Missouri Tigers wrestling, ranked No. 18 nationally, finished the first day of the Soldier Salute tournament in Coralville, Iowa, in first place with 99 points. The event took place on January 3 and saw Missouri wrestlers achieve a combined record of 43-25, resulting in a .632 winning percentage. The team also recorded 26 bonus-point wins.
During the opening session, Missouri secured 32 points and led the standings. Fourteen out of 23 participating Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals without any eliminations in this session. The team’s record for session one was 20-9, with five falls registered.
In session two, ten Missouri wrestlers advanced to the semifinals scheduled for the following morning. An additional four athletes ensured top-eight finishes. Missouri maintained its lead over Wyoming by 4.5 points after this round. Wrestlers who did not advance to compete for top-eight honors remain eligible for competition in the Silver Bracket.
This season marks the first time Missouri has sent a full squad to participate in the Soldier Salute tournament; previously, only individual competitors had attended. Last year’s performance included a runner-up finish by Aeoden Sinclair.
Two athletes made their debut appearances for Missouri: redshirt senior Teague Travis, who transferred last month from Columbia and won all three matches to reach the semifinals, and freshman Sampson Stillwell at 285 pounds. Additionally, Gage Walker (133 pounds) and Seth Mendoza (149 pounds) competed unattached due to redshirting but both reached their respective semifinals.
Throughout day one, Missouri collected six major decisions, twelve technical falls, and eight falls among its bonus-point victories. Multiple bonus-point match winners included Jace Roller, Mendoza, Travis, David Gleason, Max Mayfield, Dominic Bambinelli, Sinclair, Logan Cole, Evan Bates and Jarrett Stoner.
The Tigers will return for session three on January 4 at Xtream Arena as they attempt to secure their first Soldier Salute team title. The event begins at 11 a.m. CT and will be streamed on B1G+.
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A detailed list of match results includes several wrestlers advancing to semifinals or securing placement matches across weight classes from 125 to 285 pounds.