The Missouri wrestling team dominated the Mid-American Conference Championship this past weekend in Ypsilanti, Michigan, winning its fifth straight conference title and fourth straight MAC title.
In addition to winning the team title, five individual athletes wrestled their way to the top of the podium to become MAC champions. Sophomore 125-pounder Barlow McGhee and senior 157-pounder Le’Roy Barnes both beat their Northern Iowa opponents to win their first MAC titles and earn their first national championship trips. Redshirt freshman Daniel Lewis became Missouri’s third MAC champion, winning the 165-pound weight class against Eastern Michigan’s Dakota Juarez.
Senior Blaise Butler is now an ACC champion and a MAC champion after winning a battle against Central Michigan’s Mike Ottinger 4–3 in overtime. Butler will head to nationals in a Missouri singlet instead of a Virginia one this year after transferring to MU for his last year of eligibility.
Junior J’den Cox dominated Ohio’s Phil Wellington 9–1 to become a three-time MAC champion. Now, he looks to nationals for a chance to become a two-time national champion.
Aside from the five champions for the Tigers, three more wrestlers will get their chance to compete for a national championship in New York in two weeks. Junior Matt Manley wrestled his way to the finals in the 141-pound weight class, but he defaulted the championship match due to an injury. After getting a chance to wrestle in the consolation round for third place, junior Lavion Mayes forfeited in the 149-pound third-place match due to injury as well. Since Mayes still placed fourth, he will travel to New York for the national championships.
Sophomore 184-pounder Willie Miklus lost in an upset match yesterday to Central Michigan’s Jordan Ellingwood 3–1, but redeemed himself in the consolation rounds this afternoon and finished his MAC run as a third-place finisher, after dominating Buffalo’s Joe Ariola 10–3. He will head to nationals as well.
Junior Zach Synon was eliminated from the tournament in the 133-pound division after going 0–2 yesterday. He will need a wild-card bid in order to be able to compete in New York City. Senior Cody Johnston showed great effort in his sixth place finish in the heavyweight division. Like Synon, Johnston will also need a wild-card bid to travel to the national championship tournament.
The Tigers will head back to Columbia for two weeks of practice before heading to New York for the NCAA National Championships from March 17–19.