COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 8 Mizzou Wrestling opens the 2018-19 season Saturday as it travel to Champaign, Ill., to face No. 17 Illinois. The meet will be the first-ever Grapple in the Grove, taking place on Grange Grove outside of Memorial Stadium, weather permitting. This will be the first-ever dual held at Grange Grove. Admission is free.
The dual is scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. (CT), and will feature two top-25 teams. Mizzou is ranked No. 8 in the InterMat Preseason poll, and Illinois comes in at No. 17.
Mizzou has five wrestlers ranked in the top-25, including redshirt junior Jaydin Eierman who comes in at No. 3 in the 141 weight class. Mizzou also has a pair of wrestlers - Grant Leeth and Daniel Lewis - ranked No. 4 in their weight classes, 149 and 174, respectively.
Illinois finished 13th at the NCAA Tournament last season, and returns several top-ranked wrestlers. Standouts include senior Emery Parker, ranked second in the 184-pound weight class, and sophomore Mike Carr, who enters the season ranked No. 8 at 141.
Mizzou earned a narrow victory over Illinois to begin the 2017 season, winning 20-17. The two teams are stacked with returning wrestlers and promise another dual full of solid competition. Below is Mizzou's projected starting lineup:
- 125 Pounds – Colby Smith or Cameron Valdiviez
- 133 Pounds – John Erneste
- 141 Pounds – Jaydin Eierman
- 149 Pounds – Grant Leeth
- 157 Pounds – Lane Stigall or Luke Fortuna
- 165 Pounds – Connor Flynn
- 174 Pounds – Daniel Lewis
- 184 Pounds – Dylan Wisman or Canten Marriott
- 197 Pounds – Wyatt Koelling or Jake Raschka
- HWT - Jake Bohlken
The rest of the team will head to the Iowa State Open Invitational to wrestle unattached in the tournament. Look for a recap of both events on MUTigers.com.
For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (MizzouWrestling).