No. 4 @MizzouWrestling Opens Conference Slate with Old Dominion

Saturday, December 2

Columbia, Mo.

12 p.m.

University of Missouri

Old Dominion

No. 4 @MizzouWrestling Opens Conference Slate with Old Dominion

12/1/2017 12:14:00 PM | Wrestling

Tigers and Monarchs will square up at Noon on Saturday at the Hearnes Center

Mizzou To Wrestle Old Dominion Saturday
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
Old Dominion	Hearnes Center.	Saturday, Dec. 2	Noon	Mizzou Network	Stats

MATCH NOTES

MIZZOU WELCOMES OLD DOMINION TO BEGIN CONFERENCE SLATE

Mizzou returns home to host its first conference dual of the season as the Tigers host Old Dominion on Saturday at the Hearnes Center. The dual will start at Noon CT, and will be streamed live on the Mizzou Network through MUTigers.com.
Mizzou looks to capture the MAC Dual title in 2017 after coming up just short a season ago. Since joining the Mid-American Conference prior the 2012-13 season, Mizzou has won the MAC Dual and Tournament Championship each season with the exception of 2016-17 when Northern Iowa upset Mizzou on the final dual of the conference slate. (Mizzou was not eligble for the dual title in its first year in the conference, 2012-13, but was eligible for the MAC Tournament Title) At the 2017 MAC Championships, Mizzou captured its sixth consecutive conference tournament title by posting a conference record 154.5 points.
Mizzou enters the dual ranked No. 4 in the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll, and has now been ranked in the top-10 in 63 consecutive polls dating back to Nov. 12, 2013, when it was ranked No. 11. Beginning the year at No. 5, Mizzou has now been ranked in the preseason top-10 ranking for four straight seasons. Mizzou checked in at No. 6 in the 2014 preseason poll, No. 9 in 2015 poll and No. 5 in the 2016 poll.
The Tigers' 6-0 start to the season is the 11th 6-0 start under head coach Brian Smith and the 15th overall 6-0 start in program history.
Mizzou and Old Dominion last met on Nov. 13, 2016, as both teams open the 2016-17 dual season in Norfolk, Va. Mizzou crusied to a 36-3 win over the Monarchs, and received bonus point wins in five victories, including pins from redshirt junior 133-pounds John Erneste and redshirt sophomore heavyweight Austin Myers.
Coach Smith returns a loaded lineup from last year's team that finished fifth at the 2017 NCAA Championships, its third straight NCAA top-10 finish and seventh overall under Smith. The Tigers will have four returning All-Americans in their lineup: redshirt senior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee, redshirt sophomore 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman, redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis and redshirt senior 197-pounder Willie Miklus. Lavallee earned All-America honors for the first time in 2017, reaching the NCAA Finals, while Eierman took fifth at 141 pounds in 2017, and Lewis took fourth in 2016 and sixth in 2017 at 165 pounds. Miklus returns to the lineup after missing the majority of the 2016-17 season due to a knee injury. At 184 pounds, Miklus finished seventh in 2015 and sixth in 2016.

TOP-10 STREAK

Mizzou checked in at No. 4 in the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll on Nov. 29, the 63rd consectuive poll that the Tigers have been ranked in the Top-10. The last time Mizzou was not ranked in the top-10 was Nov. 12, 2013, when the Tigers ranked No. 11.
Before being out of the top-10 for two polls (No. 13 on Nov. 2, 2013 and No. 11 on Nov. 12, 2013), Mizzou was ranked in the top-10 for the 17 consecutive polls. Since Feb. 14, 2012, Mizzou has been ranked in the top-10 for 80 of the last 82 Coaches Polls.
During this top-10 streak, Mizzou has been ranked in the top-five of the Coaches Poll for 32 weeks, including its ascension to No. 1 in the Feb. 24, 2015 poll after Mizzou defeated No. 1-ranked Iowa to capture the 2015 NWCA National Duals title.

WINS OVER TOP-10 OPPONENTS

Since the start of the 2014-15 season, Mizzou has beaten nine top-10 ranked opponents, including four on the road, and one against the No. 1-ranked team, Iowa, to claim the 2015 NWCA National Dials title. A breakdown of those Top-10 wins are below:

Opponent	Score	Date
at No. 7 Ohio	25-18	Dec. 13, 2014
at No. 4 Cornell	27-9	Jan. 10, 2015
vs. No. 7 Oklahoma State	22-10	Jan. 23, 2015
vs. No. 1 Iowa	18-12	Feb. 22, 2015
vs. No. 3 Ohio State	26-17	Dec. 12, 2015
vs. No. 7 Oklahoma	31-12	Jan. 30, 2016
vs. No. 6 Virginia Tech	23-19	Nov. 20, 2016
at No. 7 Cornell	25-11	Jan. 14, 2017
at No. 10 Virginia Tech	22-12	Nov. 25, 2017

