Missouri dominates quarterfinals, sends nine to MAC Championship semifinals

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa –Missouri leads the team race after the quarterfinals in day-one action of the MAC Wrestling Championships at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Tigers’ 64 points give them a 12-point lead over host Northern Iowa (52). Right on their heels is Northern Illinois with 51.5 points.

Missouri sent nine wrestlers to the semifinals, with five Tigers picking up bonus points in their opening bouts.

Two-time NCAA champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist J’den Cox sailed to the semis with a first-period pin over Eastern Michigan’s Derek Hillman in the quarterfinals. The three-time MAC champion set to face Stephen Suglio of Kent State later this afternoon.

The Tigers also collected bonus points from Jaydin Eierman (141), Lavion Mayes (149), 2016 MAC champion Daniel Lewis (165) and Dylan Wisman (174).

Eierman, Mayes and Wisman all put up major decisions against their opponents, while Lewis dominated with a pin in 2:03.

Other Mizzou wrestlers advancing to the semis include John Erneste (133) Joey Lavallee (157), Matt Lemanowicz (184) and Austin Myers (285).

The only Tiger not to advance was 2016 MAC champion Barlow McGhee, who suffered a 6-4 loss to No. 4-seed Noah Gosner of EMU.

UNI advanced six wrestlers to the semifinals, including No. 6 seed Dylan Peters, who took out third-seeded Kyle Akins of Buffalo with a pin in 4:16 to send the crowd into a frenzy.

The Panthers are set to collide with the Tigers in the semifinals at 174 and 184 pounds.

No. 1-seed Taylor Lujan, who recorded a fall in quarterfinals over Jacob Davis of EMU, is slated to face No. 3 Wisman in the 174-pound semis.

At 184 pounds, Drew Foster of UNI and Lemanowicz will go head-to-head. Foster rolled over Kent State’s Shane Mast in the quarters with an 11-3 major decision.

On the other side of the 184-pound bracket, returning MAC champ and third-seeded Jordan Ellingwood of Central Michigan moved on to the semis with a 10-1 major against NIU’s Bryce Gorman. He’ll face No. 2 Jack Dechow of Old Dominion in a rematch of the 2016 MAC Championships finals.

All 10 No. 1 seeds remain intact as well as all but one No. 2 seed. Buffalo’s Kyle Akins, who finished sixth at the conference tournament last season, outlasted 15th-ranked and second-seeded Brent Fleetwood of Central Michigan, 4-2.

CMU, who sits in fourth with 42.5 points, managed four wrestlers into the semis, including All-American Justin Oliver.

The semifinals are set to begin at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday afternoon. The tournament will be live streamed on ESPN3/WatchESPN, while the brackets will be available on trackwrestling.com.

2017 MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 4-5 at McLeod Center, Cedar Falls, Iowa

Semifinals pairings
125 bs.
Shakur Laney (OHIO) vs. Noah Gonser (EMU)
Dylan Peters (UNI) vs. Brock Hudkins (NIU)

133 lbs.
Josh Alber (UNI) vs. Bryan Lantry (BUFF)
Anthony Tutolo (KENT) vs. John Erneste (MIZ)

141 lbs.
Jaydin Eierman (MIZ) vs. Kevin Budock (ODU)
 Angel Velasquez (NIU) vs. Noah Forrider (OHIO)

149 lbs.
Lavion Mayes (MIZ) vs. Steve Bleise (NIU)
Max Thomsen (UNI) vs. Justin Oliver (CMU)

157 lbs.
Joey Lavallee (MIZ) vs. Casey Sparkman (KENT)
Zach Carson (EMU) vs. Colin Hefferan (CMU)

165 lbs.
Daniel Lewis (MIZ) vs. Shaun'Qae McMurtry (NIU)
Seldon Wright (ODU) vs. Bryce Steiert (UNI)

174 lbs.
Taylor lujan (UNI) vs. Dylan Wisman (MIZ)
Trace Engelkes (NIU) vs. Christian Brucki (CMU)

184 lbs.
Drew Foster (UNI) vs. Matt Lemanowicz (MIZ)
Jordan Ellingwood (CMU) vs. Jack Dechow (ODU)

197 lbs.
J'den Cox (MIZ) vs. Stephen Suglio (KENT)
Shawn Scott (NIU) vs. Kevin Beazley (ODU)

285 lbs.
Zack Parker (OHIO) vs. Jake Gunning (BUFF)
Gage Hutchison (EMU) vs. Austin Myers (MIZ)

Team scores
1. Missouri - 64.0
2. Northern Iowa - 52.0
3. Northern Illinois - 51.5
4. Central Michigan - 42.5
5. Eastern Michigan - 36.5
6. Old Dominion - 36.0
7. Kent State - 34.5
8. Ohio - 28.0
9. Buffalo - 21.0