By BLAKE TOPPMEYER
Friday, January 15, 2016 at 2:00 pm
Le’Roy Barnes could read the writing on the wall in the aftermath of the Missouri wrestling team’s Dec. 12 dual against Ohio State. During that 26-17 win for the Tigers, Missouri’s 141-pounder Matt Manley picked up a 4-3 victory over Micah Jordan, who was then ranked No. 8 nationally by InterMat.
Good news for Manley. Good news for Missouri. Not good news for Barnes’ chances of cracking MU’s lineup at 141 pounds.
In November, Manley and Barnes split two matchups. Manley beat Barnes 2-1 on Nov. 14, and Barnes beat Manley 6-4 a week later. Coach Brian Smith stuck with Manley in the 141-pound spot in the dual lineup.
Barnes wound up going 4-0 at the Northern Iowa Open on the same day Manley beat Jordan. Manley was nationally ranked and wrestling well, and Barnes figured Manley would remain Missouri’s guy at 141 pounds in duals. So after the Ohio State dual, Barnes talked to the coaching staff about moving up two weight classes to 157 pounds, where Missouri had struggled to get production and didn’t appear to be in good position to qualify someone for nationals.
Missouri’s coaches went for the idea, and Barnes has been performing well at 157 ever since. He’s 8-3 at that weight, and Smith and Barnes believe he has a legitimate shot at qualifying for nationals.
“I think it’s within reach,” said Barnes, who is 18-5 overall this season, including his bouts at 141. “If I keep wrestling tough like I am, I’m competing with the top guys at this weight, so there’s no doubt in my mind that I am one of the best guys.”
Heavyweight is the only other weight Missouri doesn’t have a ranked wrestler, so if Barnes qualifies for nationals, that likely would give the Tigers national-bound wrestlers at nine of the 10 weights.
Barnes is slated to get two more matches under his belt this weekend. Fourth-ranked Missouri (7-0, 4-0 Mid-American Conference), which has won 35 consecutive duals, will host Eastern Michigan (7-3, 2-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at the Hearnes Center before facing No. 19 Central Michigan (4-1, 1-0) at 4 p.m. Sunday in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Barnes should get a third shot at CMU’s Lucas Smith, ranked 11th nationally. Smith handed Barnes two of his three losses at 157, beating him 4-2 and later 7-0 at the Dec. 20 Reno Tournament, where Barnes placed fourth. Barnes has added weight since then, but he said he’s still trying to gain more weight.
“By March, he’s going to be a tank,” Smith said. “He is, because he’s lifting every day. I see him in there doing extra things.”
Barnes, a senior, transferred to MU after two seasons at Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kan. He’s a former junior college 133-pound national champion. This is the largest weight he’s wrestled at, and he considers himself quicker than most 157-pounders.
“Those guys can’t keep up as long as I don’t let them get ahold of me and slow me down, because that’s their objective,” Barnes said.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu...2195e4cba0.html
