Tiger Wrestlers Look Beautiful, Hold off Oklahoma, 23-10

Missouri Makes Clean Sweep at Second Annual Beauty and the Beast Event Feb. 8, 2008

Columbia, Mo. -Competing in front of a record-setting, 6,308 Missouri fans, the No. 12 Tiger wrestling team (8-3-1, 1-1-1) held off No. 18 Oklahoma (12-4, 0-3), 23-10, at the second annual Beauty and the Beast event held in the Hearnes Center. The No. 14 Missouri women's gymnastics team, competing simultaneously on the arena floor, held off Centenary, 195.800-192.235, giving Missouri a clean sweep of its Friday night opponents.

"The team is really starting to show consistent improvement," Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith said. "The team is still working hard and drilling in the room and it's good to see them out in competition taking what they've learned at practice and applying it at the dual."

Senior All-American Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) pulled off an upset at 133 pounds, shutting out No. 13 Brian Shelton, 6-0. Snapping a five-dual losing streak, McCormick and Shelton were scoreless through the first period, with McCormick choosing down to start the second. A one second option escape gave the Tiger grappler a one-point advantage, which he added to in the third with an escape, two points for Sooner stalling and a takedown with 17 seconds on the clock. With the win, McCormick helped Missouri cut OU's lead to within one, 4-3.

Missouri will return to the mat Sunday, Feb. 10 in a 2 p.m. contest with Oregon State. The first 400 fans to attend the afternoon event will receive free Ben Askren bobble-head dolls. Fans are encouraged to come early and show their support of Missouri's six-member senior class. Justin Cole, Vince Demarest, McCormick, Wagner, James Williamson and Brock Wittmeyer will all be recognized prior to the start of the dual.

Wt. Wrestler vs. Wrestler: Result MU OU
125 Joey Fio (OU) major decision John Olanowski (MU): 11-2 0 4
133 Tyler McCormick (MU) decision #13 Brian Shelton (OU): 6-0 3 4
141 #15 Zack Bailey (OU) decision Marcus Hoehn (MU): 3-1 3 7
149 #15 Josh Wagner (MU) decision #13 Will Rowe (OU): 10-6 6 6
(OU loses one point for unsportsmanlike conduct)
157 #14 Michael Chandler (MU) technical fall #20 Chad Teryr (OU): 18-1 11 6
165 #2 Nicholas Marable (MU) decision #20 Max Dean (OU): 5-2 14 6
174 Jeff James (OU) major decision Brock Wittmeyer (MU): 12-4 14 10
184 #4 Raymond Jordan (MU) decision #6 Joshua Weitzel (OU): 5-2 17 10
197 #5 Maxwell Askren (MU) decision #5 Joel Flaggert (OU): 3-0 20 10
HWT #11 Mark Ellis (MU) decision Nathan Fernandez (OU): 6-2 23 10



Season and Career Records
133 Tyler McCormick 3-6 73-39