The Missouri Tigers are sending a team-record nine wrestlers to the NCAA Championship in Philadelphia this weekend, as they hope to claim their highest team ranking in history.
The overall mark to beat is third place. The Tigers sent eight grapplers in 2007 when they achieved that mark. Coach Brian Smith said he feels the team has a real shot to have another wrestler join the illustrious ranks of Missouri National Champions.
“This is a young team that has matured,” he said. “We have competed against the best teams all across the nation, and we’re really looking forward to the weekend.”
The Tigers are indeed a young team with freshman Alan Waters as one of their best wrestlers. The No. 10-seeded Waters compiled a 38-5 record in his inaugural season. Big tournaments are nothing new to the four-time Missouri state champion.
“I’ve been in a lot of big tournaments all my life,” he said. “The NCAAs are just a huge step up in competition for me.”
Being the only senior starter on the roster, captain and No. 10-seeded Todd Schavrien leads the Tigers into the NCAA Championship with a record of 26-6. He said because this is his last tournament as a Tiger, it brings out a lot of emotion.
“I could name 20 (emotions),” he said. “This is my last chance at something I’ve wanted my whole life. I just try not to think about it and focus on winning.”
Schavrien transferred from Arizona State University in 2008 and started competing for the Tigers in the 2008-2009 season. Originally from Poway, Calif., Schavrien finished in first place at the Big 12 Championship in Ames, Iowa this season. He and junior heavyweight Dom Bradley were the lone top finishers for the Tigers in the tournament.
Bradley is the first heavyweight in Missouri history to finish in first place at the Big 12 Championship. He is the top-seeded wrestler for Missouri with a five seed. If Bradley can claim the National Championship in the heavyweight division, he would be the second wrestler in Tiger history to do so.
“It would be bittersweet,” he said. “I’m going to seize the moment. I want it.”
Bradley heads into the NCAA Championship looking to improve on his performance at the Big 12 Championship.
“This season has meant a lot to me,” he said. “I’ve wrestled a lot of tough guys, and I know how to wrestle against the top three guys because I’ve seen them before.”
Bradley wrestled No. 1 seed Zach Rey at the Northeast Duals last November. He lost by majority decision.
Among the other Tigers competing at the NCAA Championship are redshirt freshman Zach Toal, sophomore Nathan McCormick, junior Dorian Henderson and sophomore Brent Haynes, all automatic qualifiers at the Big 12 Championship. Two more wrestlers, redshirt freshman Kyle Bradley and sophomore Mike Larson, were selected out of the 33 at-large bids into the tournament.
With so many possible National Champions, Smith said he was confident in his squad going into the tournament.
“We haven’t peaked yet,” he said. “We’ve still got a lot of potential that hasn’t been seen.”
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment