Missouri heads into Sunday's final day of the MAC championships with a big lead.
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The 2015 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships began Saturday afternoon at the Hearnes Center, and the Missouri grapplers claimed 18 total victories in an impressive first day showing. In all, eight of Mizzou's grapplers advanced to Sunday's championship matches.
Redshirt senior Alan Waters picked up a pair of technical fall victories to lead the charge for Tiger Style. Between his quarterfinals and semifinals contests, Waters outscored his opponents 34-1. Waters meets Northern Iowa's Dylan Peters Sunday afternoon for the 125-pound MAC crown.
Redshirt freshman Willie Miklus also turned in an impressive first day, as he recorded a pin in his quarterfinals matchup and major decision in his semifinals contest. Miklus faces Old Dominion's Jack Dechow in Sunday's title matchup.
Rounding out Mizzou's championship match qualifiers are redshirt sophomore Zach Synon, redshirt senior Drake Houdashelt, sophomore Joey Lavallee, redshirt senior Johnny Eblen, sophomore J'den Cox and redshirt senior Devin Mellon.
Based on the NCAA qualifier allocations for the MAC, Waters, Houdashelt, Lavallee, Eblen, Miklus, Cox and Mellon have all secured spots to the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis.
Day One Team Standings
1st: Missouri -- 122.0
2nd: Old Dominion -- 76.5
3rd: Northern Iowa -- 63.0
4th: Ohio -- 55.0
5th: Central Michigan -- 54.5
6th: Kent State -- 48.5
7th: Eastern Michigan -- 24.5
8th: Northern Illinois -- 23.5
