By Kenneth Crenshaw / Sports Editor 

Missouri Valley College Men’s Wrestling had a terrific performance against St. Ambrose in their dual on Friday, Jan. 14. Valley hosted the dual which took place inside Burns Athletic Complex. The Vikings defeated St. Ambrose in every weight category, this is their first shutout since the 2018 season. The overall match ended with a score of 52-0, their third-largest margin of victory. 

Sophomore, Joshua Issac,  set a high expectation for the day after his dominating pin in the opening period (0:28). His 285lb match gave the Vikings a 6-0 lead. Freshman, Brayden Bradley, carried the positive momentum over to his match. He was able to win the 125lb match 15-5 major decision, increasing the lead to 10-0. Junior, Desmond Prospero, also won his 133lb match 20-13 by major decision. Valley increases their lead to 19-0. Freshman Jovon Mitchell continued the impressive streak of victories with his 13-9 decision at 149lbs. Valley was now up 22-0. Senior Larry Rodriguez defeated his 157lb opponent with his first-period pin. This continued to further emphasize the historic day at 28-0. Freshman Drake Tipton (174lbs) & Brody Von Brethorst (165lbs)  won their matches by forfeit. Valley now leads 40-0. Sophomore Donovan McElligott pinned his 184lbs opponent in the first period, increasing the lead to 46-0. The matches were concluded with a forfeit win by David Borts (197lbs) which ultimately gave Valley the 52-0 final score. 

Mike Machholz, the Missouri Valley Wrestling Coach, was very proud of how his athletes performed. There were a lot of issues concerning the team such as Covid restrictions and prior injuries. However, Valley thrived despite the odds not working entirely in their favor. The last time the Vikings dominated in this fashion was in 2018 in their meeting against St. Mary where the final score was 47-0. This margin of victory is the highest since their 56-0 win over Truman State in 2017. This is a crucial win in order to build momentum heading into the Missouri Valley Invite next week. There will be the best of the division opponents at this invitational.