Luke Cherep

Class:
Redshirt Freshman
Hometown:
Naperville, Ill.
High School:
Naperville Central

2009-10: Competing in the 141 pound weight class, Cherep recorded eight victories in 14 matches last season. Starting the season at the University of Central Missouri Open, Cherep won his first match of the event by pinning his opponent in 2:55. He followed that up with another victory, edging out Scott Berens of Central Oklahoma by a 10-9 score. Following a loss to teammate Todd Schavrien, Cherep bounced back and picked up a 5-4 win for his third victory of the day. A week later at the Missouri Open, Cherep recorded victories against Illinois' Vince Vercelli, Oklahoma's Dillon Dennis and former Tiger teammate Michael Devine. Cherep knocked off Vercelli by a 6-2 final before recording a 16-1 tech fall win against Dennis. In sudden victory, Cherep scored a takedown on Devine to win 6-4. He opened The Midlands with an 11-9 sudden victory over Mike Mencini of Cleveland State, and would later pick up his first major decision of the year as he knocked off Kevin Bokoski of Luther.

2008-09: Wrestling at 133 pounds, Cherep collected his first win in Missouri's lineup on Dec. 13, besting Jake Tannenbaum of Cal Poly, 5-4, and helping the Tigers to a 36-6 road win over the Roadrunners. Earning 11 wins on the year, Cherep finished fourth at the Missouri Valley College Open on Feb. 6, managing a 4-2 record that included his second win over the season over Tannenbaum, this time by way of a 12-2 major decision. Six of Cherep's 11 wins on the year were bonus point victories, two by fall.

2007-08: Luke Cherep wrestled at the 133-pound weight class and recorded an impressive victory over Alptekin Ozicilic of Lindenwood by fall in 1:28 at the Lindenwood Open on Oct. 27. Cherep also beat Ken Porter from Wisconsin by an 8-1 decision and Mitch Trahan from Lindenwood by a 9-4 decision at the Lindenwood Open.

2006-07: Redshirting his first year with the Tigers, Cherep finished fourth at the Missouri Valley Open, Feb. 3. After dropping his opening round bout, 9-0, Cherep rebounded with a win by technical fall, 16-0, over Jake Lehman of Central Missouri State University in 5:40 followed by a 1-0 win by decision over Brice Wasserman of Oklahoma Central. Cherep opened his season with a win by fall in 2:56 over Clayton Wise of Missouri Baptist at the Lindenwood Open. Three of Cherep's eight wins on the season were by fall, the fastest clocked at 51 seconds over Matt Korinek of Buena Vista at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Open, Dec. 3.

HIGH SCHOOL: Wrestling at Naperville Central High in Naperville Ill., Cherep wrestled at 125 pounds. He earned the school's Red and White Award as a top athlete in the school and lettered in both wrestling and football during his time as a Redhawk.

PERSONAL: Luke was born on Oct. 13, 1987, to Terry and Barbara Cherep. He is the oldest of three children, with one sister, Leah (19) and one brother, Kirk (16). While at Mizzou, Cherep is studying communications.