Seven Tiger grapplers finished among the top eight of their respective weight class with three, redshirt freshman Tony Pescaglia (125, Columbia, Mo.), sophomore Nicholas Marable (165, Collierville, Tenn.) and sophomore Maxwell Askren (197, Hartland, Wis.) advancing to the championship finals of their weight class.
Pescaglia was the first Tiger to compete in the championship finals of the prestigious two-day event. After winning by default to No. 1 Paul Donahoe of Nebraska in the semi-finals, Pescaglia suffered a 9-7 loss to fourth-ranked Tanner Garnder of Stanford and finished second. Pescaglia wrapped up the tournament with a 5-1 record that included wins over No. 6 Collin Cudd of Wisconsin and No. 11 Gabe Flores of Illinois becoming the first Missouri wrestler in over five years to advance to the finals of the 125 pound bracket. Pescaglia's top-eight showing also marks the third straight season that a Missouri redshirt freshman advanced to and competed in the championship finals.
Next in the finals was Marable at 165 pounds. After recording five straight wins, eighth-ranked Marable dropped a 7-4 decision to current No. 1 ranked Eric Tannembaum of Michigan. Tannenbaum, a 2007 All-American, gave Marable his first loss on the year and only the ninth loss of his still young Tiger career.
After pinning three of his first four opponents at the tournament, Askren himself was pinned in the title round. Wrestling eighth-ranked Dallas Herbst of Wisconsin, Askren was stuck with 13 seconds remaining in the match.
Improving on his sixth place showing from one year ago, junior Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) captured third after besting Rider's Doug Umbehauer in the 184 pound medal round. Jordan, ranked fifth in the nation, held off Umbehauer for the second time of the year to improve to 10-1 on the campaign. Competing in Missouri's season-opening dual, Nov. 9, Jordan won by technical fall, 22-7.
Finishing sixth at 157 pounds, junior Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) was one of seven Tigers to finish among the top eight of his weight class. Chandler battled through the consolation bracket after suffering a 4-3 loss to No. 20 Tyler Sherfey of Boise State in his second bout of Saturday's action. Rattling off three straight wins by decision, Chandler lost to second-ranked Craig Henning of Wisconsin but rebounded with a 6-1 win by decision over Jeff Marsh of Michigan. In the end, Chandler was shut out by Sherfey, 6-0, to finish the day in sixth.
Two Tigers, junior Marcus Hoehn (Farmington, Mo.) and Ellis finished seventh in their respective brackets. Hoehn, wrestling at 141 pounds, finished the two-day tournament with a 6-2 record. Holding off Boise State's Levi Jones, 6-3, Hoehn earned his first Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational top-eight honor. Hoehn's only losses of the tournament came to ranked opponents, No. 4 Jeff Jaggers of Ohio State and No. 14 Joe Caramanica of North Carolina State.
Wrestling at heavyweight, Ellis earned his seventh place finish by pinning Pittsburgh's Zach Schaeffer in 49 seconds. The fall was Ellis' fourth of the two-day tournament and his fastest on the season.
The Tigers will compete in their third dual of the season when they take on Tennessee Chattanooga, Sunday, Dec. 16 at Noon (CT). Missouri closes outs the 2007 calendar year with a Dec. 19 road dual with Pittsburgh.
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