John Olanowski		17-8		17-8
133	Tyler McCormick	        8-5		59-28
141	Ashtin Primus		29-6		29-6
149	Josh Wagner		19-6		56-30
157	Michael Chandler	17-5		36-21
165	Nicholas Marable	25-5		25-5
165	Matt Pell		12-1		111-29
174	Ben Askren		25-0		136-8
184	Raymond Jordan	        17-4		50-16
197	Maxwell Askren		20-0		20-0
HWT	Mark Ellis		9-6		9-6
HWT	Tyler Perry		2-4		2-4