Askren, ranked No. 1 in the nation at 174 pounds, closed out 2006 with individual titles at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 1-2) and Southern Scuffle (Dec. 29-30). For his work on the mat, Askren also received recognition as the Most Outstanding Wrestler at both tournaments and was named the Gorrarian Award (most pins) recipient in Las Vegas. The Most Outstanding Wrestler honor was Askren's third at each tournament.
Among the co-captain's 23 wins on the season, 21 have been notched by fall with 19 recorded in the first three minutes of action. To date, Askren owns 134 career wins, setting a new Missouri record Dec. 30 in Greensboro, N.C. at the Southern Scuffle. The previous mark, 131, was set between 1978-82 by former Tiger All-American Wes Roper.
During the month of December, Askren squared off with several of the nation's top wrestlers including two bouts against second-ranked Keith Gavin of Pittsburgh. In both matches, Askren pinned Gavin, the fastest recorded during the semifinals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Dec. 2 in a time of 2:16.
The owner of the nation's longest active win streak, 68, Askren has tallied 80 wins by fall in his career at Missouri and has recorded 16 straight dating back to his Nov. 19 match against Jeff James of Oklahoma. Askren pinned James 3:21 at the Missouri Open.
A member of the No. 1 ranked Missouri wrestling team, Askren and the Tigers will travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa for the National Duals, Saturday, Jan. 13 through Sunday, Jan. 14.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now