Over the past 10 seasons, Missouri has managed an 8-2 record in home openers, winning seven consecutive home openers dating back to 2000-01 season. In only his third year with the team, Head Coach Brian Smith coached the Tigers to a 46-0 shutout of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville to start the 2000-01 home schedule with a win.
Owning a perfect four dual win streak, this marks the fifth straight season in which Missouri has started a season at 4-0.
Missouri enters the Friday night dual with nine grapplers ranked among the top 20 in the nation in their respective weight class. Tiger sophomore Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) owns the highest ranking of his teammates and stands at third in the nation at 165 pounds. Marable is currently 12-2 on the season and has defeated three of the nation's top 165 pound grapplers.
Five members of Missouri's 10-man lineup are ranked among the top-10 in the nation of their respective weight class with freshman 125 pounder Tony Pescaglia (Columbia, Mo.) ranked as high as ninth in the nation. Pescaglia joined the nation's elite after finishing second at the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and knocking off two top-ranked opponents.
Also among the top-10 are senior Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) who stands fourth at 133 pounds, junior 184 pounder Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) at fifth and sophomore Maxwell Askren of Hartland, Wis., at sixth at 197 pounds.
Bucknell brings two top-20 ranked wrestlers to the Hearnes Center. Competing at 133 pounds, No. 20 David Marable, a sophomore, enters his bout with McCormick with a 12-3 record and stands at No. 2 in the EIWA. Fellow teammate Andy Rendos is set to put his No. 20 ranking up against No. 3 Marable. Rendos is 14-3 on the year and 6-1 in dual competition. Rendos' only dual loss of the campaign came to No. 1 Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan, 12-3.
Recent transfer Brock Wittmeyer (Platte City, Mo.) will make his first start in Missouri's lineup. Expected to compete at 174 pounds, Wittmeyer comes to Missouri from Penn and owns a 38-32 career record.
Tickets for the Friday night dual are $5 for adults and $3 for students and children. Fans are encouraged to come early and pick up the first of five unique programs. Over the course of Missouri's five home duals, a different wrestler will be featured on the program, with a scorecard available on the back.
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