^ - NWCA National Duals in Iowa City, Iowa

MIZZOU's 6-0 START

With the 18-15 win over Virginia (Nov. 26), Mizzou improved to 6-0 on the season, its 11th 6-0 start under head coach Brian Smith and the 15th 6-0 start overall in program history. Below is a breakdown of all the 6-0 starts in program history:

Season	Start	Season's Finish
1967-68	15-0	Big 8 - 5th, NCAA - N/A
1976-77	6-0	Big 8 - 4th, NCAA - 19th
1983-84	7-0	Big 8 - 5th, NCAA - 10th
1984-85	6-0	Big 8 - 5th, NCAA - 23rd
2001-02	11-0	Big 12 - 5th, NCAA - 17th
2003-04	10-0	Big 12 - 4th, NCAA - 13th
2004-05	8-0	Big 12 - 5th, NCAA - 11th
2005-06	6-0	Big 12 - 5th, NCAA - 15th
2006-07	7-0	Big 12 - 2nd, NCAA - 3rd
2007-08	6-0	Big 12 - 4th, NCAA - 11th
2008-09	11-0	Big 12 - 3rd, NCAA - 7th
2012-13	8-0	MAC T Champs, NCAA - 26th
2014-15	24-0	MAC D/T Champs, NCAA - 4th
2015-16	9-0	MAC D/T Champs, NCAA - 6th
2017-18	6-0	TBD

MIKLUS' PIN SEALS VICTORY OVER NO. 10 VIRGINIA TECH

In its first road dual of the season, Mizzou defeated No. 10 Virginia Tech, 22-12, on Nov. 25, in Blacksburg, Va., at the Moss Arts Center.
Mizzou held a 16-9 lead heading into the 197 bout, and the lead appeared to be getting tighter as redshirt senior 197-pounder Willie Miklus trailed No. 2-ranked Jared Haught, 7-2, late in the third period. Miklus didn't let the deficit faze him, however, as the two-time NCAA All-American was able to put Haught on his back and record a fall, which gave the Tigers a 13-point cushion and sealed the dual for the Tigers.
Miklus was one of two Tigers to record bonus points, as he recorded his third fall this season and 24th of his career. The Tiger senior now needs just three falls to reach the top-10 in program history for career falls.
Redshirt junior 133-pounder John Erneste was the other Tiger to record bonus points, as Erneste defeated No. 13-ranked Dennis Gustafson by way of a major decision, 11-2. With the win, Erneste moves to 9-0 on the season, with bonus points coming in seven of his victories (six falls, one major decision).
Redshirt junior 149-pounder Grant Leeth posted the best win of his career to-date, as he defeated No. 5-ranked Solomon Chishko in the 149 pound bout. Leeth recorded takedowns in the first and second period, and grew his lead to take the match, 8-2.

MYERS COMPLETES COMEBACK OVER VIRGINIA

Mizzou erased a 9-0 deficit after three bouts to comeback and beat Virginia, 18-15, on Nov. 26, at the Memorial Gymnasium in Charlottesville, Va. Mizzou won five bouts in the dual, with three coming by way of major decision, as redshirt sophomore heavyweight Austin Myers finished off the comeback with an 8-3 win over Tyler Love.
After a win by decision against Virginia Tech, redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis returned to his bonus point ways in the dual, as the two-time All-American defeated No. 15-ranked Will Schany by major decision, 11-2. With the win, Lewis improves to 10-0 on the season, with eight victories coming by way of bonus points (six falls, two major decisions).
Redshirt senior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee posted his sixth victory of the season with an 11-2 major decision over Michael Murphy. The win was Lavallee's 20th career major decision, and he is now two major decisions away from joining the top-10 all-time in program history.
Redshirt freshman 184-pounder Canten Marriott provided a huge boost for Mizzou, as his 10-2 major decision over Michael Battista gave Mizzou its first lead of the dual at 15-12 with two matches remaining.

BONUS POINT MACHINE

Redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis has been a bonus point machine since being inserted into the starting lineup in 2015-16. In 67 total wins, Lewis has recorded bonus points in 68.7 percent of his victories (46-of-67).
In total, Lewis has recorded 25 falls, 16 major decisions and five technical falls in his career. A two-time MAC Champion and two-time NCAA All-American, Lewis needs just three more falls, four more technical falls and eight more major decisions to join the top-10 lists in program history in those categories.
Lewis has opened the season the 2017-18 season with 10 straight victories, recording bonus point wins in all but two matches, including six falls, five of which occurred in the first period.
In 2015-16, his first season as an attached wrestler, Lewis went 29-6 and was named the MAC Freshman of the Year after a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships at 165 pounds. He totaled 10 falls, nine major decisions and one technical fall on the season.
The bonus point victories did not stop in 2016-17, as Lewis went 28-6 and finished sixth at the NCAA Championships at 165 pounds. Lewis totaled 22 wins by bonus points on the season, nine falls, nine major decisions and four techincal falls.

