Columbia, Mo. – The 17th ranked Missouri wrestling team (1-2) will make its fifth consecutive trip to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to compete in the two-day National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals.  Held in the UNI-Dome on the campus of Northern Iowa, Missouri will open the team tournament competition with a 9 a.m. (CT) dual against No. 6 Minnesota (3-2), Saturday, Jan. 9.  This marks the first meeting between the two programs since they last battled for National Dual supremacy in 2007.
 
Tickets for the National Duals can be purchased at the UNI-Dome box office or by calling 877-216-DOME.  All-session passes are $40 ($32 for seniors and students), while individual session tickets are $25 ($20 for seniors and students).  Fans unable to attend the two-day competition can watch the action live online at www.livesportsvideo.com.  The online broadcast is free.
 
One of three Big 12 schools participating in the National Duals, Missouri enters the competition unseeded.  Should Missouri top fifth-seeded Minnesota, the Tigers will take on the winner of the Northwestern vs. Central Michigan matchup at 1 p.m. (CT).  The consolation match will also begin at 1 p.m. (CT) with the loser of the Missouri/Minnesota dual facing the loser of the Northwestern/Central Michigan dual.
 
Nine members of Missouri’s 10-man lineup enter the week ranked among the top-25 of their respective weight class, with four, senior Nicholas Marable (165), sophomore Dorian Henderson (174), senior Maxwell Askren (184) and senior heavyweight Mark Ellis ranked among the top-10.
 
Minnesota brings eight grapplers ranked among the nation’s elite.  Two, 133-punder Jayson Ness and 165-pounder Dustin Schlatter, rank as high as second in the country.  Ness a three-time All-American took third at the 2009 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo., second in 2008 at 125 pounds and fifth in 2007, also at 125 pounds.  Teammate and sixth-ranked 125-pounder Zach Sanders closed out the 2009 NCAA Championships by earning All-America accolades for his sixth-place showing. 
 
The Golden Gophers of Minnesota own a 7-2 advantage in the all-time series with the Tigers.  Missouri’s only wins came during the 1977-78 season (30-8 in Lincoln, Neb.) and again in the 1991-92 campaign, 21-19, in Columbia, Mo.  Minnesota and Missouri have met only once with Tiger Head Coach Brian Smith at the helm.  Missouri suffered a 20-16 loss in the championship matchup of the 2007 National Duals.