James Hackney
Final Score: Virginia Tech 18 over Mizzou 16
In Mizzou’s second dual of the day several wrestlers looked better than they did in the dual against UNI, but the team came up short in the end. Mizzou was upset at two weights in this dual and lost a pivotal toss-up match. Alumni weekend for Mizzou had the Hearnes crowd extra rowdy and brought a ton of energy into the dual. The fanbase at this dual was one of the most spirited I’ve seen for Mizzou in a while even in a loss. I’m glad they’re wrestling tough competition early in the season, but they have a lot to work on going forward.
125lbs: #18 Noah Surtin over #12 Sam Latona (Fall: 2:38)
Surtin lit up the Hearnes after running a cowcatcher over and flattening Latona for the pin in a scoreless match. Latona is having a down year so far but is still a returning All-American. I was worried that Surtin may have trouble rebounding after a big loss to Teske, but he came back and showed how dangerous he is. Even though he went 1-1 on the day, I’m excited about his future this season and I’m hoping this match is the start of a breakout against tough opponents.
