UPDATE: No. 8 Missouri wins final three bouts to beat No. 3 Ohio State, 26-17, at home
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by Andrew B. Melroe, University of Missouri
Willie Miklus of Missouri locks up a cradle on Kenny Courts of Ohio State, on way to a dominant technical fall at 184 pounds. Photo by Mark Lundy.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The fifth-largest crowd in Mizzou Wrestling history witnessed No. 8 #TigerStyle take down No. 3 Ohio State by a score of 26-17.
The Tigers trailed the Buckeyes 10-0 following the first two bouts, but Mizzou fought back to win six of the next eight to win the dual. Redshirt junior 133-pounder Zach Synon (Cary, Ill.) swung the momentum in Mizzou's favor following a pin for #TigerStyle's first points of the night, while redshirt sophomore 184-pounder Willie Miklus (Altoona, Iowa) put Mizzou in the lead for good with a 15-0 technical fall over Kenny Courts.
An announced crowd of 2,507 saw Synon pin Johnni DiJulius at 5:59 in the third period. Synon and DiJulius were deadlocked, 2-2, heading into the third period, before Synon put DiJulius on his back following a takedown. The Hearnes Center crowd erupted following the pin. DiJulius was ranked No. 5 in the nation heading into the match, while Synon ranked in at No. 12.
Synon's victory was the first of three in a row for #TigerStyle, as redshirt junior 141-pounder Matt Manley (Perry, Okla.) and redshirt junior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes (Mascoutah, Ill.) followed the performance with wins of their own. Manley trailed, 3-2, late in the third period against Micah Jordan, but grabbed a takedown in the closing seconds to steal the match, 4-3. Mayes gave Mizzou its first lead of the night after winning by route of a major decision, 12-3, over Cody Burcher. The major decision pushed Mizzou ahead, 13-10 heading into intermission.
Ohio State countered with two wins to regain the lead, 17-13, when redshirt senior 174-pounder Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.) stepped onto the mat. Butler dominated Dominic Prezzia for the full seven minutes and took the match by way of a major decision, 13-3.
Next up was Miklus, who recaptured Mizzou's lead for good following another dominating performance. Miklus, facing Courts for the second time in as many weeks, did not allow the Buckeye grappler to score a single point, winning the match with a 15-0 technical fall.
Mizzou led 22-17 heading into the final match of the night, the 197-pound match. Junior 197-pounder J'den Cox (Columbia, Mo.) refused to give an inch to Mark Martin, allowing the Buckeye grappler to score two escapes in the match. Cox defeated Martin with a 13-2 major decision, earning four points and capping the score at 26-17.
Mizzou will return to the mat again tomorrow afternoon when it matches up against No. 21 Ohio. The dual will begin at 1 p.m. at the Hearnes Center, with ESPN3/WatchESPN providing the broadcast.
For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouWrestling).
No. 8 Missouri 26, No. 3 Ohio State 17
at Columbia, Mo., December 12
HWT: Nick Tavanello [Ohio State] def. James Romero [Mizzou] by fall (4:40)
125: Nathan Tomasello [Ohio State] def. Barlow McGhee [Mizzou] by 10-1 major decision
133: Zach Synon [Mizzou] def. Johnni DiJulius [Ohio State] by fall (5:59)
141: Matt Manley [Mizzou] def. Micah Jordan [Ohio State] by 4-3 decision
149: Lavion Mayes [Mizzou] def. Cody Burcher [Ohio State] by 12-3 major decision
157: Jake Ryan [Ohio State] def. Luke Fortuna [Mizzou] by 10-2 major decision
165: Bo Jordan [Ohio State] def. Daniel Lewis [Mizzou] by 6-4 decision
174: Blaise Butler [Mizzou] def. Dominic Prezzia [Ohio State] by 13-3 major decision
184: Willie Miklus [Mizzou] def. Kenny Courts [Ohio State] by 15-0 technical fall
197: J'den Cox [Mizzou] def. Mark Martin [Ohio State] by 13-2 major decision
Attendance - 2,507
OHIO STATE PRESS RELEASE by Michael Basford
No. 3 Ohio State Drops 26-17 Decision to No. 8 Missouri
Tigers win via bonus points at 174, 184 and 197 pounds to close out match
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Momentum-shifting bonus point victories for No. 8 Missouri at 174, 184 and 197 pounds lifted the Tigers to a 26-17 victory over No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday evening at the Hernes Center in Columbia, Mo.
THE SHORT STORY
Training 17-13 entering the final three matches of the dual, Missouri scored two major decisions and a tech fall to earn its 31st consecutive dual match victory. Ninth-ranked Blaise Butler started it off with a 13-3 major decision over Dominic Prezzia, sixth-ranked Willie Miklus followed that up with a 15-0 tech fall over No. 11 Kenny Courts and reigning All-American J’Den Cox finished it off with a 11-2 major decision over Mark Martin.
