Saturday, January 27
Stillwater, Okla.
7 p.m.
University of Missouri
at
Oklahoma State
No. 3 @MizzouWrestling and No. 5 Oklahoma State Clash in Top-5 Dual Saturday
1/26/2018 2:51:00 PM | Wrestling
Mizzou seeks first win in Stillwater since 2009
| NO. 3 MIZZOU AT NO. 5 OKLAHOMA STATE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUALS | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | WATCH |
| at Oklahoma State | Stillwater, Okla. | Jan. 27 | 7 p.m. CT | FloWrestling |
| NOTES: Match Notes | ||||
MIZZOU AND OKLAHOMA STATE TO CLASH IN TOP-5 DUAL
- Mizzou Wrestling continues its five-dual road streak to close the 2017-18 regular season with a top-5 matchup at Oklahoma State on Saturday, Jan. 27. Wrestling from historic Gallagher Iba Arena is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. (CT) and will streamed live on FloWrestling.
- Mizzou clinched the MAC Regular Season Dual Championship with a 29-6 win over No. 17 Central Michigan on Jan. 19, its third MAC Dual title in three seasons. The Tigers have won the MAC Tournament Championship five consecutive seasons dating back to 2012-13 (Mizzou was only eligible for the tournament title its first season in the league). Mizzou previously claimed regular season titles in 2014-15 and 2015-16, recording perfect 8-0 MAC records in both seasons.
- Mizzou enters the dual ranked No. 3 in the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll, it highest ranking since Feb. 24, 2015 when Mizzou reached the top spot in the poll following a 2015 NWCA National Duals Championship where the Tigers defeated Iowa. Mizzou has now been ranked in the top-10 in 70 consecutive polls dating back to Nov. 12, 2013, when it was ranked No. 11.
- This season, Mizzou has faired very well against ranked teams, holding a perfect 5-0 mark on the season heading into Saturday's matchup against the No. 5-ranked Cowboys.
- The Tigers' 15-0 start to the season is the only the third time in program history Mizzou has started a season 15-0, and the second time under head coach Brian Smith. Mizzou's other 15-0 start under Coach Smith occurred in 2014-15, when the Tigers recorded its first-ever undefeated season, going 24-0 en route to the previously mentioned NWCA National Duals title and its third straight conference title. Coincidently, the last time Mizzou came out of the NCAA Championships with a team trophy was 2014-15, when the Tigers finished fourth.
- Redshirt junior 149-pounder Grant Leeth earned MAC Wrestler of the Week honors on Jan. 24 following a win over No. 3-ranked Justin Oliver (Central Michigan) on Jan. 19. Leeth improved to 16-2 on the season and 12-0 in dual competition with the win, with five wins coming against ranked opponents.
- With a 19-0 technical fall win over No. 19-ranked Kennedy Monday (North Carolina), redshirt senior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee become the 27th member of Mizzou's 100-win club. The Tiger senior has also entered the top-10 lists for career technical falls (9) and major decisions (23) this season. A returning NCAA finalist, Lavallee has posted a record of 22-1 this season, including a 14-0 mark in duals.
LEETH NAMED MAC WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
- Redshirt junior 149-pounder Grant Leeth was named the MAC Wrestler of the Week after continuning his winning ways in Mizzou's 29-6 win over No. 17 Central Michigan last Friday (Jan. 19), winning his 11th consecutive match to help Mizzou win the MAC Regular Season Conference Title, its third in the last four seasons.
- Against the Chippewas, Leeth defeated No. 3-ranked Justin Oliver, 3-1 to improve to 16-2 on the season and 13-0 in dual competition. Leeth has recorded three bonus point victories this season, with two wins coming by technical fall and one by fall. The win over Oliver was Leeth's fifth over a ranked opponent this season, and matches the highest ranked opponent Leeth has beaten in his career.
MIZZOU BESTS NO. 17 CENTRAL MICHIGAN TO CLAIM MAC DUAL TITLE
- Mizzou Wrestling continued its dominance in the Mid-American Conference, defeating No. 17 Central Michigan, 29-6, to claim the MAC regular season dual championship.
- Mizzou has now won the MAC dual title in three of the last four seasons, after winning it in 2015 and 2016.
- After a setback at 125 pounds, Mizzou rattled off eight straight victories to take control of the dual, building a 29-3 lead behind bonus point victories from redshirt senior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee (Reno, Nev.), redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis (Blue Springs, Mo.) and redshirt freshman 184-pounder Canten Marriott (Blue Springs, Mo.). Lavallee recorded fifth fall on the season, while Lewis and Marriott each recorded major decisions.
CONFERENCE DOMINANCE
- Since joining the Mid-American Conference in 2012-13, Mizzou Wrestling has been the dominant force within the conference, winning each of the five tournament championships, as well as the dual title in 2014-15, 2015-16 and this season, 2017-18 (Mizzou was only eligible to compete in the conference tournament in 2012-13). In 2017, Mizzou reset its 2015 record by scoring 154.5 points at the MAC Championships, surpassing its 139.5 mark from 2015.
