Cox running through FIRE NCAAsCox running through FIRE NCAAs
Wrestling

Four from @MizzouWrestling Set to Compete at U.S. Olympic Team Trials

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Four Mizzou Wrestling representatives, past and present, are set to compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, April 9-10 in Iowa City, Iowa, for a coveted spot on Team USA in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. #TigerStyle wrestling alums Alan Waters, Dom Bradley, and Nick Marable will join current junior J'den Cox (Columbia Mo.) in competition for a spot on the Team USA men's freestyle wrestling team, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena this weekend.

Bradley's weight class, 125 kg/275 pounds, will wrestle on Saturday, while Waters (57 kg/125.5 pounds), Marable (74 kg/163 pounds), and Cox (86 kg/189 pounds) will wrestle on Sunday. Three of the four weight classes (57 kg, 74, kg, and 125 kg) have qualified for the Olympics. The winner of 86 kg weight class will wrestle in Ulaanbaatar on April 24 at the Olympic Games World Qualifying Tournament in attempt to qualify for the Olympics.

Competition is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. (CT) both days. NBC Sports will broadcast live coverage of the Trials, with a free view of the preliminary matches online on Saturday and Sunday at NBCSports.com/LiveExtra. NBC Sports Network will cover the finals live on Saturday at 6 p.m. (CT) and on tape-delay Sunday at 9:30 p.m. (CT). A live stream of the finals will also be available, but will require a NBC Sports cable package authorization. 

USAWrestling.com will release brackets for the event at 5 p.m. (CT) on Friday, April 8.

Below is a look at how each wrestler qualified for the Trials and a look at his respective upcoming weight class.

85946J'DEN COX | 86 kg/189 lbs.

Cox qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials after winning the 197 NCAA Championship on March 19, his second national title after winning the crown as a freshman in 2014. The Tiger junior will move down eight pounds from his normal competition weight for the event, dropping to 189 pounds. Thirteen wrestlers will compete in his weight class, including eight who have combined for 17 NCAA titles. Other wrestlers headlining the weight class include 2015 World Team member and two-time NCAA Champion Jake Herbert, four-time NCAA Champion Kyle Dake, three-time NCAA Champion Ed Ruth, and two-time NCAA Champion Gabe Dean.

85987ALAN WATERS | 57 kg/125.5 lbs.

Waters earned his spot in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials after winning the Dave Schultz Memorial International Championship at 57 kg. on January 29. During his Mizzou career, Waters was a three-time conference champion, two-time All-American, and ranks second all-time in program victories with 136. In order to earn a spot on the national team, Waters will have to knock off two-time World team member Tony Ramos, who is undefeated in domestic competition over the past two years. Among the 13 members in the weight class includes 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott and two NCAA National Champions from this year, Nico Megaludis and Nashon Garrett.      

74375DOM BRADLEY | 125 kg/275 lbs.

Bradley won the U.S. Open Championship in December in Las Vegas to secure his spot in the Trials. Bradley, a two-time All-American at Mizzou, finished third in the U.S. World Team Trails last season. Bradley has achieved much success at the international level, holding gold medals from the 2011 Sunkist Kids International Open, 2012 Dave Schultz Memorial Invitational, and 2014 Canada Cup. The top competitors in the weight class include 2015 World Team member Zach Rey, 2012 Olympian Tervel Dlagnev, and two-time NCAA Champion Nick Gwiazdowski.

74323NICK MARABLE | 74 kg/163 lbs.

Marable placed third at the U.S. Open Championship in December in Las Vegas to earn his spot in the Trials. Marable was a three-time conference champion and two-time All-American while at Mizzou, finishing in third place at 165 pounds in the 2008 NCAA Championships. Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs secured a place in the best two-of-three finals after winning the 2015 World Championships. Marable is the only wrestler in the weight class to hold a victory over Burroughs after winning on criteria at the 2014 Yasar Dogu International. Among the 13-member weight class is 2016 Dan Hodge Trophy winner and three-time NCAA National Champion Alex Dieringer and two-time NCAA Champion Chris Perry.

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