Saturday, March 4
Cedar Falls, Iowa
All Day
University of Missouri
vs
MAC Championships Day 1
No. 10 @MizzouWrestling Seeks Sixth Straight Conference Title at MAC Championships
3/2/2017 4:12:00 PM | Wrestling
Mizzou will wrestle Saturday and Sunday in Cedar Falls, Iowa, with coverage on ESPN3
| MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOURNAMENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME | MEDIA | |
|
MAC Championships |
Cedar Falls, Iowa | Saturday, March 4 - Sunday, March 5 |
Saturday - 11 a.m. (CT) Sunday - 12 p.m. (CT) Brackets |
||
#TigerStyle Seeks its Sixth Straight Conference Title
- Mizzou Wrestling looks to capture its fifth straight Mid-American Conference title and sixth consecutive conference title overall (Big 12 Champions in 2012) at the 2017 MAC Wrestling Championships, March 4-5, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Wrestling from the McLeod Center is scheduled to begin at 11.m. CT on Saturday and 12 p.m. CT on Sunday. A live stream of the championships will be available on ESPN3.com and through the WatchESPN app.
- Following the tournament, 37 wrestlers will have punched their ticket to the NCAA Wrestling Championships based on the allocations given to the conference from the NCAA. To secure a spot in the national tournament, a wrestler must place within the number of allocations at their specific weight.
- The Tigers finished the dual season with a record of 11-4, marking the seventh straight season Mizzou has recorded at least 10 dual wins. Mizzou has had a .500 or better record in dual competition for 16 consecutive seasons dating back to the 2001-02 season.
- All season, #TigerStyle has been led by its top-four wrestlers, senior 197-pounder J'den Cox, redshirt senior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes, redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Daniel Lewis and redshirt junior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee, who all rank in the top-five of the individual rankings. The four wrestlers are a combined 79-6 this season and 49-2 in dual competition.
- Cox enters the tournament as the three-time defending MAC Champion at 197 pounds. This season, he is 20-0, recording bonus point victories in 15 of 20 wins, including six technical falls, five major decisions and three falls. He looks to become the second four-time conference champion in program history (Drake Houdashelt, 2012-15).
- Lewis, 21-3 on the season and 13-1 in dual competition, seeks his second consecutive conference title at 165 pounds. This season, the Tiger sophomore leads the team in falls (7), dual wins (13) and dual points (56).
- Mayes and Lavallee each look to become a conference champion for the first time in their careers. Mayes enters the tournament with a record of 16-2, while Lavallee enters with a record of 22-1.
Conference Domination
- For five straight seasons, Mizzou has entered the NCAA Wrestling Championships as conference champions, winning the Big 12 Tournament title in 2012, its last season as a member of the Big 12 Conference before winning four straight MAC Tournament titles from 2013-16.
- Last season, five Tigers won individual conference titles to vault Mizzou to its fourth straight MAC title as the Tigers scored 127.5 points, outscoring second place Central Michigan by 34 points. Winning conference championships for Mizzou was redshirt junior 125-pounder Barlow McGhee, redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Daniel Lewis and senior 197-pounder J'den Cox, as well as #TigerStyle alum Le'Roy Barnes and Blaise Butler.
Cox Seeks Fourth Conference Title
- Senior 197-pounder J'den Cox looks to become the second wrestler in program history to win four conference titles, following in the footsteps of 2015 National Champion Drake Houdashelt, who won a Big 12 conference title in 2012 and three MAC conference titles from 2013-15.
- Cox was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the MAC Championships following individual titles in 2014 and 2016.
- If Cox completes the four-peat, he would become the seventh wrestler in MAC history to win four conference titles.
Final NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings Released
- Eight Tiger wrestlers were ranked in the second NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings, released on Feb. 23. Among the eight wrestlers, four Tigers are ranked in the top-10, including senior 197-pounder J'den Cox, who is first at 197 pounds.
- Redshirt senior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes checks in at No. 4, while redshirt junior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee and is ranked at No. 5 and redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Daniel Lewis at No. 6.
- Redshirt freshman 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman ranks in at No. 9, while redshirt sophomore 133-pounder John Erneste checks in at No. 13 and redshirt junior 125-pounder Barlow McGhee at No. 19. Redshirt freshman 174-pounder Dylan Wisman rounded out the ranked Tiger wrestlers, checking in at No. 30.
Best Tiger Duo Ever?
- When it is all said and done, senior 197-pounder J'den Cox and redshirt senior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes may go down as the greatest duo to ever don the Black & Gold singlet.