- Mizzou has been especially dominant this season against MAC opponents, as the Tigers have outscored its conference opponents, 217-31, in six duals this season. Mizzou has produced a record of 50-10 in those MAC duals, and have won 25 of those matches by bonus points (4.2 per dual). Redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis has been a force to be reckoned with in MAC competition, as the two-time All-American has won each of his MAC matches by bonus points, recording three falls, two technical falls and a major decision.
- Dating back to Jan. 25, 2014, Mizzou has won 34 of its last 35 duals against MAC foes, with its lone setback occuring in last season's final dual, a 25-10 loss to Northern Iowa on Feb. 12, 2017. In Mizzou's stretch of MAC dual success, the Tigers have outscored the opposition, 1,039-304 in 35 duals.
LAVALLEE JOINS THE 100-WIN CLUB
- Redshirt senior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee became the 27th member of Mizzou's 100-win club with a dominant 19-0 technical fall over No. 19-ranked Kennedy Monday (North Carolina) at the South Beach Duals (Dec. 29). Lavallee is the first Tiger to join the exclusive club since Zach Synon recorded his 100th win at the Edinboro Open last season.
- This season, Lavallee is 20-1 (12-0 in duals), and recently entered the top-10 in program history in career major decisions with 23. The Tiger senior has won 14 matches by bonus points this season, five by major decision, five by technical fall and four 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.
TOP-10 STREAK
- Mizzou checked in at No. 3 in the USA Today/NWCA Division-I Coaches Poll on Jan. 23, the 70th consecutive poll that the Tigers have been ranked in the Top-10. It its Mizzou's highest ranking since vaulting to No. 1 on Feb. 24, 2015, following a 2015 NWCA National Duals title.
- 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 87 of the last 89 top-25 Polls.
- During this top-10 streak, Mizzou has been ranked in the top-five of the Coaches Poll for 39 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.
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 80 total wins, Lewis has recorded bonus points in 73.8 percent of his victories (59-of-80).
- In total, Lewis has recorded 33 falls, 18 major decisions and eight technical falls in his career. A two-time MAC Champion and two-time NCAA All-American, Lewis ranks sixth in program history in career falls, and needs one more technical falls and five more major decisions to join the top-10 lists in program history in those categories.
- Lewis is a perfect 23-0 on the season with a team-leading 13 falls. Lewis also leads the team in dual wins (14), dual points (74) and falls in dual competition (8).
- Lewis' eight falls against Division-I opponents is good enough to rank eighth in the NCAA this season.
- 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.
ERNESTE TOUGH AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
- Redshirt junior 133-pounder John Erneste has preservered through a challenging stretch to start the season, as the Tiger junior has faced eight ranked wrestlers in the first three months of the season.
- Erneste has proven to be up to the challenge so far, as he as come out victorious in seven of his matches against ranked opponents so far, including a 6-2 win over No. 17-ranked Chaz Tucker (Cornell) in his most recent match (Dec. 30).
- This season, Erneste has posted a record of 17-1 (13-1 in duals), and has recorded bonus point victories in eight wins (six falls, two major decisions).
MARRIOTT ENTERS INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
- Following a close decision loss to Virginia Tech's No. 6-ranked Zack Zavatsky (Nov. 25), redshirt sophomore 184-pounder Canten Marriott has strung together a run of 13 wins in 15 matches, helping him ascend into the top-20 individual rankings for the first time in his career.
- The hot stretch included the first win over ranked opponent for the Park Hill High School product, who defeated North Carolina's No. 16-ranked Chip Ness (Dec. 29), 3-1, in sudden victory.
- Marriott then solidified his spot in the individual rankings with a 9-1 major decision win over No. 14-ranked Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan) to help Mizzou clinch the MAC Dual Title.
- This season, Marriott has wrestled to a mark of 19-4 (11-3 in duals), and has recorded eight wins by bonus points with five major decisions, three technical falls and one fall.
- In the individual rankings, Marriott ranks as high as No. 14 at 184 pounds by Intermat and The Open Mat.
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 35-7 win over Eastern Michigan (Jan. 13), Mizzou improved to 14-0 on the season, its second 15-0 start under head coach Brian Smith and the third 15-0 start overall in program history.
- Coincidently, the last time Mizzou began a season 15-0 was the last time Mizzou won a team trophy at the NCAA Championships, as the 2014-15 Tigers went 24-0 in duals before finishing fourth at the NCAA Championships.
- Below is a breakdown of all the 14-0 starts in program history:
| Season | Start | Season's Finish |
| 1967-68 | 15-0 | Big 8 - 5th, NCAA - N/A |
| 2014-15 | 24-0 | MAC D/T Champs, NCAA - 4th |
| 2017-18 | 14-0 | TBD |
Players Mentioned
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
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
