Missouri Wrestling Team Hosts Black and Gold Wrestle-Off's
Annual Event Begins Sunday, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m

Oct. 24, 2007

Columbia, Mo. - The sixth-ranked Missouri wrestling team will host its annual Black and Gold wrestle-off's Sunday, Oct. 28, at 1 p.m. (CT) in the Hearnes Center. A total of 19 bouts are expected to play out in the Sunday afternoon event with 29 grapplers vying for a spot in Missouri's 10-man lineup.

Led by Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith, the Gold team consists of 16 grapplers in varying age. Made up of four returning NCAA qualifiers, including two-time All-American Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.), and the nation's No. 1 high school heavyweight recruit Dominique Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo.), Smith's Gold squad holds a definite advantage.

Not to be outdone, the Black team, coached by assistant Lee Pritts, contains three starters from last season's NCAA third-place finishing team including two-time NCAA qualifier Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) at 157 pounds and Big 12 Champion Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) at 197 pounds.

The initial nine matches of Sunday's dual will feature wrestle-inn competitions in which the winners will advance to one of 10 final bouts of the day.

Missouri's official wrestling season will begin Friday, Nov. 9, with a 7 p.m. (CT) dual with No. 27 Rider in Lawrenceville, N.J. Continuing the weekend swing through the upper Northeast, Missouri will battle the 16th-ranked Pride of Hofstra, Sunday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. (CT) in Long Island, N.Y.

Missouri's 45-member squad is made up of six returning NCAA qualifiers and two returning Big 12 Champions. Currently, seven members of Missouri's squad are ranked among the top-25 in the nation at their respective weight class with senior co-captain McCormick earning the highest ranking at second in the nation.