MCGHEE RETURNS TO THE RANKINGS

A 6-1 start to the season has redshirt senior 125-pounder Barlow McGhee is back in the individual rankings, checking in as high as No. 15 by TrackWrestling.
At the Lindenwood Open, McGhee posted a 4-0 tournament, knocking off No. 12-ranked Brock Hudkins (Northern Illinois), 3-2, in the semifinals before taking down Christian Moody )Oklahoma), 3-2, in the finals.
McGhee bursted onto the scene in 2015-16, posting a record of 24-9 and winning the MAC Title at 125 pounds before regressing a bit in 2016-17, where he posted a record of 19-13. Despite the record, McGhee still qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season and will be looking to make his third appearance in Cleveland.

LEETH IS BACK

After missing the entire 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons due to various injuries, redshirt junior 149-pounder Grant Leeth returned to the lineup in Mizzou's season opener against Illinois, defeating No. 17-ranked Eric Barone, 6-2.
Leeth then wrestled at the Lindenwood Open, where he finished fifth following a 3-2 performance.
The long wait to retun to the mat paid off for Leeth, who was inserted into the individual rankings thanks to his upset-win in his Mizzou debut. Leeth now ranks No. 16 by Intermat, No. 18 by W.I.N. Magazine, No. 15 by The Open Mat, No. 19 by TrackWrestling and No. 12 by FloWrestling.
Before transferring to Mizzou, Leeth posted a record of 14-4 during a redshirt season at Duke in 2014-15, where he placed in two open tournaments. At Kearney High School in Kearney, Mo., Leeth won three consecutive Missouri state titles between 2012-14.

MIZZOU DOMINANTS LINDENWOOD OPEN

Wrestling in its first tournament as a team, Mizzou dominated the competition at the Lindenwood Open (Nov. 18), claiming 10 individual titles on the day. Mizzou claimed six first-place finishes in the gold (open) division, and four in the black (freshman/sophomore) division.
Redshirt senior 125-pounder Barlow McGhee snagged the second Lindenwood Open title of his career after winning the same title in 2015. McGhee won five matches on the day, including a 3-2 win over Christian Moody (Oklahoma) in the finals.
At 133 pounds, redshirt junior 133-pounder John Erneste took first following four wins, including three by fall. In the finals, Erneste needed just 45 seconds to pin Ian Parker (Iowa State) and claim first.
Redshirt sophomore 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman was dominant en route to his individual title, winning four of five matches with bonus points, recording two falls, a technical fall and a major decision on the day. Eierman defeated Mike Longo (Oklahoma) by way of a 20-4 technical fall in the championship bout.
It was an all-Tiger final at 157 pounds, as redshirt senior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee went up against redshirt sophomore 157-pounder Luke Fortuna. Lavallee outlasted Fortuna, 5-3, to earn the first-place finish. Lavallee recorded three wins by bonus points before the decision victory in the championship bout.
At 174 pounds, redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis upended Yoanse Mejias (Oklahoma), 6-0, in the championship bout to cap a 4-0 tournament. Prior to the win over Mejias, Lewis recorded three falls to advance to the finals.
Redshirt freshman 184-pounder Canten Marriott upended Dane Pastano (Iowa State) to claim the title at 184 pounds. The win finished off a 4-0 day for Marriott, who won three matches by decision and one by major decision.
In the black division designated for freshman and sophomore, four Tigers took first place. Freshman 125-pounder Dack Punke, freshman 133-pounder Allan Hart, freshman 149-pounder Lane Stigall and freshman 184-pounder Jake Raschka all claimed individual titles while wrestling unattached.

COACH SMITH RECORDS WIN NO. 250

With Mizzou's 52-0 win over Missouri Valley on Nov. 12, Mizzou Head Coach Brian Smith recorded his 250th victory at Mizzou.
In his 20th season at Mizzou, Smith has posted a record of 252-93-3 at the helm of the Black & Gold. Smith spent one season as the head coach of Syracuse before taking over in Columbia, and owns a career record of 254-101-4.
The winningest coach in program history, Coach Smith has coached Mizzou to six straight conference titles (Big 12 in 2012, MAC in 2013-17) and seven NCAA top-10 finishes. Smith has been named the conference coach of the year for six straight seasons as well (Big 12 in 2012, MAC in 2013-17).
Under Coach Smith's direction, five Tigers have won eight NCAA Titles, and 45 have earned All-America honors.
Coach Smith has also been recognized nationally for his success at Mizzou, as he was named the 2007 Dan Gable Coach of the Year as the 2017 NWCA Coach of the Year.