Oklahoma State University Athletics
Wrestling Race Heats Up at NCAA Championships
June 21, 1999 | Cowboy Wrestling
March 20, 1998
CLEVELAND - Missouri's Mike Harp pulled off the upset of the tournament, but Oklahoma State remains in second place after the quarterfinals of the NCAATournament in Cleveland, Ohio.
Harp beat the Cowboys top-seeded Steven Schmidt at 142 pounds. It was thefourth time the two have met this season and three of the four have beendecided by two points or less. Schmidt is the only number-one seed not toadvance to the semifinals.
The Cowboys trail front-running Iowa 56 to 51.5. Minnesota is in third with 46points. Both Iowa and Oklahoma State have seven wrestlers remaining. TheHawkeyes have five in the semifinals and two in the consolations and the Pokeshave four in the semis and three in the consolations.
The tournament had been basically void of major upsets until this morning.Iowas Eric Jurgens defeated second-seed Stephen Abas of Fresno State at 118.In all 33 of the 40 top seeds have advanced to the semifinals. Trent Hynek ofIowa State is the highest seed in the semifinals.
The Cowboys did not fare well in the consolation bracket as the Cowboysdropped three of four wrestlers. Ben Lee was the lone survivor. Jamill Kelly,Mark Muoz and Pat Popolizio all bowed out of the tournament. Not bycoincidence, those three are the Cowboys least experienced wrestlers on thenational level.
Quarterfinals
118-Teague Moore (OSU) dec. Shane Valdez (Oklahoma), 2-1
126-Eric Guerrero (OSU) tech. fall Terry Showalter (Lock Haven), 17-2
142-Mike Harp (Missouri) dec. Steven Schmidt (OSU), 8-5
150-Eric Seibert (Illinois) dec. Jimmy Arias (OSU), 6-4 ot
158-Hardell Moore (OSU) dec. Mark Samples (Edinboro), 3-1
167-Mark Smith (OSU) m. dec. Nick Mengernik, 11-0
Wrestlebacks
134-Dave Esposito (Lehigh) dec. Jamill Kelly (OSU), 7-5 ot
177-Jevon Herman (Illinois) dec. Mark Muoz (OSU), 6-5
190-Ben Barton (Northern Iowa) dec. Pat Popolizio (OSU), 10-4
275-Ben Lee (OSU) dec. Gan McGee (Cal Poly-SLO), 3-1
Team Scores
1. Iowa 57
2. Oklahoma State 51.5
3. Minnestoa 48
4. Penn State 38.5
5.Iowa State 31.5
8. Oklahoma 25.5
