No. 7 Virginia Tech defeated No. 8 Missouri wrestling 23-10 in Blacksburg, Virginia. The Tigers went into the dual with ten ranked wrestlers by InterMat and eight starters in the top 24 rankings by FloWrestling.

The critical matches were expected to be at the lightweight weight classes on Friday night. Last season, Kade Moore pinned Sam Latona (VT), which led to the momentum in Missouri’s win that year 22-17 in the Hearnes Center. However, Latona has bumped up to the 149-pound weight class this season and wrestled No. 12 Josh Edmond on Friday night.

Despite the assumption that the lightweights would push Missouri through the night, the heavyweights put Missouri back on the board after quick match drops by the lightweights to keep Missouri in possible contention for the dual win.

No. 14 Cam Steed came out energetic for Missouri after intermission with a three-point takedown over Mac Church (VT). Steed continued to hold onto the offensive position over Church to hold onto his lead heading into the second period. Steed held onto the defensive position over Church despite the two wrestlers receiving stalemate warnings. Steed secured another three-point takedown with 2 seconds left in the third period and defeated Church 8-1 by decision.

In an anticipated top 10 match, No. 1 Keegan O’Toole faced No. 4  Lenny Wolak (VT) to continue his move through the 174-pound bracket for O’Toole’s first time at the weight class for the Tigers.

O’Toole got a shot early to keep the match moving as he attacked Wolak’s legs. The two wrestlers tweaked their knees and hips at one point but kept going and maintained aggression against each other. O’Toole attempted to get multiple falls but was unable to finish through and only received takedowns. At the last second, O’Toole got a point to secure the major decision for Missouri 13-5.

No. 12 Colton Hawks seamlessly moved from defense to offense early over No. 5 TJ Stewart Jr. Hawks secured a three-point takedown early in the first period, followed by an almost near fall that was declined after a challenge by Missouri head coach Brian Smith.

Hawks stayed on top throughout the rest of the second period to win 4-1 and got a three-point attack early in the third period as Stewart Jr. attempted to spin out of Hawks’ grip. Hawks won the match 8-2.

In a valiant effort at the end of his match against No. 13 Andy Smith (VT), freshman Aeoden Sinclair secured two takedowns and almost a third as he dropped the match 9-12 to avoid a major decision win for Smith. Smith was able to hold onto that lead over Sinclair with escape points. Sinclair is the one to watch for Missouri at 197 pounds as No. 4 Rocky Elam continues his break from dual meets.

In the final dual match, No. 20 Seth Nitzel wrestled No. 15 Jimmy Mullen from Virginia Tech. Mullen quickly attacked Nitzel’s legs, securing a three-point takedown early in the bout. Although Nitzel managed to earn a point for riding time, it wasn’t sufficient to claim victory, and he ultimately lost the match with a score of 2-4.

At 125 pounds, Missouri was missing Noah Surtin again, and Gage Walker stepped on the mat for the Tigers against No. 13 Eddie Ventresca (VT). Walker started the match with a solid start to get the early three-point takedown. However, Walker’s continuous fight to hold the lead was lost to Ventreca’s riding time point to defeat Walker by a decision 6-5.

No. 10 Connor McGonagle (VT) bests No. 29 Kade Moore 3-0 to extend Virginia Tech’s lead 6-0 heading into the 141-pound match. Following Moore, Edmond dropped his match against No. 18 Sam Latona (VT), 4-2. Edmond made a late attempt to get the takedown and win the match but could not finish through in time.

No. 24 Logan Gioffre hit the mat to wrestle No. 1 Caleb Henson (VT), the defending NCAA Champion at 149 pounds. After the first period, the two were scoreless, but in the second period, Gioffre began to struggle to get on top in the offensive stance, leading Henson to a four-point near fall. Henson won the match by a major decision, 9-0.

Missouri continued to struggle to get on the board as No. 32 James Conway fell to No. 25 Rafael Hipolito Jr. (VT) 11-3, a major decision. Conway tried to fight back in the match, but Hipolito Jr. was able to hold off Conway’s advances.

The Tigers will travel to No. 16 Illinois on Thursday, November 21, at 7 p.m. C.T., at Huff Hall in Champaign, Illinois.

JEFFERSON CITY — The demand for emergency contraception kits has spiked following the presidential election, a trend driven by growing concerns over potential changes in reproductive health policies, according to Leslie Klote, the communications manager for the Missouri Family Health Council.

The spike comes despite major wins for abortion-rights advocates across the nation, with reproductive rights being added to seven state constitutions, including Missouri’s with the passage of Amendment 3. The anticipation of another Donald Trump presidency has seemingly left some women fearful for emergency contraception nationwide, national news outlets report.

