OUTLOOK: A leader in the practice room, Jeff Foust is a captain for Missouri this season and expects to return to the NCAA Championships as a senior.
"The coaching staff believes that Jeff has prepared himself very well for the upcoming season and developed into a team leader," Head Coach Brian Smith said. "With his experience, he should be able to reach his goal of becoming an All-American."
2004-05: Foust opened his 2004-05 campaign with seven straight wins, finishing first at the Central Missouri State Open (Nov. 14) and third at the Missouri Open (Nov. 21). Foust was 4-6 against ranked opponents and secured victories over then-No. 9 Tyrone Byrd (Illinois), No. 17 Joel Weimer (Ohio) and No. 18 Trevor Smith of Iowa State. He held off Smith for the second time during the season in the opening round of the Big 12 Championships March 5, but fell victim to Jake Rosholt of Oklahoma State (No. 2) and Joel Flaggert of Oklahoma (No.17) ending the day in 4th place.
2003-04: Wrestling at 197 pounds, Foust finished the season 24-12 with a 13-5 dual record. Ranked among the top-25 wrestlers in the nation for 12 weeks, Foust made his first NCAA Championship appearance on March 18, against fourth-seeded Ryan Bader (Arizona State) but lost the match 7-0. The Missouri native held a 2-2 record in the three-day tournament, eventually falling to J.D. Bergman (Ohio State) in the consolation bracket for his final elimination. Seeded third, Foust took his first Big 12 Championship title on March 6, with a win over Oklahoma State's Rusty Blackmon. Competing at the Southern Scuffle, Dec. 28-29, Foust finished the tournament in second place, losing his only match to No. 1 ranked 2003 All-American and NCAA Champion Damian Hahn of Minnesota in a heated 5-3 decision. A valuable asset to Missouri's upper weight classes, Foust was one of only three Missouri wrestlers to record a win in the championship round of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals, Jan. 18, in Cleveland, Ohio. Foust paired with Oklahoma State's Blackmon for the second of three meetings on the season and won the match with a 5-2 decision.
Foust brought home a bronze medal at 211.5 pounds after finishing 2-1 at the University Nationals in Evanston, Ill., 8. Wrestling in one of the smaller numbered weight classes, Foust knocked off Joe Williams twice in the same day, 8-7 and 4-3.
2002-03: Among Foust's most memorable victories of the season was a 7-4 win over National Champion Jake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) at MU's opening dual on Dec. 1. Foust opened with a third-place finish at the Central Missouri State Open on Nov. 18, defeating Kevin Greece (Central Missouri State) in a 6-3 decision. Named the 184-pound champion at the Missouri Valley Open on Feb. 1, Foust wrestled only once in the 197-pound weight class. Foust defeated Eddie Jones (Harvard), to win the match with a 7-6 decision. With three falls and three major decisions, Foust ended his season with a disappointing loss to James Olivia of Northern Illinois. Foust lost in a 2-4 decision that went into overtime.
2001-02: Foust compiled a record of 7-7 during the 2001-02 season. Two-for-two at the Central Missouri State Open, Foust took third in the freshman/sophomore division of the 184-pound class at the Missouri Open. Foust also picked up a third place finish at the Roger Denker Open.
HIGH SCHOOL: Under the guidance of Head Coach Kendall Kool, Foust was a state champion at 189-pounds as a senior in 2001 and led Blue Springs South High School to the 4A Missouri state wrestling title. An honorable mention on the High School All-American list published by Intermat, Foust also lettered in football and track.
PERSONAL: Jeff is the son of Jeff Sr. and Paula Foust and was born Jan. 16, 1983, in Kansas City, Mo. A nutrition and fitness major, Foust has one brother Thomas (18) and one sister Melissa (23).
