2 Mules wrestlers achieve All-American status
Mar 16, 2010, 9:09 AM
OMAHA, Neb. -- The University of Central Missouri wrestling team sent two athletes to Omaha, Neb. for the NCAA Championships and both retured as All-Americans. Seniors Cory Bloodgood (141 pounds) and Matt Bailes (174) placed 5th and 7th respectively at the national tournament Saturday.
Bloodgood (35-21) becomes a two-time All-American in his third consecutive national qualifying year. He worked his way into the championship quarterfinal with a pair of decision victories over grapplers from Minnesota St.-Moorehead and Angelo State. Then he fell to Super 2 regional champ Mario Morgan in the seventh minute (6:15), and suffered a loss to eventual third place winner Andre Harrison of Fort Hays State. In the battle for fifth he forced overtime and won in the tiebreaker, 5-4.
Last year the Spring Hill, Kan., native took 8th place. He is the first Mule to place higher than 7th in any weight class since Plamen Paskalev won a national championship in 2006. Stas Khaitin, in the 2000-01 season, was the last 141-pounder to finish as high as fifth for the Mules.
Bloodgood (3.91 GPA) received academic accolades as well. On Friday he was awarded the NCAA’s Elite 88 award. The Elite 88 honors one athlete participating in each of the 88 NCAA National Championships who best represents the spirit of the phrase ‘student-athlete’, possessing a combination of the highest cumulative GPA and outstanding performance.
Bailes (24-17) began the season with stitches under his left eye, but didn’t let that keep him from slashing his way to the best finish of his four-year career.
He was sent to the consolation bracket early with a loss by major decision (12-1) in the first round. Bailes bounced back from there to win two straight bouts, first a 9-7 decision in sudden victory, then a fall in the second minute (1:43). With one win keeping him from the third place bout Anthony Petrella pinned Bailes in the fourth minute (3:43) sending him to battle for seventh place. Bailes Jumped out to an 8-0 lead over UCO’s Cody Rowell, who he defeated to take third in the regional. Rowell wouldn’t go quietly, as he fought back to make it 10-8, but it was too late as Bailes took the win and seventh place.
