Mizzou takes down Arizona State to open up dual season

Coming into their first dual meet of the season, #3 Mizzou was looking for revenge after a narrow 19-17 defeat last season in Tempe at the hands of the Arizona State Sun Devils. Brian Smith and Co. got what they were looking for and a little bit more as TigerStyle steamrolled #21 Arizona State 39-6, winning all but two of their matches.

All of the wins by Mizzou wrestlers on Sunday were either by fall, tech fall, or a major decision. While several of Arizona State’s top wrestlers were out due to injury or other factors, the matchup still included several top-25 showdowns.

(All rankings via FloWrestling)

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Mizzou: 6 - Arizona State: 0

125lbs: #16 Noah Surtin (MIZ) vs. NR Damian Moreno (ASU)

Second-ranked Richard Figueroa did not compete on Sunday for Arizona State. In his place was Damian Moreno, who was outmatched from the beginning.

Surtin scored a takedown a mere five seconds into the match, and maintained control for the rest of the way, working his way into a four-point nearfall after roughly a minute of action to take a 7-0 lead.

Moreno briefly escaped for his first and only point of the match before Surtin quickly regained the upper hand, pinning his opponent in only 1:38 to end the match before the end of the first period and give the Tigers six points.

Mizzou: 6 - Arizona State: 3

133lbs: HM Zeke Seltzer (MIZ) vs. #11 Julian Chlebove (ASU)

Seltzer started strong in the first period, getting a takedown just over 30 seconds into the first period before a Chlebove escape made the score 3-1. The lead would not survive until the end of the period as Chlebove grabbed hold of Seltzer’s leg and seized the opportunity with a takedown, 4-3.

Seltzer sought an escape to even up the score in the final minute of the first period but Chlebove shut down several moves as he rode out the end of the first. Seltzer started on top in the second period, quickly letting Chlebove go to hunt for a takedown, 5-3. However, not much action took place for the remainder of the period, and Seltzer entered the final period down two.

Starting on bottom, Seltzer was unable to escape until there were about 30 seconds left on the clock, 5-4. Needing a takedown for the win, he was just barely fended off by Chlebove, who earned a 6-4 decision with the extra point for riding time.

Mizzou: 10 - Arizona State: 3

141lbs: #16 Josh Edmond (MIZ) vs. NR Carter Dibert (ASU)

After a scoreless first period, Edmond escaped from bottom and scored a reversal (he almost had a takedown but couldn’t quite convert) in the first 15 seconds of the second period, 2-0. Dibert escaped to cut the lead to one before Edmond was awarded a point with roughly five seconds left in the period for stalling on the Sun Devil, 3-1.

The third period brought lots of action and scoring to a match that had lacked both so far. Dibert quickly escaped from bottom before Edmond got around on him for a takedown, 6-2, followed by another escape. With roughly 50 seconds remaining, Edmond executed a powerful takedown for a 9-3 lead.

Looking for a fall, Edmond was not able to convert but scored a four-point nearfall for a 13-3 lead, adding on the extra point for riding time at the end of the match for a 14-3 major decision.

Mizzou: 10 - Arizona State: 6

149lbs: NR Logan Gioffre (MIZ) vs. #3 Kyle Parco (ASU)

Unfortunately, the FloWrestling replay of this match cut out most of the action, but Gioffre was defeated by decision 8-2. This certainly isn’t a bad result for the redshirt junior in his first year as a full-time starter while facing a three-time All-American.

Mizzou: 15 - Arizona State: 6

157lbs: #7 Brock Mauller (MIZ) vs. NR Marco Kilic (ASU)

Fourth-ranked Jacori Teemer was not available for Arizona State, and was replaced by Marco Kilic. Kilic was the early aggressor, scoring a takedown of Mauller to open up the scoring, 3-0. However, Mauller retook the lead after getting hold of Kilic’s leg with a little over 30 seconds left, converting the takedown to take a 4-3 lead. Working on top of Kilic, he maneuvered his way into a four-point nearfall to head into the second period with an 8-3 lead.

