Wrestling sends seven to NCAA championship

Having the championship in Missouri could be advantageous.

By Nick Forrester

Published March 18, 2008

All of the hard work, sweat, blood and tears that the Missouri wrestling team has put into this season comes down to this weekend’s NCAA championship at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

Missouri will be sending seven wrestlers, hoping it will be enough to win a team national championship.

“I’m bringing seven people to the war, and they better show up,” coach Brian Smith said. “We have seven kids that have performed well throughout the entire year. Everybody has a chance to win it now. Upsets are going to happen, and people are going to step up. Whichever team steps up the most, as a whole, is the team that’s going to win this tournament.”

Senior 133-pounder Tyler McCormick will be making his third and final appearance at the NCAA championship. In the 2005-2006 season McCormick placed seventh and last year placed sixth.

“This whole season has been surreal,” McCormick said. “I’ve been taking it all in, but I just stay relaxed, keep things in check and have fun. It’s not time for reflections now, I’ll reflect in about two weeks about how great my wrestling career at Mizzou has been.”

At the Big 12 Championship, McCormick upset nationally ranked, No. 1 wrestler Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State in the semi-finals on the way to a second-place finish.

Contrary to McCormick, this will be the first NCAA tournament appearance for 165-pound sophomore Nick Marable.

Marable is ranked No. 2 nationally and won the Big 12 tournament.

Marable is 22-3 on the season and has not given up a takedown in 11 consecutive matches.

“I went to the NCAA tournament last year and watched,” Marable said. “And then this year, I’m a Big 12 champ and wrestling in it. Going last year motivated me a lot this year because last year, I was amazed at everything going on and knew that I wanted to get on that stage. I don’t ever get that nervous, so hopefully I won’t get nervous when this tournament rolls around. I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing and just keep fighting.”

One-hundred-fifty-seven-pound junior Michael Chandler will be returning to his hometown of St. Louis for his third NCAA tournament appearance. At the previous two tournaments, Chandler was unable to place.

“It’s going to feel really good to look up and see a sea of black and gold at the Scottrade Center,” Chandler said. “I think I’m going to perform well, and because it’s in St. Louis, it’s going to be easier to perform well.”

McCormick also said MU will have an inherent advantage in the championship played in the state.

“The crowd can definitely help you,” he said. “You can feel the crowd when you’re wrestling, it just gives you that extra boost of adrenaline. It definitely pumps you up. There should be a lot more Missouri fans than any other fans there, which should help us.”