Mizzou Tigers: Wrestlers Clinch National Spots
The #6 Mizzou Tigers will finish the MAC championships today.
The Mizzou Tigers will send at least six wrestlers to NCAA championships after performances on the first day of the MAC championships. 125-pounder Barlow McGhee, 141-pounder Matt Manley, 157-pounder Le’Roy Barnes, 165-pounder Daniel Lewis 174-pounder Blaise Butler, and 197-pounder J’den Cox all booked their tickets to the NCAA Championships in New York City; those wrestlers also contributed to Mizzou’s first place spot after one day of the tournament with a score of 103.5. That score is thirty points higher than the next highest score, which belongs to Central Michigan.
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For Cox, Butler and Manley this will be a return trip. Cox has made the trip all three years as a wrestler, Butler has made two trips before and Manley one. Cox reached the semifinals of the 197 pound bracket before being bounced out by Ohio State’s Kyle Snyder, and helped Mizzou to a fourth-place finish as a team, behind only Ohio State, Iowa, and Edinboro. Drake Houdashelt won the 149 pound championship for the Tigers last year, although Mizzou will not be sending a wrestler in that weight class to New York.
Mizzou can still send more wrestlers to the NCAA championships. Lavion Mayes will have to finish fourth or better in the 149-pound class and Willie Miklus will have to finish fifth or better in order to qualify for the NCAA championships. Cody Johnston, a heavyweight, can also qualify by receiving a wild card spot.
The MAC Wrestling championships will finish today and the Mizzou Tigers will look to wrap up the defense of their MAC title.