STARS OF THE NIGHT
Ohio State won four matches on the night, highlighted by Nick Tavanello’s pin of James Romero at 285 pounds to start off the match. Tavanello quickly fell behind in the first period 7-2 on a four-point near fall, but battled back with a takedown and two-point near fall just before the first period buzzer sounded to tie the score at 7-7.
In the second period, Tavanello went ahead 9-8 and then finished off the match by getting Romero on his back and picking up his fifth fall of the year. The redshirt junior from Wadsworth, Ohio is now 12-2 on the year, just one win shy of his victory total from all of last year.
In the next match of the night, reigning national champion Nathan Tomasello ran his winning streak to 28 with a 10-1 major decision in which took control in the second period and never looked back. Leading 7-1 late in the third, he scored a takedown and tacked on a riding time point for the key bonus points.
After Missouri won the next three matches – including a third period fall at 133 pounds and a takedown by No. 13 Matt Manley with seven seconds left at 141 pounds that handed Micah Jordan his first loss of the year – Jake Ryan gave Ohio State the lead back with a dominating 10-2 major decision over Luke Fortuna. In the match, Ryan racked up over three minutes of riding time while also taking down Fortuna four times.
Bo Jordan extended the Buckeye lead to 17-13 by picking up three points via a 6-4 decision over ninth-ranked Daniel Lewis. Two first-period takedowns gave Jordan a 4-1 lead and he held on from there, scoring another takedown early in the third period.
INDIVIDUAL/TEAM NOTES
•Three members of the Buckeyes’ lineup remain unbeaten this year – Tomasello (10-0), Ryan (10-0) and B. Jordan (6-0).
•Tavanello and freshman Ke-Shawn Hayes are tied for the team lead with five falls thus far in 2015-16.
•Seven of Tomasello’s 10 wins this year have come by either major decision, tech fall or fall.
•Five of the 10 matches on Saturday night featured ranked in the Top 15 of their respective weight classes.
•Saturday’s dual vs. Missouri was one of seven this year against teams that are currently ranked in the USA Today/NWCA Top 25 poll. The Buckeyes’ next ranked foe will be No. 12 Illinois on Jan. 3 in Champaign, Ill.
UP NEXT
The Big Ten portion of the schedules commences this coming Friday when Ohio State travels to Evanston, Ill. to tangle with Northwestern. The dual can be seen live on BTN Plus.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The fifth-largest crowd in Mizzou Wrestling history witnessed No. 8 #TigerStyle take down No. 3 Ohio State by a score of 26-17.
The Tigers trailed the Buckeyes 10-0 following the first two bouts, but Mizzou fought back to win six of the next eight to win the dual. Redshirt junior 133-pounder Zach Synon (Cary, Ill.) swung the momentum in Mizzou's favor following a pin for #TigerStyle's first points of the night, while redshirt sophomore 184-pounder Willie Miklus (Altoona, Iowa) put Mizzou in the lead for good with a 15-0 technical fall over Kenny Courts.
An announced crowd of 2,507 saw Synon pin Johnni DiJulius at 5:59 in the third period. Synon and DiJulius were deadlocked, 2-2, heading into the third period, before Synon put DiJulius on his back following a takedown. The Hearnes Center crowd erupted following the pin. DiJulius was ranked No. 5 in the nation heading into the match, while Synon ranked in at No. 12.
Synon's victory was the first of three in a row for #TigerStyle, as redshirt junior 141-pounder Matt Manley (Perry, Okla.) and redshirt junior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes (Mascoutah, Ill.) followed the performance with wins of their own. Manley trailed, 3-2, late in the third period against Micah Jordan, but grabbed a takedown in the closing seconds to steal the match, 4-3. Mayes gave Mizzou its first lead of the night after winning by route of a major decision, 12-3, over Cody Burcher. The major decision pushed Mizzou ahead, 13-10 heading into intermission.
Ohio State countered with two wins to regain the lead, 17-13, when redshirt senior 174-pounder Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.) stepped onto the mat. Butler dominated Dominic Prezzia for the full seven minutes and took the match by way of a major decision, 13-3.
Next up was Miklus, who recaptured Mizzou's lead for good following another dominating performance. Miklus, facing Courts for the second time in as many weeks, did not allow the Buckeye grappler to score a single point, winning the match with a 15-0 technical fall.
Mizzou led 22-17 heading into the final match of the night, the 197-pound match. Junior 197-pounder J'den Cox (Columbia, Mo.) refused to give an inch to Mark Martin, allowing the Buckeye grappler to score two escapes in the match. Cox defeated Martin with a 13-2 major decision, earning four points and capping the score at 26-17.
