Missouri’s wrestling team, ranked No. 20 nationally, will travel to Morgantown, West Virginia, for a conference dual against the Mountaineers on Friday at Hope Coliseum. The match is set to begin at 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
In their previous outing on January 31, Missouri secured a decisive 33-9 victory over Little Rock by winning seven out of ten matches. Key performances included redshirt freshman Mack Mauger and sophomore Gage Walker scoring bonus points in the opening bouts at 125 and 133 pounds. Redshirt senior Teague Travis and redshirt junior Cam Steed both delivered technical falls in their respective weight classes, while redshirt freshman Logan Cole earned a shutout win at 197 pounds. Redshirt freshman Aeoden Sinclair notched his seventh fall of the season at 184 pounds, and redshirt sophomore Jarrett Stoner contributed an 8-2 decision at heavyweight.
With this win, Missouri achieved its 22nd season with double-digit victories under head coach Brian Smith. The Tigers’ current record stands at 10-7 with three duals remaining, ensuring they will finish the season with at least a .500 record. Coach Smith has had only three losing seasons during his tenure of nearly three decades.
Redshirt freshman Aeoden Sinclair leads the team with 23 wins and tops several statistical categories including bonus-point wins (17), pins (seven), and takedowns (89). He is followed by redshirt senior Evan Bates, who has accumulated 20 wins this season.
The first NCAA Individual Coaches’ Poll recently listed all ten Missouri starters among the top 33 in their weight classes—a distinction shared by only five other programs nationwide. Three Tigers are ranked in the top ten: Sinclair is third at 184 pounds; Steed and Bates are ninth in their respective divisions.
Head coach Brian Smith reached his milestone 350th career dual win with a shutout against Northern Colorado on January 25. With a total of 351 victories, he ranks second among active NCAA Division I coaches—behind North Carolina’s Rob Knoll—and leads all Big 12 coaches in career wins.
Sinclair continues to excel as a redshirt freshman at the national level. His recent pin against Little Rock’s Kodiak Cannedy marked his tenth technical fall or pin in his last eleven matches. According to TrackWrestling data, Sinclair’s tally of takedowns is currently unmatched among NCAA wrestlers this season.
Evan Bates has also shown improvement since transferring from Northwestern University. Ranked ninth nationally at 197 pounds, Bates has increased his average takedowns per match compared to last year.
Sophomore Gage Walker returned to Missouri’s starting lineup after competing unattached earlier this season; he holds a national ranking of No. 24 at 133 pounds.
Cam Steed rejoined competition after recovering from injury and remains ranked ninth nationally among wrestlers in his class.
Missouri previously defeated West Virginia last year by a score of 22-16 during their matchup inside Mizzou Arena, earning key victories across multiple weight classes including bonus points from Kade Moore and J Conway as well as six points due to an injury default by West Virginia’s heavyweight competitor.
Historically, Missouri holds an undefeated record (5-0) against West Virginia since first meeting during the Brian Smith era beginning in the early 2000s—all five contests have occurred under Smith’s leadership.
Among active Missouri wrestlers with more than fifty career wins are Josh Edmond (77), Max Mayfield (75), Evan Bates (72), and Luqman Masud (67).