March 16, 2012

Session Three Brackets | Session Three Team Scores | Session Three Photo Gallery | Coach Smith Post-Session Interview | M. Larson Post-Session Interview

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - After three sessions at the 2012 NCAA Championships, the Missouri wrestling squad has three grapplers remaining in the consolation round. Sophomore Alan Waters (125), junior Mike Larson (184) and junior Brent Haynes (197) are one win away from guaranteeing themselves a spot in the All-America round.

After getting upset in the second round last night, Waters come out with a vengeance today, winning by technical fall, 15-0, over Garrett Frey of Princeton in his first match. He followed that up by knocking off No. 11 Matthew Snyder (Virginia), 4-1. His next match will be against No. 4 Jesse Delgado of Illinois. The two have never met.

Larson scored a pair of dramatic victories to keep his tournament alive in Friday's opening session. He opened with a defensive fall on No. 11 Ben Clymer of Hofstra. The two were scoreless into the second, with Larson starting on bottom. Late in the period he put his heads behind Clymer's back and used his leverage to tilt Clymer backwards. Eventually, Larson stuck him to the mat and recorded his second pin of the tournament.  His next match, against Grant Gambrall of Iowa, went down to the wire, with Larson hitting a sudden victory takedown with two seconds left in overtime. He's set to take on No. 5 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) tonight, who he lost to by a 6-3 score earlier this season.

Haynes dropped his quarterfinals contest to No. 3 Matthew Wilps of Pittsburgh. Tied 2-2 in sudden victory, Haynes was tripped to his back and Wilps covered, recording the fall in 7:13. Haynes can be an All-American with a win over No. 12 Joseph Kennedy of Lehigh. The two have not met this year, but Haynes has defeated Kennedy in both their previous meetings.

At 149, Kyle Bradley won his first match of the day, defeating Bryce Busler of Bloomsburg to advance in the wrestlebacks. He was eliminated by Steve Santos of Columbia in his next match, surrendering a late takedown to fall 5-4. Dorian Henderson won his first bout over Greg Zanetti of Rutgers, coming back from an early 3-0 deficit to win 6-3. Henderson was knocked out by Peter Huntley (Navy), 3-1, in his next bout. Henderson finishes his career with an 88-56 record. Nathan McCormick and Nicholas Hucke were eliminated after dropping their first match of the day.

Session four begins tonight at 6 p.m. CT. Action will take place on six mats, with the semifinals being wrestled in the middle two mats and the consolation round on the outer mats. The semifinals matches will be aired live on ESPNU and ESPN3.com. Trackwrestling.com will provide play-by-play for all bouts, and the Mizzou wrestling Twitter (@MizzouWrestling) will provide updates on Missouri's three wrestlers.

125: Alan Waters (Record: 3-1)
Champ. Round Two: No. 3 Alan Waters (MU) tech. fall Pat Rollins (ORST), 15-0 (7:00)
Champ. Round Three: Anthony Zanetta (PITT) dec. No. 3 Alan Waters (MU), 4-2 (SV)
Cons. Round Four: No. 3 Alan Waters (MU) tech fall. Garrett Frey (Princeton), 15-0 (6:15)
Cons. Round Five: No. 3 Alan Waters (MU) dec. No. 11 Matthew Snyder (UVA), 4-1
Cons. Round Six: No. 3 Alan Waters (MU) vs. No. 4 Jesse Delgado (Illinois)

133: Nathan McCormick (Record: 1-2; 2011-12 Record: 16-7)
Champ. Round Two: No. 6 Devin Carter (VT) fall Nathan McCormick (MU), 4:39
Cons. Round Three:  Nathan McCormick (MU) dec. Jordan Keller (OU), 5-0
Cons. Round Four: Shelton Mack (Pitt) dec. Nathan McCormick (MU), 6-2

141: Nicholas Hucke (Record: 1-2; 2011-12 Record: 16-14)
Champ. Round Two: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) dec. Nicholas Hucke (MU), 6-1
Cons. Round Three: Nicholas Hucke (MU) dec. Tanner Hough (Duke), 7-3
Cons. Round Four: Justin LaVelle (ODU) dec. Nicholas Hucke (MU), 6-2

149: Kyle Bradley (Record: 3-2; 2011-12 Record: 25-13)
Champ. Round One: Josh Wilson (Utah Valley) dec. Kyle Bradley (MU), 7-3
Cons. Round Two: Kyle Bradley (MU) dec. Matthew Nerelm (NCSU), 9-5
Cons. Round Three: Kyle Bradley (MU) dec. Christophe Villalonga (Cornell), 4-2
Cons. Round Four: Kyle Bradley (MU) dec. Bryce Busler (BLOOM), 8-5
Cons. Round Five: Steve Santos (Columbia) dec. Kyle Bradley (MU), 5-4

157: Drake Houdashelt (Record: 0-2; 2011-12 Record: 28-7)
Champ. Round Two: No. 2 Derek St. John (Iowa) dec. Drake Houdashelt (MU), 8-1
Cons. Round Three: Corey Mock (UNC) dec. Drake Houdashelt (MU), 5-2

165: Zach Toal (Record: 0-2; 2011-12 Record: 21-11)
Champ. Round Two: Robert Kokesh (NEB) dec. Zach Toal (MU), 4-1
Cons. Round Two: Mark Lewandowski (BUF) dec. Zach Toal (MU), 3-1

174: Dorian Henderson (Record: 2-2; 2011-12 Record: 24-11)
Champ. Round Two: Dorian Henderson (MU) dec. Kyle Czarnecki (BU), 4-0
Champ. Round Three: No. 1 Ed Ruth (Penn State) fall Dorian Henderson (MU), 1:26
Cons. Round Four: Dorian Henderson (MU) dec. Greg Zannetti (RUTG), 6-3
Cons. Round Five: Peter Huntley (Navy) dec. Dorian Henderson (MU), 3-1

184: Mike Larson (Record: 3-1)
Champ. Round Two: No. 1 Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) dec. Mike Larson (MU), 9-4
Cons. Round Three: Mike Larson (MU) fall Kevin Radford (ASU), 6:09
Cons. Round Four: Mike Larson (MU) fall No. 11 Ben Clymer (Hofstra), 4:26
Cons. Round Five: Mike Larson (MU) dec. Grant Gambrall (Iowa), 5-3 (SV)
Cons. Round Six: Mike Larson (MU) vs. No. 5 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota)

197: Brent Haynes (Record: 2-1)
Champ. Round Two: No. 6 Brent Haynes (MU) dec. Max Huntley (MICH), 5-0
Champ. Round Three: No. 6 Brent Haynes (MU) dec. No. 11 Micah Burak (PENN), 6-0
Quarterfinals: No. 3 Matthew Wilps (PITT) fall No. 6 Brent Haynes (MU), 7:13 (SV)
Cons. Round Six: No. 6 Brent Haynes vs. No. 12 Joseph Kennedy (Lehigh)

HWT: Devin Mellon (Record: 0-2; 2011-12 Record: 19-14)
Champ. Round Two: No. 1 Ryan Flores (AMER) fall Devin Mellon (MU), 4:37
Cons. Round Three: Kevin Lester (Columbia) dec. Devin Mellon (MU), 11-5