Missouri Wrestling Team Takes Down UTC, 24-10

Sunday, December 16

Chattanooga, Tenn.

12:00PM

University of Missouri

Chattanooga

12/16/2007 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling

Dec. 16, 2007

Columbia, Mo.. -Improving to 3-0 on the season, the eighth-ranked Missouri wrestling team held off No. 10 Chattanooga, 24-10, at Maclellan Stadium. Seven Tiger grapplers earned wins in their respective weight class, including sophomore Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.), who recorded his seventh fall of the season. With the victory, Missouri improves to 6-1 over the Mocs and takes its perfect three-dual win streak to Pittsburgh for a Wednesday, Dec. 19, match beginning at 6 p.m. (CT).

Opening the afternoon contest at 125 pounds, two of the top-ranked wrestlers in the nation, Missouri's seventh-ranked redshirt freshman Tony Pescaglia (Columbia, Mo.) and UTC's No. 10 Javier Maldonado battled back-and-forth. Maldonado came out on top with a 9-7 win by decision putting Chattanooga ahead on the scoreboard.

Returning to the mat after a five week absence, third-ranked Tiger senior Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) recorded a 6-1 win by decision over Steve Hromada bringing the score to three points a piece. A loss at 141 put Missouri down again, but the Tigers rallied with three straight wins by decision to take the 12-6 advantage.

A loss at 174 pounds brought the Mocs within two points, but an additional three straight Tiger wins, including a six-overtime bout between ninth-ranked Tiger sophomore Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) and 10^th-ranked Matt Kox of UTC, gave Missouri the decisive win. Askren, who stands at 10-2 on the season, scored the only point in the overtime periods, winning the bout by a score of 4-3.

Ellis ended the dual quickly, pinning Matt Lettner in 2:58. With 12 wins on the season, Ellis has won seven of his bouts by way of fall, the fastest clocked at 49 seconds against Pittsburgh grappler Zach Sheaffer at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 1. Ellis and Scheaffer are expected to meet on the mat again Dec. 19.

The loss was UTC's first of the season and first at home in 14 duals.

Wt. Wrestler result Wrestler: Score MU UTC

125 No. 10 Javier Maldonado (UTC) dec. No. 7 Tony Pescaglia (MU), 9-7 0 3

133 No. 3 Tyler McCormick (MU) dec. Steve Hromada (UTC), 6-1 3 3

141 Cody Cleveland (UTC) dec. Marcus Hoehn (MU), 4-3 3 6

149 No. 16 Josh Wagner (MU) dec. Joey Knox (UTC), 10-5 6 6

157 No. 13 Michael Chandler (MU) dec. No. 20 Seth Garvin (UTC), 7-5 9 6

165 No. 5 Nicholas Marable (MU) dec. Nick Davis (UTC), 11-8 12 6

174 No. 15 Lloyd Rogers (UTC) maj. dec. Joey Garrity (MU), 22-9 12 10

184 No. 5 Raymond Jordan (MU) dec. Josh Edmondson (UTC), 12-6 15 10

197 No. 7 Maxwell Askren (MU) dec. No. 10 Matt Kox (UTC), 4-3 ot 18 10

285 No. 12 Mark Ellis (MU) pinned Matt Lettner (UTC), 2:58 24 10