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The Tigers will compete against Virginia Tech, Ohio State and Ohio this weekend.
Missouri Wrestling Team Travels to Ohio
Tigers Wrestle in Three Duals in Two Days
Dec. 17, 2004
Head Coach Brian Smith and his 12th ranked Missouri wrestling team will venture East to Ohio and compete in three duals over the course of two days. Pairing with Virginia Tech and Ohio State on Saturday, Dec. 18, in St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Missouri will challenge the Hokies at 1 p.m. (CT), followed by a 3 p.m. (CT), showdown with the Buckeyes.
Competing on Sunday, Dec. 19, the Tigers will meet the Ohio University Bobcats in a 1 p.m. (CT), dual at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio.
The Tigers are 1-0 on the season, recording their first dual win of the 2004-05 campaign with a 25-10 victory over then-ranked No. 19 Purdue.
Missouri will take on Virginia Tech for the first time in school history in the Saturday early afternoon matchup, but will see familiar competition in Big Ten opponent Ohio State. The Tigers hold a one dual lead over the Buckeyes, 5-4, landing their most recent win, 34-9, at Tennessee Chattanooga last season. In a battle dating back to the 1968-69 season, Missouri brought home four consecutive wins, beginning with a 15-12 victory over the Buckeyes under then-Head Coach Hap Whitney. After suffering a four-dual losing drought from 1984-1998, Smith was able to pull his team ahead in the all-time series and now looks to improve to 2-0 against Ohio State in his coaching tenure at MU. The Tigers and Bobcats will meet at center circle for the first time since the 1996-97 season. MU leads the all-time series 2-0, with each of Missouri’s previous wrestling coaches (Wes Roper and Bob Kopnisky) notching a definitive win.
Entering the weekend, eight Tigers are ranked among the top-20 in the nation at their respective weight class. Senior Cody Greene (149) made his 2004-05 nation’s top-20 debut in the Dec. 14, National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) poll. Also in the mix, redshirt freshman Tyler McCormick (133) moved up one notch (19th) from his first top-20 debut two weeks ago. Sophomore Ben Askren remains the highest ranked Tiger at No. 2 in the nation (174). Currently 12-0 on the season, Askren is the only unbeaten starter in the MU lineup.
Virginia Tech currently has three ranked wrestlers, while both Ohio State and Ohio will likely send two to the mat. The weekend could prove beneficial for Tyler McCormick who will pair with No. 11 T.J. Enright (Ohio State) and No. 16 David Hoffman (Virginia Tech) in back-to-back duals. A win over either opponent could help push the younger of the two McCormick brothers further ahead in the polls. Also meeting with two top 20 opponents is 14th ranked junior Jeff Foust (197). Foust holds an 11-1 record on the season and is projected to wrestle No. 4 J.D Bergman of Ohio State on Saturday and No. 17 Joel Weimer of Ohio on Sunday. Ranked 14th in the nation at 157 pounds, graduate student Brad Cieleski will have his hands full as he takes on 2004 NCAA runner-up Jake Percival (currently No. 2 in the nation).
“All three teams that we’re wrestling this weekend are tough, “Smith said. “Our athletes are going to have to go into each match focused and ready to hit the mat hard if we want to come out on top at the end of each dual. “
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