Missouri Wrestling
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Last season, Mizzou Wrestling captured its third consecutive Mid-American Conference title, one for each season Mizzou has been a member of the conference. On Wednesday, the conference office announced its preseason rankings with Mizzou again sitting atop the 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.
The league’s head coaches voted on the team and individual rankings (full rankings below). Schools and wrestlers were ranked based on the number of first through fourth-place votes. A first-place vote was worth four points, second-place vote earned three points, third-place votes earned two points, and fourth-place votes earned one point.
Both Synon and Cox will enter the 2015-16 season as defending champions, winning last season’s MAC Tournament Championship. Cox also placed fifth at the NCAA Championships. In total, Mizzou will have four returning All-Americans this season. In addition to Synon and Cox, redshirt junior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes (Mascoutah, Ill.) and redshirt sophomore 184-pounder Willie Miklus (Altoona, Iowa) captured MAC Championships and advanced to the NCAA Championships a season ago. Mayes and Miklus each finished seventh at NCAAs. Both Mayes and Miklus were ranked second in the preseason rankings in their respective weight classes.
Three other Tigers were ranked in the preseason individual rankings. Redshirt sophomore 125-pounder Barlow McGhee (Rock Island, Ill.) was selected to finish fourth by the conference. McGhee wrestled in five tournaments a season ago while taking his redshirt season, earning a record of 14-5 and a championship at the Roger Denker Open. Redshirt freshman 165-pounder Daniel Lewis (Blue Springs, Mo.) was selected third in the preseason rankings. Lewis had a very impressive redshirt campaign in 2014-15, posting a record of 21-8 with an astonishing 15 wins by way of pin. Virginia transfer redshirt senior 174-pounder Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.) was the second-ranked wrestler in preseason rankings. Last season, Butler posted a 21-6 record and 13-2 dual record as a Cavalier.
Mizzou will begin the regular season on Friday (Nov. 20) with a dual on the road against SIU-Edwardsville. Match starts at 7 P.M. CT. Mizzou begins its MAC title defense on Saturday, Nov. 28 at Northern Iowa.
For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouWrestling).
2015-16 MAC November Rankings
1. Missouri (20.0)
2. Ohio (15.5)
3. Old Dominion (15.0)
4. Central Michigan (14.5)
5. Northern Iowa (13.0)
6. Kent State (11.0)
7. Northern Illinois (8.0)
8. Eastern Michigan (2.0)
9. Buffalo (1.0)
2015-16 MAC Weight Class Rankings:
125 – 1. Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa, Junior); 2. Brandon Jeske (Old Dominion, Junior); 3. Brent Fleetwood (Central Michigan, Sophomore); 4. Barlow McGhee (Missouri, Sophomore).
133 – 1. Zach Synon (Missouri, Junior); 2. Mack McGuire (Kent State, Senior); 3. Corey Keener (Central Michigan, Junior); 4. Josh Alber (Northern Iowa, Redshirt Freshman).
141 – 1. Chris Mecate (Old Dominion, Senior); 2. Zach Horan (Central Michigan, Senior); 3. Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois, Redshirt Freshman); 4. Noah Forrider (Ohio, Sophomore).
149 – 1. Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion, Senior); 2. Lavion Mayes (Missouri, Junior); 3. Mike DePalma (Kent State, Senior); 4. Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan, Sophomore).
157 – 1. Ian Miller (Kent State, Senior); t-2. Lucas Smith (Central Michigan, Senior); t-2. Spartak Chino (Ohio, Senior); 4. Andrew Morse (Northern Illinois, Senior).
165 – 1. Cooper Moore (Northern Iowa, Junior); 2. Shaun’Qae McMurtry (Northern Illinois, Junior); 3. Daniel Lewis (Missouri, Redshirt Freshman); 4. Jordan Wohlfert (Central Michigan, Junior).
174 – 1. Cody Walters (Ohio, Senior); 2. Blaise Butler (Missouri, Senior); 3. Mike Ottinger (Central Michigan, Senior); 4. Trace Engelkes (Northern Illinois, Junior).
184 – 1. Jack Dechow (Old Dominion, Junior); 2. Willie Miklus (Missouri, Sophomore); 3. Andrew Romanchik (Ohio, Senior); 4. Austin Severn (Central Michigan, Junior).
197 – 1. J’Den Cox (Missouri, Junior); 2. Phil Wellington (Ohio, Senior); 3. Anthony Abro (Eastern Michigan, Senior); 4. Shawn Scott (Northern Illinois, Junior).
HWT – 1. Blaize Cabell (Northern Iowa, Senior); 2. Jesse Webb (Ohio, Sophomore); 3. Mimmo Lytle (Kent State, Junior); 4. Jake Gunning (Buffalo, Redshirt Freshman).