Missouri Wrestling
What You Need to Know
• The Tigers enter the 2015-16 season coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2014-15. Mizzou had wrestlers from all 10 weight classes qualify for the 2015 NCAA Championships, seven of which will return to this year’s squad. Then-redshirt senior and now assistant coach Drake Houdashelt captured Mizzou’s sixth national champion in the 149 pound weight class.
• Mizzou captured its third consecutive MAC Championship on Mar. 9 in Columbia, Mo. Mizzou’s 139.5 team points set a new all-time mark for most points scored at a MAC Wrestling Championship. It surpassed the previous record of 136.0 team points set by the 2013 Mizzou squad. The conference title was the fourth overall consecutive title for the Tigers, who won the 2012 Big 12 Championship.
• Individually, Mizzou grapplers tallied five individual MAC Championships in 2015. Then-Redshirt senior Alan Waters (125), then-redshirt sophomore Zach Synon (133), then-redshirt senior Drake Houdashelt (149), then-sophomore J’den Cox (197), and then-redshirt senior Devin Mellon (HWT) all took home their respective weight class crowns, helping lead the Tigers to a dominating overall victory.
• Six #TigerStyle grapplers have won seven titles at individual tournaments so far this season. At the UCM Open on Nov. 7, three Mizzou wrestlers grabbed championships, including freshman 165-pounder Nicholas DeLoach, freshman 157-pounder Keegan McCormick, and freshman 141-punder Will Roark. On Nov. 14, redshirt junior 157-pounder Matt Lemanowicz, Roark, redshirt-freshman 133 pounder Quinn Smith, and redshirt junior 133-pounder Zach Synon all took home titles at the Maryville Kaufman Brand Open. Smith’s title was in the amateur division, while Synon’s was in the elite division.
More About Mizzou
Tigers Return Three All-Americans from 2014-15
When Mizzou takes the mat for the first time in the 2015-16 season, they will have three returning All-Americans in their starting lineup. That experience will go far in Mizzou’s hopes of capturing a fourth straight MAC Championship and fifth consecutive conference championship overall.
Redshirt junior Lavion Mayes experienced a breakout season in 2014-15, eclipsing with a MAC Championship in the 141 pound weight class and a seventh place finish at the NCAA Championships. Mayes posted an overall record of 38-4 over the season, including a 20-1 mark in duals. In those 20 dual victories, Mayes racked up 73 points for the Tigers. Mayes, who made a majority of his starts at the 141 pound weight class last year, will begin the season in the 149 pound weight class.
Redshirt sophomore Willie Miklus was named the 2015 MAC Freshman of the Year after a very impressive first season as an attached wrestler for the Tigers. Miklus posted a 33-9 record over the season, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships where he finished in seventh place after posting a 5-2 record. Miklus racked up 82 points in his 18 dual wins and began the season on an 18-match win streak.
Junior J’den Cox earned All-American honors for the second straight season in 2014-15. After winning the NCAA Championship as a freshman, Cox brought a perfect 38-0 record to the NCAA Championships after winning his second consecutive MAC Championship. Cox lost his first match of the season in the semifinals, but bounced back to win fifth place. Cox posted a 37-2 record on the season, including an undefeated regular season dual record of 21-0. He tallied the most points (87) in duals on the season.
Mizzou Selected to Win the Mid-American Conference
As voted on by the conference head coaches, Mizzou was picked to win the Mid-American Conference, sitting atop the preseason poll with 20.0 points. #TigerStyle wrestlers were represented in seven of the 10 individual weight class rankings, with junior 133-pounder Zach Synon (Cary, Ill.) and junior 197-pounder J’den Cox (Columbia, Mo.) leading the way at the top of their respective weight classes. Redshirt junior Lavion Mayes (Mascoutah, Ill.) and redshirt sophomore 184-pounder Willie Miklus (Altoona, Iowa), and redshirt senior Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.) were all ranked second in their respective weight classes. Redshirt freshman 165-pounder Daniel Lewis (Blue Springs, Mo.) was ranked third in his weight class, while redshirt sophomore 125-pounder Barlow McGhee (Rock Island, Ill.) was ranked fourth.
Four Take Home Titles at Maryville Kaufman Brand Open
In total, four Mizzou wrestlers won titles at the Maryville Kaufman Brand Open on Nov. 14. In the elite division, redshirt junior 157-pounder Matt Lemanowicz (Lee’s Summit, Mo.) and redshirt junior 133-pounder Zach Synon (Cary, Ill.) won championships. Lemanowicz won all four of his matches on the way to the 157-pound title, earning a technical fall in the first round (18-1) over Shay Lauderdale of Missouri Baptist and a fall in the finals over Kevin Cooper of McKendree. Synon needed only three matches to capture his title in the 133-pound weight class, posting a technical fall in the quarterfinal (19-2) over Andrew Rettke of McKendree. Synon defeated Hunter Haralson of Lindenwood by way of decision, 7-1, in the finals.
Freshman 141-pounder Will Roark (Seneca, Mo.) and freshman 133-pounder Quinn Smith (Columbia, Mo.) took home titles in the amateur division. Roark won four matches in route to his championship, the second championship of the season for the young Tiger. Roark won the first two matches by way of pin, the fastest coming in the quarterfinal round when he pinned Drew Rentschler of Truman State in 1:14. Roark won the semifinal match with a major decision before defeating Nick McGhee of Maryville by technical fall, 16-0 in the finals. Smith needed five wins on the day to capture his titles, earning falls in the first round and semifinals. Smith defeated Curtis Burnett of Northeast Oklahoma in the finals by major decision, 15-6.
Three Tigers Victorious at UCM Open
16 #TigerStyle grapplers competed in the Central Missouri (UCM) Open on Nov. 7 and three placed first, including freshman 141-pounder Will Roark (Seneca, Mo.), freshman 157-pounder Keegan McCormick (Lee’s Summit, Mo.), freshman and 165-pounder Nicholas DeLoach (Alton, Ill.).
Roark won all four of his matches in route to his first place finish, recording technical falls in the first and second-round, followed by a pin (5:20) in the semi-final, before defeating Darren Wynn of McKendree by the score of 6-2 in the finals. McCormick won five matches over in the weekend, beating Lindenwood’s Colton Orlando with a major decision (11-0) in the final match. McCormick had three pins and a major decision in the matches leading up to the final. DeLoach won two matches by decision, followed by a major decision victory in the semi-finals, before earning the championship after a medical forfeit.