April 21, 2008
The University of Missouri wrestling program held its annual banquet on Saturday, April 19, and recognized five grapplers for their achievements over the course of the 2007-08 season.
Sophomore Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) was named as the teams' Most Improved Wrestler and Most Outstanding Wrestler. The Most Improved Wrestler award has been given out since 1999, and is awarded to the student-athlete who showed the greatest improvement in skills on the mat over the course of the year. The Most Outstanding Wrestler award is the oldest award given by the Missouri wrestling program, dating back to 1961. The 165-pound grappler earned All-America honors for the first time of his career after finishing third in his weight class at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Marable finished the season with a 27-4 record, including an impressive 5-1 mark at his first career appearance at Nationals. He also took home first-place honors at the Big 12 Championships in the 165-pound weight class, and went 14 consecutive matches without being taken down. Marable only gave up three takedowns in dual competition over the course of the season.
Senior Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) was named this year's Hap Whitney Coach's Award winner. The award, named after former Missouri Head Coach Hap Whitney, is given to the wrestler who displays dedication, commitment, sacrifice, and unselfishness to the team. The two-time All-American fought through an injury-riddled season to finish in second-place at the Big 12 Championships in the 133-pound weight class. The second-place finish included a 5-3 decision over top-seeded Coleman Scott from Oklahoma State.
The Ed Lampitt Total Tiger Award, given to the wrestler who is a leader both on and off the mat, was awarded to junior Raymond Jordan (New Bern, NC). Competing in his third NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Jordan earned his first All-America honor with a fifth place finish. Jordan closed out the season with a 26-6 record, which included three falls and three wins by technical falls.
Sophomore Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) was recognized for his outstanding season and was given the Most Falls award after tallying a team-high nine on the season. The third-place finisher in the heavyweight bracket of this year's Big 12 Championships ended the season with a 21-12 record, and earned his second consecutive trip to Nationals.
Freshman Tony Pescaglia (Columbia, Mo.) was awarded the Marshall Esteppe Most Outstanding Freshman award for his contribution to his class and teammates over the course of his first season. Pescaglia, wrestling in the 125-pound class, finished the season with a 7-5 record, which included two wins in dual meets and two wins by major decision. The honor has been given to former Tiger greats Khris Whelan (1979), Joe Spinnazola (1980), Craig Martin (1984), Sam Henson (1991), Tyron Woodley (2002), Ben Askren (2004), and Tyler McCormick (2005), all of whom earned All-America honors during the course of their career.