- Between the two wrestlers, they have amassed two National Championships (Cox in 2014 and 2016) and five All-America honors (Cox in 2014-16, Mayes in 2015-16) while helping the Tigers win four consecutive Mid-American Conference Tournament Championships and finish in the top-10 at the NCAA Championships twice (fourth in 2015, sixth in 2016).
- Combined, the two wrestlers have posted 243 wins, which ranks third among Tiger duos, trailing Ben Askren and Matt Pell (2003-07) with 275 wins and Drake Houdashelt and Alan Waters (2010-15) with 270 wins.
- The combined winning percentage of 89.7 percent (243-28) between Cox and Mayes is better than any other Tiger pair to wrestle.
- Of their 243 wins, Cox and Mayes have recorded bonus points in 115 matches (47.3 percent), recording 31 falls (Cox-24, Mayes-7), 27 technical falls (Cox-20, Mayes-7) and 57 major decisions (Cox-29, Mayes-28).
Cox's Pursuit of a Perfect Season
- Senior 197-pounder J'den Cox, Mizzou's only remaining undefeated wrestler in 2016-17, seeks to become the second-ever wrestler to finish a season with an unblemished record, following Ben Askren. Askren did so twice, in 2005-06 and 2006-07, capturing the National title at 174 pounds and the Dan Hodge Trophy following both seasons.
- Cox is 20-0 on the season and 12-0 in dual competition, registering bonus point victories in 15 of 20 victories. Among team leaders, Cox ranks first among attached wrestlers in technical falls with six, second in dual wins with 12 and second in dual points with 50.
- Cox has certainly been challenged this season, facing nine ranked opponents, including five ranked in the top-10. Cox has overcome each challenge so far this season, outscoring ranked opponents, 73-21.
- Dating back to last season, Cox has now won 40 straight matches, recording bonus points in 29 of those victories.
Cox's Ascension Up the Record Book
- Senior 197-pounder J'den Cox's outstanding Tiger career will come to an end following the 2016-17 season, but not before he leaves his mark on the Mizzou Wrestling record book.
- The two-time National Champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist ranks fifth in program history in career wins with 128 and first in winning percentage among wrestlers with over 100 wins at .962 (128-5).
- Cox ranks second in career technical falls with 20 and third in career major decisions with 29. The Tiger senior is also nearing the top-10 in career falls with 24. Alan Waters, Mark Cody and Nathan McCormick are all tied for eighth all-time in program history with 27 falls.
- The Tiger senior also ranks fifth and eight in season technical falls, recording seven in 2015-16 and six this season.
Lavallee Re-Emerges From the Background
- After taking a redshirt last season, redshirt junior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee has roared back onto the scene in 2016-17, recording bonus points in nine of 22 wins (seven major decisions, one technical fall, one fall) and capturing the UNI championship at 157 pounds on Dec. 3.
- Lavallee is 22-1 on the season, 12-0 in duals, leads the team in major decisions with seven and is tied for fifth in dual points with 42.
- The Tiger junior owns six ranked wins so far this season, defeating No. 17 Sal Mastriani (Virginia Tech) via major decision, 15-5 on Nov. 20 and No. 19 Jake Ryan by way of a 12-5 decision on Dec. 8 in duals. At the Scuffle, Lavallee defeated No. 7 Jake Short (Minnesota), 2-1, and No. 11 Andrew Atkinson (Virginia), 9-5, to claim third at the Scuffle on Jan. 2. Lavallee most recently defeated No. 7 Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan), 3-1, in a thrilling sudden victory match on Jan. 22 and No. 5 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State), 6-1, on Jan. 27.
No Sophomore Slump for Lewis
- Following a freshman campaign which featured a MAC Championship, NCAA All-America finish and MAC Freshman of the Year honors, redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Daniel Lewis has not shown any signs of slowing down in his second season as an attached wrestler.
- Lewis earned the first MAC Wrestler of the Week honor of his career on Jan. 18 following a 3-0 week where he outscored his opponents, 41-0, earning two major decisions and a technical fall. Lewis began the week with a 12-0 major decision over Austin Weigel (Buffalo) on Jan. 12. Next, Lewis earned a 17-0 technical fall in the first period over Joey Galasso (Cornell) on Jan. 14. Galasso was ranked No. 16 at 149 pounds, but proved to be no challenge to the All-American Lewis. Then, Lewis earned a 12-0 major decision over Devan Marry (Eastern Michigan) on Jan. 15.
