Missouri’s wrestling team, ranked No. 17 nationally, advanced to the second day of the National Duals Invitational in Tulsa after finishing the first day with two wins and one loss. The Tigers participated in three dual matches, recording an overall individual match record of 16-14 and securing six bonus point victories.
The tournament began with Missouri facing top-seeded Iowa. Despite a strong effort, Mizzou lost to the Hawkeyes. The Tigers then rebounded with a decisive win over No. 22 Little Rock, evening their all-time series against Little Rock at 1-1. In their final match of the day, Missouri defeated Michigan 26-10, which secured them a spot among the top eight teams and guaranteed participation on the second day of competition.
Reflecting on historical performance, Mizzou is now 2-5 all-time against Iowa since their first meeting in the 1967-68 season. During Brian Smith’s tenure as head coach, Missouri holds a 2-3 record against Iowa at National Duals events. Notably, Mizzou has maintained a streak of scoring in every dual meet since February 13, 1999.
In their matchup with Little Rock, several Missouri wrestlers earned ranked wins: Edmond defeated No. 16 Brock Herman at 149 pounds; Mendoza and Sinclair also picked up victories over ranked opponents at 157 and 184 pounds respectively. Freshman Mendoza achieved his first career win for Missouri during this dual.
Against Michigan, Missouri improved its record in the series to 2-3 by winning for the second consecutive time; their previous victory was in the 2011-12 season. With this win, Missouri is assured at least $50,000 in prize money for its weekend performance. Mauger recorded two falls at 125 pounds—his fourth and fifth career pins—and Mendoza secured his second career victory at 157 pounds against another ranked opponent.
Looking ahead, Missouri will compete again on Sunday against Minnesota for a chance to finish fifth overall and earn an additional $50,000 prize. The match is scheduled for November 16 at 10 a.m., with live streaming available on FloWrestling.
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