March 18, 2008

Columbia, Mo. -Five of Missouri's seven NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship qualifiers received top-15 seeds in their respective weight class as announced today by the NCAA. Sophomore Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) earned the highest seed of his Tiger teammates and stands at No. 3 at 165 pounds. Four of the five seeded Tigers stand among the top-10 of their weight class.

Sophomore Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) is making his second run at an NCAA title and owns the second highest seeding of his teammates at fifth at 197 pounds. Askren entered the 2007 tournament seeded No. 1 in the nation.

Standing right outside of the top-five is junior Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) at sixth. Wrestling at 184 pounds, the No. 6 seeding is his second best in three trips to the tournament. As a freshman, Jordan entered the three-day tournament as a No. 9 seed and as a sophomore, Jordan took the national stage as the No. 5 seed.

Wrestling at 157 pounds, junior Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) is seeded 10th, marking the first time in his three tournament trips that he enters as a seeded wrestler. Chandler enters the tournament as the Big 12 runner up at 157 pounds and owns a 23-4 record on the season.

Missouri's fifth and final seeded wrestler is heavyweight Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.). Seeded 12th, this marks Ellis' second showing at the National Tournament and first trip as a seeded grappler.

Seniors Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) and Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.) are unseeded at 133 and 149-pounds, respectively. For two-time All-American McCormick, this marks the second time that the Tiger captain enters unseeded, the first coming in his first NCAA outing, 2006, as a sophomore.

McCormick, Jordan, Askren and Ellis all have byes in the first round of competition, while Wagner will take on Matthew Fittery of Lock Haven at 149 pounds, Chandler will face David Nakasone of Lehigh at 157 pounds and Marable will square off with Luke Manuel of Purdue at 165 pounds.