No. 13 UNI Comes to Town for Conference Clash with No. 10 Wrestling
1/6/2023 2:14:00 PM | Wrestling
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The No. 10-ranked University of Missouri wrestling team welcomes No. 13 University of Northern Iowa to the Hearnes Center for a conference showdown Sunday, Jan. 8. The action is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. CT.
— PREVIOUSLY ON TIGER STYLE — The Tigers return home after finishing third at the 2023 Southern Scuffle presented by Compound Sportswear. Missouri totaled 125 points in the tournament and saw one individual weight title from redshirt junior Zach Elam at 285 pounds. Sophomore Noah Surtin (125), redshirt senior Allan Hart (141) and redshirt junior Peyton Mocco (174) also claimed second place in their respective weight classes.
Prior to the Southern Scuffle, Mizzou took on Big 12 foe North Dakota State, Dec. 20, and came out on top, 28-11. Mizzou earned six points from Hart and Mocco, both earning falls at 141 and 174 pounds, respectively. Additionally, sophomore Colton Hawks picked up his first dual win at 184 pounds, securing an 11-2 major decision.
— REIGNING, DEFENDING, UNDISPUTED — Defending national champion sophomore Keegan O'Toole defeated North Dakota States's No. 21-ranked Micheal Caliendo in a 15-8 decision, Dec. 20. The win extended his streak to 37 consecutive bouts dating back to the 2021 NCAA Championships. O'Toole is the top-ranked 165-pounder by all major publications and is ranked fifth by FloWrestling on the pound-for-pound list.
— ALL-TIME vs. UNI — Overall, Northern Iowa is on top of the all-time record between the two programs as Mizzou is 15-21 against the Panthers. However, the Tigers have won four of the last five meetings between the squads.
— LAST TIME vs. THE PANTHERS — Last season, Mizzou defeated UNI 25-16 inside the Hearnes Center Dec. 4, 2021. Keegan O'Toole and Jeremiah Kent earned falls at 165 and 184 pounds, respectively, while Rocky Elam totaled a major decision (12-4) at 197 pounds. The Tigers also saw decision wins from Josh Edmond (149), Jarrett Jacques (157) and Zach Elam (285).
— ALL HART — Against North Dakota State, Dec. 20, redshirt senior Allan Hart kicked off the dual at 141 pounds and brought the home crowd to its feet. Hart, ranked No. 9 at 141, took on No. 11-ranked Dylan Droegemueller and pinned him in 26 seconds. The fall is the fastest of his career against a Division I opponent, besting the 36-second pin he recorded against Oregon State's Grant Willits Jan. 3, 2021.
Hart followed that performance by making a run at the Southern Scuffle, Jan. 1-2, totaling four bonus point victories and a 5-1 record. The redshirt senior finished second at the tournament, only falling to No. 1-ranked Andrew Alirez by 8-4 decision.
— ELAMINATED — Redshirt junior Zach Elam dominated the 2023 Southern Scuffle at 285 pounds, going 5-0 on his way to an individual weight title. Elam earned three bonus point victories at the tournament, including a 22-second pin of Little Rock's Josiah Hill. The redshirt junior went on to post a shutout effort in the final, defeating Cory Day of Binghamton with a 5-0 decision.
— CAM THE MAN — If you did not know the name Cam Steed before the Southern Scuffle, you do now. The true freshman earned a tough draw to start the tournament, losing to Michael Caliendo by 8-3 decision. After that, Steed rattled off six wins through the consolation bracket, including four bonus point victories, two of which came via fall. The freshman defeated a two-time NCAA qualifier in Will Formato (Appalachian State) and a 2021-22 NCAA qualifier in Cael Carlson (Minnesota) on this way to the third-place match against Oklahoma State's Wyatt Sheets. Steed ultimately finished fourth due to injury but his run at the scuffle will not soon be forgotten.
— GO WITH THE FLO — Mizzou wrestling will be on FloWreslting for the 2022-23 season. Fans can find all home duals on the streaming platform.
— UP NEXT — Mizzou hits the road for a double dual weekend as it travels to Air Force Friday, Jan. 13, followed by Wyoming Saturday, Jan. 14. The duals are scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. CT and 6 p.m. CT, respectively.
Players Mentioned
