Julia Robinson photo

Max Askren, left, enters the NCAA Championships in a better frame of mind than last year, when he lost his first two matches.

Max Askren learned a valuable lesson at the NCAA Wrestling Championships last year: Don’t get nervous.

"I proved myself the whole time last year," Askren said, "and for some reason you think the measuring stick comes at the end, and it doesn’t."

Missouri’s 197-pounder entered the tournament as a No. 1 seed and exited as the only top seed not to win a match in the tournament’s history.

When this year’s tournament starts tomorrow at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Askren (17-1) will be a No. 5 seed, no longer trying to live up to the expectations of a top seed or trying to equal the accomplishments of his brother, two-time national champion Ben Askren.

But Max Askren doesn’t necessarily want to forget what happened in Auburn Hills, Mich. He said he’s grown from the experience. Now, as he and six other Missouri wrestlers begin their quest for All-American honors and national championships, he feels he’s more prepared for a deep tournament run.

"I wouldn’t say I’m trying to forget about last year anytime soon," he said. "I think in times like that, big wins or big losses, they get you to change. It’s kind of a tipping point for something else that’s going to happen."

Missouri is in a similar position as a team. The Tigers, ranked 12th in the final Intermat/NWCA poll after a 9-4-1 regular season, aren’t expected to contend for a team title. But Missouri Coach Brian Smith thinks the seven qualifiers can score enough points for a top-10, or even top-five, finish.

Missouri National Qualifiers
WRESTLING TOMMOROW NCAA Championships First round 10 a.m. Scottrade Center in St. Louis TICKETS  Full-session, half-session and single-session tickets are available by calling (866) 646-8849
	Tyler McCormick Year: Senior Weight: 133 Record: 5-8 Seed: None NCAA history 7th in 2006 6th in 2007
Josh Wagner Year: Senior Weight: 149 Record: 16-8 Seed: None NCAA history Did not place in 2007	Michael Chandler Year: Junior Weight: 157 Record: 15-3 Seed: 10 NCAA history Did not place  in 2006 or 2007
Nick Marable Year: Soph. Weight: 165 Record: 17-2 Seed: 3 NCAA history First appearance	Raymond Jordan Year: Junior Weight: 184 Record: 17-3 Seed: 6 NCAA history Did not place in 2006 or 2007
Max Askren Year: Soph. Weight: 197 Record: 17-1 Seed: 5 NCAA history Did not place in 2007	Mark Ellis Year: Soph. Weight: 285 Record: 13-7 Seed: 12 NCAA history Did not place in 2007

"I’m bringing seven to the war, and they better show up," Smith said. "And they’re going to. If you have seven people out there and doing well, great things are going to happen."

If the Tigers wrestle up to their seeds, they’ll have three All-Americans for the second straight year, which would be the first time ever for the program.

Nick Marable (17-2) is seeded highest for Missouri, at No. 3 in the 165-pound weight class, and will wrestle Purdue’s Luke Manuel (25-7) in the first round. Askren will wrestle Indiana’s Joe Fagiano (22-14), whom he beat 12-1 in January, in the first round with a potential rematch with Hofstra’s Joe Rovelli (26-5) in the second round. Rovelli, seeded 12th, beat Askren 4-2 in the second dual of the year.

Raymond Jordan, who had a disappointing fourth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships on March 8, is the No. 6 seed at 184 pounds. Making his third appearance in the national tournament, Jordan (17-3) said he’s put his Big 12 performance behind him as he prepares to face Brown’s Matthew Gevelinger (15-8) in the first round.

"I didn’t wrestle very well there," Jordan said. "But I got through to the national tournament, and that’s all that matters."

Michael Chandler (15-3) is seeded 10th at 157 pounds, and Mark Ellis (13-7) is the 12th-seeded heavyweight. Like Askren, Chandler faces a potentially tough second-round matchup. If Chandler beats Lehigh’s David Nakasone (23-12), he could see Iowa State’s No. 7 seed Cyler Sanderson.

Sanderson beat Chandler 6-5 in the Big 12 finals, but Chandler won the first match between the two 11-5 in a dual Feb. 17 in Ames, Iowa.

Tyler McCormick (5-8) and Josh Wagner (16-8) are Missouri’s only unseeded wrestlers. Wagner will wrestle Matthew Fittery (24-9) of Lock Haven in a preliminary match and, if he wins, would see Northwestern’s Ryan Lang (17-5) in the first round. Lang lost in the 141-pound final last year and is a No. 11 seed at 149 pounds, considered to be the most competitive weight in the tournament.

McCormick will wrestle in his last NCAA meet coming off his third straight runner-up finish at the Big 12 Championships. He’ll wrestle Cal State-Fullerton’s Tyler Dillashaw (18-8) in the first round.

"I’m not finished. It’s not time for reflection now," McCormick said. "I’ll reflect in about two weeks about how great my wrestling career was at Missouri."

Smith knows his team isn’t being picked by anybody to win the national championship, and not many think a top-five finish is likely either. But in a season that has seen four teams claim the top spot in the team rankings, almost anything can happen.

And he’s been to enough NCAA Championships to know that none of them ever go according to seed.

"With this team, we have seven guys who have performed great at times this year and at other times not," Smith said. "Upsets are going to happen. Everybody has to step up as a team, as a group, as a whole. The team that steps up the most is going to win this tournament."

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