“The spike is definitely due to fear and uncertainty,” Klote said. “People are scared of what these new administrations, both at the state and federal levels, could mean for birth control access.”

The Missouri Family Health Council distributes kits that include two doses of over-the-counter emergency contraception, safer sex supplies like condoms, and information on health care resources, such as birth control and STD testing services provided by health centers across the state. Kits are mailed directly to individuals, and they can also be picked up at community distribution points throughout Missouri.

Before the 2020 presidential election, the organization received about 19 requests a day. But in the days following the election, that number surged to 150 requests per day.

“Folks are just taking all precautions they can to ensure that they are able to plan what their families look like and if and when they have families on their own timelines,” Klote said.

Klote said the trend is part of a larger, national movement in which individuals are exploring every available option during an uncertain political climate.

“It’s inspiring to see how many folks are taking advantage of this program,” she said. “People of all ages need birth control, including emergency contraception.”

Laura Bellis, the executive director of the Take Control Initiative, said her program has been slammed with the demand.

Take Control Initiative is an Oklahoma-based contraceptive access program.

“Before the election, we were seeing about 25 to 100 orders a day, so like 70 on average a day,” Bellis said. “The day after the election, we saw over 1,000 orders. The day after that, that doubled, and we saw over 2,000, and it continued to climb.”

The organization has since taken down some of its advertisements so it doesn’t exceed capacity.

“It has settled down a bit; it’s more like 600 a day,” Bellis said.

But that uptick isn’t being felt on the ground in Columbia — at least, not at smaller pharmacies like Flow’s Pharmacy and Kilgore’s.

Managers there said they haven’t seen any noticeable shifts in buying trends for Plan B.

Bellis said the national trend reminds her of panic-buying during the pandemic.

“While we did expect the potential for increased demand, we’ve seen this type of thing before — this has just been so much higher than it has been in the past.”

Still, she said she isn’t afraid of a shortage.

“There are enough pharmaceutical brands, and I think there is enough variety there,” she said. “I think more so it just highlights concerns that people have overall over what resources will be available to them in the future.”

Women are also taking to social media to tell others why they should stock up on Plan B.

Earlier this month, TikTok user @_brynn_182, who didn’t wish to disclose her last name, talked about purchasing both emergency contraception and a pregnancy test.

“You could be somebody like me, on birth control, not dating anyone,” she said. “But this is for emergencies … I live in Oklahoma, and I can’t get an abortion super easily if my life depended on it or if I wanted it.”

She told KOMU 8 that she believes everyone should have at least one or two Plan B doses for emergencies considering their shelf life.

“If a shortage does occur, I would hope the people distributing the products would recognize the demand is higher and adjust accordingly,” she said.

And it’s not just women in their teens and 20s requesting emergency contraceptive kits, Bellis said.

“A lot of who we are hearing from and who are reaching out and asking questions to get the emergency contraception have been parents of young people who are worried, and sometimes it’s someone who is not even a teenager yet,” Bellis said.

The Missouri Family Health Council continues to offer kits statewide. Kits can be requested through the council’s website and are shipped directly to individuals.

South Carolina’s playoff hopes are still in play, with a crucial matchup against No. 24 Missouri looming this weekend. However, the Tigers may be facing a major setback, as star quarterback Brady Cook—who’s racked up an impressive 8,291 career passing yards and 46 touchdowns—is currently listed as doubtful after suffering an injury. Missouri’s offense has leaned heavily on Cook’s impact and playmaking, making his potential absence a game-changer.

Further compounding Missouri’s challenge is the loss of their backup QB, Sam Horn. The redshirt sophomore was once a top Gamecock target and a four-star prospect known for his chemistry with Travis Hunter in high school. Now, with both Cook and Horn unavailable, Missouri will look to veteran transfer Drew Pyne. Pyne, who previously played at Notre Dame and Arizona State, has career stats of 2,921 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. While he has experience, his performance has been inconsistent, leading to a backup role over recent seasons. This situation puts Missouri in a vulnerable spot, one that seems to favor the Gamecocks.

For South Carolina, this game is a pivotal step in their quest for a playoff path. Though the playoff is far from guaranteed, ESPN’s Playoff Predictor currently gives South Carolina a 27% chance to make it if they win out—a prediction that fluctuated this week. The app lays out a scenario where, should the Gamecocks keep their momentum and continue winning, they could finish 11th, potentially setting up a first-round clash with Penn State. While only a prediction, it’s a tantalizing possibility for Gamecock fans eager to see their team break into the national spotlight.

According to ESPN, South Carolina has a 70% chance to win on Saturday, and a victory here would fuel their playoff hopes, however uncertain. For Shane Beamer’s squad, this is more than just another game—it’s a chance to keep those postseason dreams alive and showcase South Carolina as a rising contender.

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