Mat Points
• Central Missouri Mules Wrestling will have their first home dual this season after competing in 13 on the road or at a neutral site. The Mules will host 12th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Mat action gets started at 7 p.m.
• The Mules will look to end a five-dual losing streak when they take on Nebraska-Kearney. They will have a tough challenge with the Lopers as they enter the midweek match up at 17-1 overall.
• UCM's last dual was against then No. 19 Maryville. It was a tough loss on the road as UCM ultimately fell 38-9. Jesse Reser (165) and Ryan Morris (285) picked up wins for the Mules via a decision and pin, respectively.
• The Mules had their first home event this past weekend as they hosted the annual Roger Denker Open. Four grapplers were placewinners with Tyler Selemaea leading the way. He went 3-1 at 174 pounds to earn a second place finish on the day.
• The other three placewinners for the Mules at the Denker Open were Shea Conley (157, 4th), Zach Benner (184, 5th), and Dominique Hampton (197, 7th).
• UCM wraps up tournament competition for the regular season having competed in five overall. They had 26 overall placewinners and two champions.
• Following the dual against UNK, UCM will have four duals left in the regular season. The next two are on the road against league opponents before they return home. They will be at Lindenwood on Wednesday, Jan. 21. Following that dual, the Mules head to Fort Hays State on Friday, Feb. 2, to take on the Tigers.

Series History
Central Missouri vs. Nebraska-Kearney: 7-23-0
The Mules and Lopers are set to square off for the the 31st time overall. Last season, UCM fell to UNK, 38-3,on the road. Jesse Reser picked up the lone win for the Mules with 4-1 decision win. The mules last defeated the Lopers in the 2000-01 season, 23-17.

Scouting The Competition
#12 Nebraska-Kearney
• Nebraska-Kearney is 17-1 overall in dual competition and 1-0 against MIAA opponents. The Lopers enter the midweek dual against the Mules ranked No. 12 in the latest NWCA Division II Top-25 rankings. Their only dual loss this season is to top-ranked St. Cloud State.
• The Lopers entered the 2017-18 season as favorites to win the MIAA for a sixth straight year. They started the year ranked No. 20 in the NWCA preseason poll and have sat at No. 12 in the last two rankings.
• UNK has four grapplers currently ranked in the top-12 in their respective weight classes. The highest ranked wrestler is Keith Surber at No. 2 in the 149 pound weight class. Next up Kevin Barrett at sixth in the heavyweight division. Josh Portillo sits No. 9 in the 125 pound weight class and Bryce Shoemaker is 11th at 133 pounds.
• The Lopers are coming off a 30-9 road win over MIAA foe Fort Hays State. They scored wins in seven of the 10 weight classes to earn their first MIAA dual win of the season.
• Since falling to the top-ranked St. Cloud State Huskies, UNK has won nine straight duals with all coming in double-digit fashion, including back-to-back wins with 50-plus points scored.

UCM Probable Lineup
125: OPEN
133: Daide Agnew
141: Zachary Schridde or Dakota Thevel
149: Kaleb Warner
157: Shea Conley
165: Jesse Reser
174: Tyler Selemaea or Allan Person
184: Zach Benner or Braden Best
197: Dominique Hampton
285: Ryan Morris or Chase Miller

Up Next
• The Mules will be back on the road for their next two duals, which will be back-to-back. They will be at McKendree on Jan. 30 and at Lindenwood on Jan. 31. Mat action for both duals gets started at 7 p.m.