Mizzou will return to the mat again tomorrow afternoon when it matches up against No. 21 Ohio. The dual will begin at 1 p.m. at the Hearnes Center, with ESPN3/WatchESPN providing the broadcast.
For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouWrestling).
No. 8 Missouri 26, No. 3 Ohio State 17
at Columbia, Mo., December 12
HWT: Nick Tavanello [Ohio State] def. James Romero [Mizzou] by fall (4:40)
125: Nathan Tomasello [Ohio State] def. Barlow McGhee [Mizzou] by 10-1 major decision
133: Zach Synon [Mizzou] def. Johnni DiJulius [Ohio State] by fall (5:59)
141: Matt Manley [Mizzou] def. Micah Jordan [Ohio State] by 4-3 decision
149: Lavion Mayes [Mizzou] def. Cody Burcher [Ohio State] by 12-3 major decision
157: Jake Ryan [Ohio State] def. Luke Fortuna [Mizzou] by 10-2 major decision
165: Bo Jordan [Ohio State] def. Daniel Lewis [Mizzou] by 6-4 decision
174: Blaise Butler [Mizzou] def. Dominic Prezzia [Ohio State] by 13-3 major decision
184: Willie Miklus [Mizzou] def. Kenny Courts [Ohio State] by 15-0 technical fall
197: J'den Cox [Mizzou] def. Mark Martin [Ohio State] by 13-2 major decision
Attendance - 2,507
OHIO STATE PRESS RELEASE by Michael Basford
No. 3 Ohio State Drops 26-17 Decision to No. 8 Missouri
Tigers win via bonus points at 174, 184 and 197 pounds to close out match
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Momentum-shifting bonus point victories for No. 8 Missouri at 174, 184 and 197 pounds lifted the Tigers to a 26-17 victory over No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday evening at the Hernes Center in Columbia, Mo.
THE SHORT STORY
Training 17-13 entering the final three matches of the dual, Missouri scored two major decisions and a tech fall to earn its 31st consecutive dual match victory. Ninth-ranked Blaise Butler started it off with a 13-3 major decision over Dominic Prezzia, sixth-ranked Willie Miklus followed that up with a 15-0 tech fall over No. 11 Kenny Courts and reigning All-American J’Den Cox finished it off with a 11-2 major decision over Mark Martin.
STARS OF THE NIGHT
Ohio State won four matches on the night, highlighted by Nick Tavanello’s pin of James Romero at 285 pounds to start off the match. Tavanello quickly fell behind in the first period 7-2 on a four-point near fall, but battled back with a takedown and two-point near fall just before the first period buzzer sounded to tie the score at 7-7.
In the second period, Tavanello went ahead 9-8 and then finished off the match by getting Romero on his back and picking up his fifth fall of the year. The redshirt junior from Wadsworth, Ohio is now 12-2 on the year, just one win shy of his victory total from all of last year.
In the next match of the night, reigning national champion Nathan Tomasello ran his winning streak to 28 with a 10-1 major decision in which took control in the second period and never looked back. Leading 7-1 late in the third, he scored a takedown and tacked on a riding time point for the key bonus points.
After Missouri won the next three matches – including a third period fall at 133 pounds and a takedown by No. 13 Matt Manley with seven seconds left at 141 pounds that handed Micah Jordan his first loss of the year – Jake Ryan gave Ohio State the lead back with a dominating 10-2 major decision over Luke Fortuna. In the match, Ryan racked up over three minutes of riding time while also taking down Fortuna four times.
Bo Jordan extended the Buckeye lead to 17-13 by picking up three points via a 6-4 decision over ninth-ranked Daniel Lewis. Two first-period takedowns gave Jordan a 4-1 lead and he held on from there, scoring another takedown early in the third period.
INDIVIDUAL/TEAM NOTES
•Three members of the Buckeyes’ lineup remain unbeaten this year – Tomasello (10-0), Ryan (10-0) and B. Jordan (6-0).
•Tavanello and freshman Ke-Shawn Hayes are tied for the team lead with five falls thus far in 2015-16.
•Seven of Tomasello’s 10 wins this year have come by either major decision, tech fall or fall.
•Five of the 10 matches on Saturday night featured ranked in the Top 15 of their respective weight classes.
•Saturday’s dual vs. Missouri was one of seven this year against teams that are currently ranked in the USA Today/NWCA Top 25 poll. The Buckeyes’ next ranked foe will be No. 12 Illinois on Jan. 3 in Champaign, Ill.
UP NEXT
The Big Ten portion of the schedules commences this coming Friday when Ohio State travels to Evanston, Ill. to tangle with Northwestern. The dual can be seen live on BTN Plus.
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