Friday, December 29
Deerfield Beach, Fla.
10 a.m.
University of Missouri
vs
Kent State
No. 4 @MizzouWrestling to Wrestle in Inaugural South Beach Duals
12/28/2017 2:17:00 PM | Wrestling
Mizzou will wrestle four duals in two days, including three against ranked opponents
| SOUTH BEACH DUALS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EVENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | WATCH/BRACKETS |
| South Beach Duals Match Notes |
Deerfield Beach, Fla. | Dec. 29-30 | 10 a.m. CT & Noon | TrackWrestling ($) |
MIZZOU TO WRESTLE AT INAUGURAL SOUTH BEACH DUALS
- Mizzou Wrestling returns to dual competition with four duals in two days at the inaugural South Beach Duals, Dec. 29-30, in Deerfield Beach, Fla. Mizzou will start the weekend with a MAC dual against Kent State at 10 a.m. CT, followed by a matchup with No. 24 North Carolina at Noon CT. On Saturday, Mizzou will wrestle No. 22 Rider at 10 a.m. CT followed by No. 12 Cornell at Noon CT. Coverage of the South Beach Duals can be found at TrackWrestling.com.
- Mizzou enters the tournament ranked No. 4 in the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll, and has now been ranked in the top-10 in 66 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' 8-0 start to the season is the eighth 8-0 start under head coach Brian Smith and the ninth overall 8-0 start in program history. Mizzou has started 8-0 in four of the last six seasons, including 2014-15 when the Tigers were last ranked No. 1 in the nation following a NWCA National Duals title.
- With a career record of 98-27, redshirt senior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee is two wins away from becoming the 27th member of Mizzou's 100-win club. The Tiger senior entered the top-10 list of career major decisions in program history at the Reno Tournament of Champions (Dec. 17), recording his 22nd career major decision. A returning NCAA finalist, Lavallee has posted a record of 15-1 this season, including a 7-0 mark in duals.
- Redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis was named the MAC Wrestler of the Week for the second time this season following an individual title at the Reno Tournament of Champions (Dec. 17). Lewis dismantled the competition, recording three falls and a major decision to claim the title at 174 pounds. This season, Lewis is 16-0 with a team-leading 10 falls and 40 dual points. The Tiger junior is a two-time NCAA All-American, after finishing fourth in 2016 and sixth in 2017, both at 165 pounds.
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 73 total wins, Lewis has recorded bonus points in 71.2 percent of his victories (52-of-73).
- In total, Lewis has recorded 29 falls, 17 major decisions and six technical falls in his career. A two-time MAC Champion and two-time NCAA All-American, Lewis ranks seventh in program history in career falls, and needs two more technical falls and eight more major decisions to join the top-10 lists in program history in those categories.
- Lewis is a perfect 16-0 on the season with a team-leading 10 falls. Lewis also leads the team in dual wins (8), dual points (40) and falls in dual competition (4).
- 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 technical falls.
LAVALLEE CLOSES IN ON WIN NO. 100
- Redshirt senior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee is just two wins shy of becoming the 27th member of Mizzou 100-win club, and would be the first wrestler to join the exclusive club since Lavion Mayes recording his 100th win to open the 2016-17 season against Old Dominion.
- This season, Lavallee is 15-0 (7-0 in duals), and recently entered the top-10 in program history in career falls with 22. The Tiger senior has won nine matches by bonus points this season, four by major decision, three by technical fall and two by fall.
- Last season, Lavallee roared back onto the scene after a redshirt season in 2015-16, winning the MAC Championship at 157 pounds and earning his first All-America honor by finishing runner-up at the NCAA Championships at 157 pounds. He finished the season with a remarkable record of 29-2 for a winning percentage of .935, the 10th-best single season winning percentage in program history.
- Among team leaders, ranked first among wins (29), first in dual major decisions (6), second among total major decisions (8), second in dual wins (12) and fifth in dual points (42).
ERNESTE TOUGH AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
- Redshirt junior 133-pounder John Erneste has had a challenging stretch to start the season, as the Tiger junior has faced five ranked wrestlers in the first six weeks of the season.
- Erneste has proven to be up to the challenge so far, as he as come out victorious in four of his matches against ranked opponents so far, including a 9-6 win over No. 14-ranked Cameron Kelly (Ohio) in his most recent match (Dec. 10).
- This season, Erneste has posted a record of 11-1 (7-1 in duals), and has recorded bonus point victories in seven wins (sux falls, one major decision).
TOP-10 STREAK
- Mizzou checked in at No. 4 in the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll on Dec. 20, the 66th consecutive 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 83 of the last 85 Coaches Polls.
- During this top-10 streak, Mizzou has been ranked in the top-five of the Coaches Poll for 35 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 RANKED 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 |
^ - at the 2015 NWCA National Duals Series
CAN YOU BE PERFECT?
- With the 36-6 win over Ohio (Dec. 10), Mizzou improved to 8-0 on the season, its eighth 8-0 start under head coach Brian Smith and the ninth 9-0 start overall in program history. Below is a breakdown of all the 8-0 starts in program history:
| Season | Start | Season's Finish |
| 1967-68 | 15-0 | Big 8 - 5th, NCAA - N/A |
| 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 |
| 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 | 8-0 | TBD |
Players Mentioned
Big 12 Champion: Rocky Elam
Thursday, March 09
Wrestling Cinematic vs. Iowa State
Friday, February 17
Connor Brown Senior Video
Thursday, February 16
Mitchell Bohlken Senior Video
Wednesday, February 15
