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Captain
OUTLOOK: Team captain for the first time, senior Kenny Burleson (pronounced BUR-le-son) leads the lineup in the 157-pound weight class. Ranked ninth in the Wrestling Mall preseason poll, Burleson is one of five returning NCAA qualifiers and is hopeful he can make his way up the podium at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis.
"Kenny is one of the hardest workers on the team," head coach Brian Smith said. "He leads the team in wins and I expect him to achieve all of his goals at the NCAA Championships."
2002-03: Burleson made his first NCAA appearance at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo., but fell to Matt Gentry (Stanford), 11-4, in his fourth dual of the championships. Runner-up in the 157-pound weight class at the Big 12 Championships, Burleson lost to two-time All-American Shane Roller (Oklahoma State), 8-5 in the championship match. 4-2 in the conference, he won 18 straight matches before suffering his first loss at the Big 12 Championships on March 8. Burleson ended the season 33-7 and 17-1 in duals. Tied for fourth in the country in total wins (157-pounds), Burleson led the conference in total wins (31), picking up his 75th career victory with a 7-5 decision over Rocky Smart (Arizona State), on Jan. 18, at the Lone Star Duals. Burleson finished second at the Missouri Open, fourth at the Las Vegas Invitational and first at the Central Missouri State Open. As a junior, Burleson was the only Tiger wrestler named to the first team Academic All-Big 12, with a grade-point average of 3.47. Over the summer, Burleson competed at the Show-Me State Games, finishing first in the 174-178-pound open division.
2001-02: Moving from the 149-pound weight class to 157-pounds, Burleson led the team with 28 wins on the season, finishing with a 28-11 record (13-3 in duals). Burleson took second place at the Missouri Open, the Reno Tournament of Champions, the University of Northern Iowa Open and fourth place at the Central Missouri State Open. Burleson was just short of taking the championship at the Northern Illinois Open, losing to Alex Tripelle, 3-2. Competing mid-season at the Virginia Duals, Burleson went a perfect 3-0. In the regular-season finale, Burleson defeated Doug Cieleski (Oklahoma), in Norman, Okla., 8-5, later defeating him for a second time in the opening round of the Big 12 Championships. Burleson advanced, but fell to No. 1 seed Bryan Snyder of Nebraska, and later Cieleski, finishing the conference championships in fourth place. With a grade-point average of 3.55, Burleson was named first-team Academic All-Big 12 and was selected for the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Academic All-American Honorable Mention Team.
2000-01: Burleson took over the starting spot at the 149-pound weight class midway through the season and compiled a 23-10 record. Picking up three wins at the Virginia Duals, he pinned Indiana's James Wade in the 157-pound match. Burleson defeated Billy Maldanado of Iowa State, 7-1, and took second place at the Mat Town Invitational, later finishing third at the Central Missouri State Open. Burleson earned his first Academic All-Big 12 honor in 2001, the only MU wrestler selected for the first-team.
1999-2000: Burleson saw action as a freshman, posting a 16-12 record. Over the course of the season, Burleson finished fourth at both the Lindenwood Open and Missouri Valley Open.
HIGH SCHOOL: Directed by head coaches Dave Elliot and Keith Espinosa, Burleson was a two-time Missouri State Champion (1998, 1999), four-time medalist (1996-99) and a two-time District Wrestler of the Year at Neosho High School (1998-99). The 1999 Joplin Globe, "Wrestler of the Year," Burleson holds three state records for fastest pin on the mat. He was also a state medalist in golf (1999) and a state qualifier in cross country.
PERSONAL: A business major, Kenny is the son of Randy and Teresa Burleson. Born Oct. 10, 1980, Burleson has one brother Clay (20) and plans to attend law school after completing his senior year at Mizzou.
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2009 NCAA Brackets
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 Bradley Wins at FILA Junior Team Trials05/27/2009 - Wrestling Mizzou freshman Dom Bradley scored a victory in the 120KG (264.5 pounds) weight class of the FILA Junior World Team Trails this weekend, as he defeated Zach Rey (Lehigh) to earn a spot on the United States Junior Freestyle National Team. |
Bradley Takes FILA Junior Title04/13/2009 - Wrestling Missouri heavyweight Dominique Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo.) took first place at the FILA Junior 120 kg/264.5 pounds Freestyle Championships, while teammates Nick Hucke (Pewaukee, Wis.) finished second at 63 kg/138.75 and Patrick Wright (Grand Ledge, Mich.) took sixth at 74 kg/163 pounds. |
 Mark Ellis Crowned NCAA Champion03/21/2009 - Wrestling Missouri crowned its second-ever wrestling national champion upon the completion of junior heavyweight Mark Ellis' 3-2 overtime victory over fifth-ranked Konrad Dudziak of Duke. |
 Jordan Takes Third, One of Five Missouri All-Americans03/21/2009 - Wrestling Missouri wrestlers Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.), Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.), Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) and Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) finished the 2008-09 season as All-Americans closing out the third day of the NCAA Wrestling Championships with top-eight finishes at 174, 157, 197 and 165 pounds, respectively. |
 Tigers Make History: Five All Americans03/20/2009 - Wrestling The Missouri wrestling team wrapped up the second night of NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in historic fashion, crowning a program-high five All-Americans and sending junior Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) to the Championship finals of the heavyweight bout. |
