J’Den Cox entered the NCAA tournament ranked first overall. He finished the championships in 5th (photo/David Solomon)
Mizzou enters the NCAA Championships ranked No. 6 in the Coaches poll and No. 8 in the Intermat Tournament Rankings. Mizzou won its fourth straight Mid-American Conference Tournament Title and fifth straight conference title overall on March 6 with a first place finish at the 2016 MAC Championships (Mizzou won the Big 12 Title in 2012). Mizzou finished the MAC dual season 8-0, winning its second straight MAC Regular Season Championship, finishing with a perfect 8-0 MAC record for the second consecutive season.
Starting on Thursday, March 17, Nine Tigers including seven who grabbed top-16 seedings will compete in the National Tournament in New York City at Madison Square Garden.
Junior 197-pounder J’den Cox (Columbia, Mo.) was the highest seeded Tiger in the field. Cox recorded his 100th career victory on Feb. 21 in a 16-7 major decision over Nebraska’s Aaron Studebaker. Cox became the 24th member of Mizzou 100-win club, becoming the fastest to 100 wins in program history, doing so in 105 matches.
Mizzou Seeds:
125- Barlow McGhee, No. 8
133- Zach Synon, unseeded
141- Matt Manley, No. 5
149- Lavion Mayes, No. 3
157- Le’Roy Barnes, unseeded
165- Daniel Lewis, No. 4
174- Blaise Butler, No. 3
184- Willie Miklus, No. 14
197- J’den Cox, No. 2