Brian Smith Head Coach | Curators of the University of Missouri
Brian Smith Head Coach | Curators of the University of Missouri
Missouri’s wrestling team, ranked No. 24 nationally, will face Utah Valley on Friday, Jan. 17 at the Hearnes Center in Columbia. The match is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be available for streaming on ESPN+.
The Tigers are coming off a recent home loss to No. 15 Stanford, where they fell 27-15. Missouri was awarded six points due to a forfeit by Stanford at the 125-pound weight class, giving freshman Gage Walker an automatic win. Redshirt junior Josh Edmond secured his ninth victory of the season at 141 pounds, while redshirt junior Colton Hawks recorded his second fall of the year during the 184-pound match despite being injured.
Missouri will compete without several key wrestlers due to injuries and retirement. Head coach Brian Smith announced that senior Rocky Elam will not wrestle this season because of multiple injuries, and Keegan O'Toole is expected to miss January but may return for postseason competition. Colton Hawks is also sidelined for now after sustaining an injury against Stanford. Senior Noah Surtin announced his medical retirement in December 2024. The absence of these four starters means Missouri’s lineup is missing athletes who have combined for 279 career wins and 152 bonus-point victories.
Currently, Missouri holds the No. 24 spot in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Poll and has six wrestlers ranked by InterMat and five by FloWrestling. Keegan O'Toole remains No. 1 at 174 pounds according to FloWrestling and ranks third on their pound-for-pound list.
Friday’s matchup marks only the third meeting between Missouri and Utah Valley; Missouri leads the series with two wins, including an 18-15 victory in their last encounter during the 2021-22 season.
Utah Valley recently hired former Missouri wrestler Joey Lavallee as assistant coach in July of last year. Lavallee was an All-American for Missouri in 2017 and finished his college career with a record of 114-29 over five seasons.
A family connection adds another storyline: Utah Valley’s Kase Mauger, competing at 133 pounds, is a cousin of Missouri freshman Mack Mauger.
The Tigers are currently on a homestand that includes matches against Cornell, Stanford, Utah Valley, Arizona State, and West Virginia throughout January.
Additionally, a group from Missouri will participate in the Cyclone Open hosted by Iowa State on Sunday, Jan. 19.
Looking ahead, Missouri continues its home stretch with a match against Arizona State on Jan. 22 at Hearnes Center.
Alerts Sign-up