In all of its wrestling history, Missouri has produced only a handful of wrestlers who have earned the spot on Team USA to compete for Olympic glory. The most recent was J’den Cox in 2016 (finished with a Bronze Medal). Before him, it was Ben Askern, who competed in the Beijing Olympics back in 2008. And before Askern, it was Sammy Hensen in 2000 (who finished with Silver). Before Sammy Henson, Missouri experienced a nearly 100-year gap in having a wrestler qualify for the Olympics. In 1908, Lee Talbott was a freestyle wrestler and track star who also qualified for 2 other sports at the Olympic Games in London, England.
This Olympic Cycle (2024 Olympics in Paris) Missouri has plenty of hopefuls who have already qualified for the Olympic Team Trials in April. Below is the list that has qualified by meeting certain criteria before this weekend’s Senior Nationals tournament in Dallas Texas.
Men’s Freestyle:
2023 U23 World champion – Keegan O’Toole (Tiger Style WC)- Univ. of Missouri
2022 World Team member 92 kg – J’den Cox (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC)- Columbia, MO
Women’s Freestyle:
2023 Bill Farrell highest placer – Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids WC)-Blue Springs, MO
Men’s Greco:
2019 World Team member 63 kg – Ryan Mango (U.S. Army WCAP)- St. Louis, MO
At Senior Nationals this weekend in Dallas, there was another handful of Missouri Natives who attempted to qualify for the Olympic Team Trials by placing in the top 5 in their respective brackets. Below are the wrestlers who competed in the Senior National Tournament, their match-by-match results, and if they qualified to be placed in the Olympic Team Trials bracket in April…