March 16, 2007

Recap |  Notes  | Friday Highlights 

Missouri Tiger Post-Session Quotes Missouri 3rd with 69.5

Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith

On Perseverance of Team "You just need to stay focused. It's a long tournament, and we just got a lot of guys stepping up right now, every match is a brawl, and we just need to keep stepping up and get a couple wins tomorrow. We got three in the top six, and they will battle for points again tomorrow."

On Matt Pell "I've always known Pell had it in him. That's important to him as a senior, he show's that he has gotten better and he's focused. He got us four bonus points tonight."

On Ben Askren's Semifinal Match "It's frustrating for the people in the stands to watch. The kid took one shot, and basically ran away from him. The kid took one shot at him and we only got one stall call. But I know Gavin will wrestle him, and it will be fun for the fans."

On Chances of a Top-Five Finish "I just hope we stay on the stage, we want that top-four finish and that trophy. The guys want it, and I think it showed in how they wrestled tonight."

Missouri senior 174-Pound Ben Askren

On Facing Eric Luedke "Did he take one step forwards, it might as well have been a backwards track meet. It's hard to get someone when they are running backwards."

On Lack of Urgency from Luedke "If I was him, and in my last year, I would take an attempt to win. I am just completely frustrated with the match."

On Facing Second-seeded Keith Gavin "This match tonight has nothing to do with tomorrow, Gavin is a good wrestler and he's a man and he'll wrestle me the way he should, and take shots. I met him twice and he wrestled me then, he got pinned, but he wrestled me. And who knows, if he takes his shot he might even get one around back on me."

Missouri senior 165-pound Matt Pell

On Team Performance "I really admire the other guys on the team. Tyler came up with big wins, and I'm just really proud of all of those guys."

On Personal Performance "I took this morning's session personally, as time for me to step it up. We had to put that behind us and go out and wrestle, and I think I stepped up and we all stepped up."