Starting from bottom, Mauller escaped within the first five seconds, extending his lead to six. He scored another takedown by first grabbing Kilic’s leg, 12-3, before riding out the rest of the period.

Starting from neutral in period three, Mauller opened up the scoring by getting around on Kilic for another takedown followed by an escape, 15-4. Mauller converted two additional takedowns for the 21-5 tech fall with 37 seconds left.

Mizzou: 19 - Arizona State: 6

165lbs: #1 Keegan O’Toole (MIZ) vs. HM Chance McLane (ASU)

O’Toole struck first by lifting McLane up and slamming him down for a takedown before grabbing McLane’s ankle and working his way into another takedown later on in the period, 6-2.

Starting on bottom, O’Toole escaped after about 30 seconds into the period, 7-2. Later on, O’Toole looked to be in a dangerous position before turning it around on McLane and converting another takedown, 10-2, before riding out the rest of the period.

McLane escaped after about 15 seconds in the third period, 10-3, before another O’Toole takedown that started with an ankle hold, 13-4. The national champion’s next takedown was one of finesse, as he ducked under McLane and got around on him, 16-5. O’Toole scored one final takedown starting by getting hold of McLane’s leg, finishing with a 20-6 major decision with the extra point for riding time.

Mizzou: 24 - Arizona State: 6

174lbs: #8 Peyton Mocco (MIZ) vs. Max Wilner (ASU)

Mocco controlled this match from the very start, executing a takedown in the first thirty seconds before a Wilner escape, 3-1, and adding on another takedown roughly a minute into the action, 6-2. Mocco added on two additional takedowns in the first period alone alongside a two-point nearfall to head into the second period up 14-3.

Wilner escaped from bottom in the first ten seconds of the period, 14-4, before another takedown and escape made the score 17-5. Mocco earned a 20-5 tech fall with one final takedown, ending the match with 33 seconds to go in the second period.

Mizzou: 28 - Arizona State: 6

184lbs: #11 Clayton Whiting (MIZ) vs. #19 Tony Negron (ASU)

Whiting struck first with a takedown roughly 30 seconds before the end of the first period, 3-0. Starting on bottom in the second period, he escaped roughly 10 seconds into the action before adding another takedown to end the period with a 7-0 lead.

Starting on top in the third period, he let Negron go after passing one minute of riding time. Whiting added to his lead with a takedown and two-point nearfall in rapid succession, 12-1. Negron escaped with roughly 20 seconds left, but that just allowed Whiting to add on another takedown, giving him a 15-3 major decision.

Mizzou: 33 - Arizona State: 6

197lbs: NR Colton Hawks (MIZ) vs. NR Kai Argyros (ASU)

Wrestling up a class (Rocky Elam is still recovering from his injury), Hawks didn’t show it as he slowly set himself up for a takedown before riding out the rest of the period to take a 3-0 lead and nearly two minutes of riding time into the second period.

Starting on bottom, he escaped within the first 10 seconds to take a 4-0 lead before adding on three takedowns in the second period alone, leading 13-2 heading into the final two minutes of action.

Hawks executed yet another takedown before letting Argyros go, 16-4, to search for one final takedown to end the match with a tech fall. Getting hold of Argyros’ leg, Hawks converted for a takedown to earn the 19-4 tech fall with 23 seconds remaining in the period.

Mizzou: 39 - Arizona State: 6

285lbs: #5 Zach Elam (MIZ) vs. NR Damion Schunke (ASU)

With #4 Cohlton Schultz out for the Sun Devils, Damion Schunke took the spot at 285 to face off against Elam. Elam quickly established dominance, scoring a takedown in the first five seconds of the match before adding a four-point nearfall, 7-0.

Elam pinned Schunke 1:28 into the first period as the Tigers bookended the dual with falls, a masterful performance from the redshirt senior as he begins his final season.

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You couldn’t ask for a much better performance from the Tigers to begin their dual meet schedule. Mizzou will take on another top-25 opponent in #20 Oklahoma on December 1 at the Hearnes Center.