COLUMBIA, MO. • Brian Smith’s expertise in the kitchen amounts to making macaroni and cheese or a bowl of cereal, but during a recent workout Missouri’s wrestling coach thought about being a chef. In a metaphorical sense.
For the last 10 months Smith has been prepping his team toward one clear goal. It’s the same goal as always for one of the nation’s powerhouse programs: the NCAA Championships. Coming off four consecutive top-10 finishes at the national meet, the fifth-ranked Tigers continue their pursuit of the national championship Thursday when the three-day event begins at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.