Wrestling News

University of Missouri                                                

Athletic Media Relations

260 Hearnes Center

P.O. Box 677

Columbia, MO 65205

www.mutigers.com                     

 

(573) 882-3241                        FAX (573) 882-4720

Cell: (314) 363-6627                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 7-ranked Missouri Tigers fly to Las Vegas this weekend for the 31^st Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational. The 32-team tournament is annually one of the nation’s premier wrestling events. This year’s field includes seven of the nation’s top-25-ranked wrestling programs, a bevy of All-Americans, and four grapplers ranked No. 1 at their respective weight class.

 

Overall, 85 of the tournamentÂ’s wrestlers are ranked in the top-20 nationally. Missouri enters the weekend as the second-highest ranked team in the Cliff Keen Invitational, with No. 5 Ohio State leading the way. The Tigers last competed in this tournament in 2007,earning second place overall. Missouri won the Cliff Keen title in the 2006-07 season for the first time in school history. The opening rounds of the tournament begin Friday, Nov. 30 at 11:00 a.m. CT. The event will conclude Saturday, Dec. 1 with the semifinal rounds at 12:00 p.m. CT and championship finals at 5:00 p.m. CT.

 

ON THE MAT

125- No. 4 Alan Waters (9-0)

The junior is undefeated the season after scintillating decisions over San Diego StateÂ’s Aaron Pickrel 16-2 and StanfordÂ’s Evan Silver 5-1 this past weekend.

 

133- No. 6 Nathan McCormick (10-0)

The senior grappler continues to shoot up the rankings at 133-pounds with a perfect 10-0 record on the year and a team-leading 19 dual points.

 

141- No. 14 Nicholas Hucke (5-2)

Hucke defeated StanfordÂ’s Josh Lauderdale by decision 5-1 this past weekend to improve to 3-0 in dual meets on the year.

 

149- No. 15 Drake Houdashelt (8-2)

The sophomore from OÂ’Fallon, Mo., leads the team in technical falls with three and looks to build off his 15-5 major decision over StanfordÂ’s Peter Russo.

 

157- No. 19 Kyle Bradley (8-3)

Last yearÂ’s Big 12 runner-up at 149-pounds has five major decision victories on the year and a team-leading six escapes.

 

165- No. 15 Zach Toal (7-2)

The junior is last seasonÂ’s Big 12 champion at 165-pounds and defeated StanfordÂ’s Bret Baumbach 4-3 this past weekend.

 

174- No. 15 Todd Porter (9-1)

Porter is off to a strong start this season with an unblemished dual meet record of 5-0 and a team-leading 23 takedowns.

 

184- No.8 Mike Larson (11-1)

The senior from McKinleyville, Calif., has the most victories of any starter on the season and 4-0 dual meet record. He is coming off of two wins by major decision this past weekend against South Dakota State and Stanford.

 

197- No. 5 Brent Haynes (10-0)

Haynes boasts a perfect record and a top-five national ranking at 197-pounds. Entering the weekend, he is only nine wins shy of 100-career wins at Missouri.

 

HWT- No. 2 Dom Bradley (10-0)

The senior heavyweight recorded a fall in 1:07 over San Diego StateÂ’s J.J. Everard over the weekend and should contend for the invitationalÂ’s championship at his weight class.

 

FOLLOW LIVE

Live results will be posted on theofficial Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational website. Here is a link:

http://www.cklvwrestle.com/index.html

 

You can also follow us on Twitter,@MizzouWrestling for match-by-match results of the tournament.

 

WHATÂ’S NEXT

While the projected starters wrestle in Las Vegas, much of the Tigers roster will compete in the Kaufman-Brand Open at Maryville University in St. Louis. You can follow the results of the open at this website: http://wrestlingvideosolutions.com/2012-kaufman-brand-open/

 

Following this weekendÂ’s events, The Tigers wonÂ’t take the mat again until they make the trip north to New York City, where they will take on No. 8 Cornell and No. 25 Bloomsburg at the Grapple at the Garden on December 16 at Madison Square Garden.

 

 

Tony Randazzo