Missouri Wrestling Coach and Athlete Earn Honors
5/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
May 14, 2007
Columbia, Mo. -W.I.N. Magazine announced today that Missouri wrestling Head Coach Brian Smith was named the Dan Gable Coach of the Year, while recent graduate Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) was tabbed the Schalles Award Winner as the most dominant pinner in the country.
Taking his Tigers to a third place finish at the 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Auburn Hills, Mich., Smith has helped guide seven Missouri wrestlers to 14 All-America honors since beginning his career at Missouri in 1998. This season, Askren, Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) and Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) all finished among the top eight of their respective weight class, with Askren earning his second national title at 174 pounds. In addition, three grapplers, Askren, Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) and Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) earned Big 12 titles in their respective weight class helping Missouri tie its previous high team finish in Big 12 history, second. Missouri's third place finish at nationals was the program's highest in the 62 years history of the Tiger wrestling program.
Askren, who set a new Missouri season falls record at 29 this season, also set the new Missouri career falls record at 91. Dominating his opponents throughout his senior campaign, Askren pinned 23 of his 42 opponents within the first period of competition. Along the way, Askren was named tournament champion at four tournaments, Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and Southern Scuffle and Gorarrian Award recipient at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Askren is a two-time Dan Hodge Award winner, four-time All-American and three-time Big 12 Champion.
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