- The Tiger sophomore avenged his Southern Scuffle finals loss to Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State) on Jan. 27, scoring a last second takedown to defeat the fourth-ranked Rogers. The two grapplers were tied, 9-9, with time running out, but Rogers essentially led, 10-9, because he had riding time locked up. With the clock approaching zeros, Lewis got to Rogers' leg and executed the takedown for two points and the victory.
- The Tiger sophomore is now 21-3 on the season (13-1 in duals) and leads the team in dual points (56) and falls (seven). In a season and a half as an attached wrestler, Lewis is 25-3 in dual competition, including a 13-1 mark in MAC duals.
- Known as a "pin artist", Lewis leads the teams in wins by fall this season, registering seven falls, including two at the Southern Scuffle. He has pinned 17 opponents during his two seasons as an attached wrestler after scoring 10 wins by fall in 2015-16. In addition, during his redshirt season (2014-15), Lewis posted falls in 15 of his 21 wins.
Mayes Joins 100-Win Club
- Redshirt senior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes recorded his 100th career victory in Mizzou's season-opening dual against Old Dominion. Mayes defeated Michael Hayes by way of a 9-4 decision to reach the century milestone.
- Mayes becomes the 25th member of Mizzou's exclusive 100-win club and first to reach the mark since senior 197-pounder J'den Cox reached the mark last season in a 16-7 major decision win over Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska) on Feb. 21, 2016.
- Mayes currently owns a record of 115-23 and is ranked fourth in program history in career major decisions with 28 and seventh in winning percentage for wrestlers with over 100 wins with a winning percentage of .826 (115-23).
- This season, Mayes is 16-2 on the season, including a 12-1 mark in dual competition and a second place finish at the Southern Scuffle (Jan. 2). Among dual competition, Mayes ranks second on the team in wins (12), fourth in points (43) and third in major decisions (3).
- In a breakout sophomore campaign (2014-15), Mayes went 38-4 at 141 pounds, finishing as an All-American with a seventh-place performance at the NCAA Championships. Mayes went 20-1 in dual competion throughout the year (6-1 in MAC duals) and recorded nine major decisions.
- Last year, Mayes went 32-3 en route to his second straight year on the podium, this time at 149 pounds. Mayes finished third at the weight class in New York City, defeating Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) in the third place bout after falling to the Cowboy in the quarterfinals.
Erneste Makes Most of His Opportunity
- Following redshirt freshman 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman's move up a weight class from 133 to 141 pounds, redshirt sophomore 133-pounder John Erneste helped fill a void in the Tigers' starting lineup at 133 pounds.
- Erneste first competed as Mizzou's starter while at the Southern Scuffle, where he impressed by going 5-2 and finishing fifth at one of the nation's toughest in-season tournaments. At the Scuffle, Erneste posted two wins by bonus points, including a 9-0 major decision over No. 14 Mitchell McKee (Minnesota) to capture fifth place. The win was Erneste's first career win over a ranked opponent.
- Following the Scuffle, Erneste has gone 6-2 in dual competition, posting two wins over ranked opponents and three wins by bonus points.
- For the year, Erneste is 20-6 and 7-2 in dual competition. Erneste's six falls both rank third on the team, while his 20 wins rank fourth on the team.
Eierman Transitions to 141 Pounds
- After struggling to make weight at 133 pounds, redshirt freshman 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman made the switch to 141 pounds prior to the Southern Scuffle.
- Eierman proved to be more comfortable at 141 pounds, going 7-2 at the Scuffle while placing fifth, recording three technical falls in the process.
- Since making the jump, Eierman is 7-1 in dual competition, posting bonus points in five victories.
- On the season, Eierman is 21-5 and 10-3 in dual competition. He ranks fourth on the team in total victories with 21, third in technical falls with four, third in dual points with 47 and first in dual falls with five.
Wisman's Upset Puts Him into the Individual Rankings
- Redshirt freshman 174-pounder Dylan Wisman's upset over No. 6 Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State) on Jan. 27 vaulted him into the individual rankings for the second time this season, where he checked in at No. 20 in FloWrestling's individual rankings.
- Wisman entered the individual rankings for the first time in his career on Jan. 16, ranking in at No. 19 in The Open Mat individual rankings after a four-match win streak.
- In his four match win streak, Wisman defeated Matt Reed (Oklahoma) by fall (2:59) on Jan. 8 and David Kasper (Eastern Michigan) by 9-1 major decision on Jan. 15. Wisman also defeated Brandon Womack (Cornell), 9-4, on Jan. 14. Womack entered the match ranked No. 14 at 165 pounds.
- Wisman is now 13-8 on the season, 7-6 in duals, recording bonus point victories in seven wins (two falls, two technical falls and three major decisions).
Players Mentioned
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