2 months ago
After a successful travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma, wherever Mizzou wrestling claimed 4th spot arsenic a squad and 2 individual titles, six qualifying wrestlers will make nan travel to Cleveland, Ohio, to compete astatine nationals. From first-time qualifiers to seasoned qualifiers and moreover snubs, location are plentifulness of storylines for nan Tigers going into nan mecca of assemblage wrestling.
Aeoden Sinclair (184lbs) and Cam Steed (174lbs) some earned automatic bids pinch Big 12 titles. Gage Walker (133lbs) and Jarrett Stoner (285lbs) were nan different 2 automatic bid recipients pinch fifth-place finishes. Mack Mauger (125lbs) and Evan Bates (197lbs) rounded retired Mizzou’s qualifiers, some earning at-large bids.
Getting to nan Tigers who fell conscionable short of qualification, Joshua Edmond (149lbs), Teague Travis (157lbs) and Max Mayfield (165lbs) fell short successful what was each of their last seasons of eligibility. Edmond has an extracurricular changeable astatine wrestling again, being named nan first alternate successful nan 149lbs section if anyone gets wounded earlier nan tournament.
Before nationals, let’s analyse each bracket and each wrestler from Mizzou. The tourney will spell from Thursday done Saturday astatine Rocket Arena. Bouts will beryllium broadcast crossed ESPN’s networks.
All individual rankings are according to nan NCAA Champs seedings.
Courtesy of Mizzou Athletics
Mauger hardly made nan trim for nan section of 33, having to wrestle successful a play-in lucifer to get into nan main bracket. His reward if he thumps No. 33 Jace Schafer (Bloomsburg): A lucifer pinch No. 1 Luke Lilledahl (PSU). It’s an unfortunate situation, but it doesn’t mean he can’t spell acold successful nan wrestlebacks.
In his first starting season, Mauger went 22-14 and claimed seventh spot astatine nan Big 12 Championship. The redshirt freshman couldn’t find galore upsets this season, but he’s group a awesome baseline for nan remainder of his collegiate career.
Courtesy of Mizzou Athletics
When Kade Moore was ruled retired for nan remainder of nan play coming into nan caller year, it was difficult to ideate Walker filling successful arsenic good arsenic he has. He went 17-7 arsenic a existent sophomore and took 5th spot astatine nan convention tournament, earning an automatic bid to nationals.
His first information lucifer will beryllium against No. 14 Ethan Berginc (Army), a four-time NCAA qualifier. That bout will beryllium a reliable trial successful itself, and moreover if he makes it done to nan 2nd round, he’ll apt person to woody pinch No. 3 Marcus Blaze (PSU). Walker sewage basking astatine nan correct clip of nan season. He could daze moreover much group this play and spot higher than his seeding suggests.
Courtesy of Mizzou Athletics
Steed has a clear way to nan quarterfinals pinch a lucifer against No. 26 Derek Gilcher (IND) and apt No. 10 Myles Takats (Bucknell) successful nan 2nd round. A quarterfinal mathcup pinch No. 2 Simon Ruiz is wherever things get tricky. Steed is different Mizzou wrestler who is wrestling his champion astatine this constituent successful nan play and is nary alien to upsets.
The redshirt inferior went 15-5 this play and won nan 174lbs title astatine nan SEC Championship. He battled done injuries passim overmuch of nan play until catching his stride successful 2026. Steed still has 1 play of eligibility left, but he could surpass his seventh-place decorativeness successful nan 165lbs section from a play ago.
184: No. 2 Aeoden Sinclair
Courtesy of Mizzou Athletics
In what was perchance nan biggest season-to-season jump by a Division I wrestler, Sinclair compiled a 30-1 play arsenic a redshirt freshman en way to a 184lbs title astatine nan convention tournament. His only nonaccomplishment came backmost successful November against No. 7 Angelo Ferrari (Iowa).
Sinclair will apt spot Ferrari again successful nan quarterfinals. It hasn’t been a level statement of consistency for Sinclair this season, but alternatively a dependable emergence successful performance, 1 that could beryllium to bring him complete Ferrari this clip around.
If nan apical seeds make it done each round, Sinclair’s semifinal and last lucifer will beryllium against No. 3 Max McEnelly, past No. 1 Rocco Welsh (PSU). It would beryllium a existent gauntlet to a nationalist championship, but he’s besides Mizzou’s champion dream astatine a title victor since Keegan O’Toole successful 2023.
Courtesy of Mizzou Athletics
Bates sputtered to adjacent nan regular play and astatine nan SEC Championship. He’s presently connected a four-match losing streak, including a 0-2 decorativeness successful Tulsa. The SEC astir apt has nan champion harvest astatine 197lbs successful nan nation, but Bates’ losses were some upsets.
His seeding was greatly affected by his caller performances. Bates will look No. 8 DJ Parker (OU) successful nan first round, a wrestler whom he already mislaid to by awesome determination connected Feb. 12. He tin decidedly outperform his seeding, but nan activity will person to beryllium put successful done nan consolation bracket.
285: No. 28 Jarrett Stoner
Courtesy of Mizzou Athletics
The last qualifier for nan Tigers is simply a first clip qualifier successful Stoner. He took 5th spot astatine nan convention tourney for an automatic bid to nan NCAA Championship. Stoner went 23-14 arsenic a full-time starter, remaining accordant passim nan season, but seldom competing pinch top-ranked talents.
He’ll person a challenging first information matchup pinch No. 5 Nick Feldman (OHST), but should not beryllium chalked up arsenic a two-and-done competitor. Stoner’s velocity is amended than astir heavyweights and that facet could contibute to immoderate upset victories.
Mizzou vanished past play beardown pinch a 14th-place decorativeness astatine nationals, besides pinch six wrestlers competing. With 2 wrestlers who are existent title contenders and others who tin spell acold successful nan wrestlebacks, nan programme could surpass its 2025 result.
