Ben Askren

Ben Askren is a volunteer assistant wrestling coach and was an American amateur wrestler for the University of Missouri. Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, his family moved to Wisconsin, where he won two state championships. In college, he wrestled in the 174 lb. weight class. He lost the NCAA championship match to Chris Pendleton in both 2004 and 2005 before winning it in 2006 and 2007. He is known for his incredible pinning ability (he holds the single-season NCAA pin record); his massive afro, and his "funky", or unorthodox, wrestling style. For example, while being ridden in the 2005 championship match, he attempted to reach around and apply a headlock to Pendleton, a move that any wrestling coach would disavow. His tall, lanky body - in sharp contrast to the squat, muscular physiques of most top wrestlers - allows him to attempt moves that most wrestlers could not. This characteristic led to some embarrassing moments earlier in his freestyle career. His younger brother Max also wrestles for Missouri.

Ben had a dominant Junior season in 2005-2006, winning all 45 of the matches he wrestled, pinning in 25 of those matches. He won the 174 pound weight class easily at both the Big 12 and NCAA Championships. He won his Big 12 finals match 17-6 over Jacob Klein of Nebraska and his NCAA finals match 14-2 over another wrestler who was undefeated going into the NCAA finals Jake Herbert of Northwestern. His outstanding season earned him the Outstanding Wrestler award at the NCAA Championships as well as the Dan Hodge Trophy and the Rev Wrestler of the Year.

He continued that dominance going into his Senior year in 2006-2007, going undefeated again with a record of 42-0. He won his second consecutive NCAA Championship at 174 pounds by defeating second-ranked Keith Gavin of Pittsburgh, 8-2. Ben finished his collegiate career with an 87 match winning streak. He also became only the second person ever to win the Dan Hodge Trophy twice, as W.I.N. Magazine named the 2007 winner. Ben was also once again named the Rev Wrestler of the Year. Ironically, Jake Herbert, who Ben defeated in the finals in 2006, moved up a weight to 184 in 2007, to claim outstanding wrestler honors at the NCAA.Ben finished his collegiate wrestling career with a record of 153-8, with 91 of those victories coming by way of fall. Those 91 pins put him at third on the all-time NCAA Division I pins list. He was also a four-time All American, including being only the twelfth Division I wrestler ever to be a four-time finalist. Askren was also nominated for an ESPY in 2007 in the category Best Male College Athlete.

Mixed Martial Arts Plans

A purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a wrestling coach at the American Top Team school in Columbia, Missouri [http://www.attmo.com/attmo/Instructors.html] , Askren hopes to compete in the UFC in 2009 [http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=1309/bio/index.html] .

2008 Olympics

"For more information see" Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics

In the summer of 2008, Askren defeated national runner-up Tyrone Lewis in two consecutive matches by decision at the US Olympic Trials in Las Vegas, Askren became the first University of Missouri graduate wrestler to qualify for the Olympics. (Sammie Henson, who attended MU, but finished his college wrestling career at Clemson, competed in the 2000 Olympics, winning the silver medal.) Askren will compete at the 74 kg. weight class in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Askren won his first match via pin against Hungarian István Veréb. In his round of 8 match he lost to Cuba's Ivan Fundora Zaldivar 1-3 0-4. The Cuban's loss to Russia's Buvaisar Saitiev in the quarterfinal round ended Askren's hopes to medal at the 2008 games.

The 24-year-old Askren was asked if inexperience was a factor. Though he was a two-time NCAA champion at the University of Missouri he was relatively new to freestyle after wrestling folkstyle in college. “That wasn’t it,” he said sobbing, “I just wasn’t good enough. I suck.” [Citation|last=Merril|first=Elizabeth|author=link=|title=Askren's long wait for shot on Olympic mat ends in tears|journal=|volume=|issue=|pages=|date=August 20, 2008|year=|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/columns/story?id=3544007|doi= |accessdate=2008-08-20] [Citation|last=D'amato|first=Gary|author=link=|title=Askren ousted in second round: Hartland wrestler loses to Cuban|journal=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online|volume=|issue=|pages=|date=August 20, 2008|year=|url=http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=785325|doi= |accessdate=2008-08-21]

References

External links

* [http://www.benaskren.net Ben Askren's Personal Website]
* [http://mutigers.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/askren_ben00.html University of Missouri biography]
* [http://www.wrestlinghalloffame.org/champions/?names&wrestler=11823 National Wrestling Hall of Fame page]
* [http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=557776 Newspaper article]
* [http://www.wrestlingstats.com/big8/pdf/Big%208-2006.pdf]
* [http://www.wrestlingstats.com/ncaa/pdf/brackets/NCAA%202006.pdf]
* [http://www.thewrestlingtalk.com/college-wrestling/922-askren-nominated-espn.html Espy Nomination]
* [http://www.ufcdaily.com/2007/07/16/ufc-roundup-collegiate-wrestler-eyes-ufc-ufc-vet-posts-weekend-win-and-more/ Askren eying the UFC]