Muleskinner

Issue date: 11/17/05 Section: Sports

Stephanie Flippin - Muleskinner - Mules´ freshman wrestler Cory Bloodgood keeps an opponent from getting back up during the CMSU Open Sunday. Bloodgood went 2-2 in the Open. Three Mules placed in the competition.

Stephanie Flippin - Muleskinner - During the CMSU Open, Mules´ wrestler Seth Robison keeps his opponent from getting an edge. The Mules prepare for the Missouri Open.

The Mules wrestling team is preparing for a tough tournament this Sunday as they travel to Columbia, Mo., for the Missouri Open.

The competition level is expected to be high and head wrestling Coach Robin Ersland knows his team is in for a long battle.

"It's a tough tournament," Ersland said. "The open portion of the tournament is predominately Division I schools."

The Missouri Open will feature three sections of tournaments; freshman, sophomore and open.

"We didn't do very well there last year," Ersland said. "We are definitely hoping to improve on what we did last year."

Sunday, the Mules hosted and competed in the Central Missouri State University Open, held in the Multipurpose Building.

Ersland was pleased with the team's performance.

"It was a tough tournament, and we knew it was going to be," Ersland said. "I thought we did pretty well.

"It gave us a chance to let everybody on the team wrestle, and I think almost everybody had a win."

Three Mules wrestlers placed in the tournament and were led by Dan Moore, who finished fourth in the event in the 285 heavyweight division with a 4-2 record.

He began by winning his first three matches. The first was by fall over Richard Isom of McKendree. The second was a 5-2 decision against Loyde Braidlow of Truman and the third was by fall against University of Missouri wrestler Sean Connole.

Moore lost the fourth in a 3-1 decision to Central Oklahoma wrestler Josh Leading Fox and then beat Connole again in his fifth match. Alex Beccera of Lindenwood won Moore's last match in a 5-3 decision.

"Danny had a great tournament," Ersland said. "He had lost to the kid from Missouri before, so for him to go out and beat him was huge for him. It was a big turnaround for him and he wrestled great."

Also placing in the tournament for the Mules were Jeremy Cuno and Jeremy Hudson.

Cuno, a freshman wrestler, placed 6th in the 165 weight class and Hudson, a sophomore, also placed 6th in the 184 weight class. Both Cuno and Hudson finished the tournament with a 4-3 record.

Overall, Ersland was pleased with his team on Sunday, but said the team has a lot it can do to get better and prepare for upcoming matches.

"We just need to wrestle more," Ersland said. "We need to be a little more serious in the weight room and get a little stronger. We've got a plan for how we do things, and I know we'll get to where we need to be."

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