Missouri ‘stings’ Hawkeyes

IOWA CITY - Brian Smith is a bit baffled, but doesn't seem to care too much.

Missouri has won at Ohio State and Cornell this season and beat Oklahoma State at home. Yet, the Tigers don't get the national respect he believes they deserve.

That could change now - maybe.

'Probably not,” he said with a laugh after his No. 2 Tigers whipped top-ranked Iowa, 18-12, to win the NWCA National Duals title Sunday before 6,846 fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 'We'll probably be ranked second ... people are always going to doubt us. I guess we've just got to keep doing it.”

Missouri (24-0) did it with aggression Sunday, taking the fight to the Hawkeyes (17-1) and winning six of the 10 bouts. The Tigers were far more aggressive, taking Iowa down 12 times and gaining riding time in five of their wins.

Iowa had just six takedowns.

'We've got to do more,” Iowa Coach Tom Brands said. 'If we don't do more, then the result you're looking at right now is going to repeat itself.”

The Tigers won four of the first five matches, taking a 12-3 lead. Second-ranked Alan Waters (27-0) opened the dual with a 5-4 overtime win over No. 5 Thomas Gillman in a high-intensity bout that nearly saw both benches clear. After Iowa's Cory Clark evened the dual with a 7-2 win over Zach Synon at 133, Missouri reeled off three straight wins - a 13-6 decision from Lavion Mayes at 141, a 2-1 win by Drake Houdashelt at 149 and a 6-1 win from Joey LaVelle at 157.

'I should have gotten the major today,” Mayes said of his six-takedown performance against Josh Dziewa.

Houdashelt won one of the most highly anticipated bouts, using 1:55 or riding time to nip second-ranked Brandon Sorensen, who saw his 14-match win steak come to an end.

'We have ability to score on our feet and it has to come out,” Brands said of Sorensen.

Nick Moore got the Hawks back on track with a 3-2 win over Mike England at 165 and Mike Evans pulled Iowa within 12-9 with a 4-1 win over John Eblen at 174. But Iowa went with Alex Meyer at 184 - instead of eighth-ranked Sammy Brooks, who didn't weigh in after winning both Saturday matches - and Meyer lost to former Southeast Polk teammate Willie Miklus, 6-5, on riding time.

'We like Meyers,” Brands said, offering no explanation why Brooks didn't weight in. '(We) could have won that match. We like our depth.”

Top-ranked J'Den Cox sealed the Missouri win with a 4-3 victory over Nathan Burak at 197 before Iowa's Bobby Telford won 6-3 at heavyweight.

'That was fun, that was fun,” Smith said. 'We showed up to wrestle today.”

Brands said the better team won this day.

'They rode us on top and controlled-tied us to death,” he said. 'They came in to beat us and they did.

'It wasn't pretty. It stings.”

Brands said Iowa will learn from this loss at it prepares for the Big Ten Championships in two weeks.

'You gotta keep walking,” he said.

'It's not the end of the year,” Evans said. 'It's not end the season.”

AT IOWA CITY

Missouri 18, Iowa 12

(Individual takedowns in parentheses)

125 pounds - Alan Waters (M) dec. Thomas Gillman, 5-4, OT (0,0); 133 - Cory Clark (I) dec. Zach Synon, 7-2 (1,1); 141 - Lavion Mayes (M) dec. Josh Dziewa, 13-6 (6,0); 149 - Drake Houdashelt (M) dec. Brandon Sorensen, 2-1 (0,0); 157 - Joey LaVellee (M) dec. Mike Kelly, 6-1 (2,0); 165 - Nick Moore (I) dec. Mike England, 3-2 (1,0); 174 - Mike Evans (I) dec. John Eblen, 4-1 (1,0); 184 - Willie Miklus (M) dec. Alex Meyer, 6-5 (2,1); 197 - J'Den Cox (M) dec. Nathan Burak, 4-3 (1,0); Hwt. - Bobby Telford (I) dec. Devin Mellon, 6-3 (2,0)

Takedowns - Missouri 12, Iowa 6; Reversals - Missouri 1, Iowa 1; Nearfall points - Missouri 0, Iowa 0; Escapes - Missouri 11, Iowa 16; Penalty points awarded - Missouri 2, Iowa 6; Riding time points - Missouri 5, Iowa 4; Total match points - Missouri 44, Iowa 40