Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Wrestling Set To Defend Its National Duals Title
January 21, 2000 | Cowboy Wrestling
Jan. 21, 2000
at National Duals
The Cowboys will venture to University Park, Pa., in defense of
their
1999 National Duals title. John Smith's Cowboys enter this weekend's
competition with a 5-1-1 record. The Pokes are coming off of a 39-0
shutout
win over the Arizona State Sun Devils on Jan. 14. In the first round the
Cowboys will face Rider, OSU is 1-0 all-time against Bronocos. OSU has
won
five National Duals Championships, the most of any team in the 16-team
field. OSU won titles in 1989, '90, '94, '97 and '99. Of the other
teams
competing, only Penn State (1991 and '93) and Minnesota (1998) have
won a
National Duals Championship.
Scouting the National Duals
The 2000 edition of the NWCA National Duals features 12 ranked Div.
I
teams, along with Pittsburgh-Johnstown (defending Div. II champs),
Wartburg
(defending Div. III champs) and Montana State-Northern (defending NAIA
champs). Big 12 Iowa State is seeded No. 1, followed by Minnesota
No. 2
and Oklahoma State No. 4. Four teams OSU has already faced this season
Oklahoma, Penn State, Minnesota and Arizona State teams will be
competing
this weekend. The Cowboys hold a 2-1-1 record against those teams.
Lineup changes
OSU will take 15 wrestlers to this weekend's National Duals. On top
of
the regular starting lineup, OSU will take additional wrestlers at 125,
141,
157, 174 and 184 pounds. Matt Brown will backup Jeff Ragan at 125
pounds,
while Jerrod Sanders will do the same at 141 pounds. Brian Burrows will
make
his first appearance in the OSU starting lineup at some point during the
weekend at 157 pounds. Billy Gabel and Tony Gansen will alternate at 174
pounds, while Daniel Cormier and Pat Popolizio will share the duties at
184
pounds.
Smith to pass Seay
With a win, Oklahoma State's head coach, John Smith, will move into fourth on the OSU all-time coaching victories list with 115. Smith, whose record in seven seasons is 114-15-3, will pass J' Seay, who went 114-18-2 between 1985 and 1991. Tommy Chesbro tops the list with 227 career coaching victories.
Burrows returns to the Cowboys
Brian Burrows returns to the Cowboys program and is expected to make
his
first start of the 1999-2000 season during this weekend's National
Duals.
Burrows saw his first action of the season in the Roger Denker Open
Wrestling Tournament in Warrensburg, Mo. last weekend. He overwhelmed
the
competition on the way to the title and being named the outstanding
wrestler. Burrows went 5-0 with three falls.
Bonus points
Bonus points are the key to many dual wins . Major decisions,
technical
falls and pins are key in deciding those tight duals. The following are
OSU's bonus point leaders for the 1999-2000 season, broken down by
percentage of matches won with bonus points.
Wrestlers % Daniel Cormier (184) 80% (12/15) Reggie Wright (149) 73%(16/22) Jamill Kelly (141) 62% (13/21) Mark Munoz (197) 61% (14/23) Jerrod Sanders (141) 61% (14/23) Jeff Ragan (125) 58% (14/24) Dave Anderton (285) 55% (12/22) Charles Walker (133) 50% (11/22) Ty Wilcox (165) 50% (11/22) Shane Roller (157) 40% (12/30)
Gophers pin Cowboys and streak
After 1,430 days, OSU's 73-match unbeaten streak ended January 9th
as
the Cowboys fell 19-15 to fourth-ranked Minnesota. The Golden Gophers
invaded Gallagher-Iba Arena and became the first team to defeat the
Cowboys
since the Iowa Hawkeyes did the same on Feb. 9, 1996. The 73-match
streak
was the third-longest in school history, behind streaks of 84 and 76.
Cowboys topple No. 22 Penn State
Oklahoma State cruised to an easy 32-7 win over 22nd-ranked Penn
State
on Jan. 7. The win improved OSU's record to 4-0-1 on the season and
2-0-1
against top-25 competition. The only bump in the road was at 197 pounds,
where second-ranked Mark Munoz suffered a stunning upset by PSU's
11th-ranked Ross Thatcher.
Munoz selected to 2000 NWCA All-Star Classic
Oklahoma State junior Mark Munoz has been selected to wrestle in the
2000 NWCA All-Star Classic on Feb. 7. The No. 1 and No. 2 ranked
wrestlers
at each weight class will congregate in East Lansing, Mich., home of
Michigan State University, for this year's Classic. Munoz's competition
will
be Michigan State's top-ranked 197-pounder, Nick Muzashvilli. Munoz is
currently ranked second at 197 pounds by Amateur Wrestling News. He is
21-1
on the season for the Pokes. He has knocked off four wrestlers currently
ranked in the top 10 at 197 pounds and claimed individual titles at both
the
Las Vegas Invitational and Reno Tournament of Champions. Munoz was also
selected the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week during the week of Dec. 20,
1999.
Entering the 21st century
Oklahoma State began its second century of wrestling by posting win
number 817. With 30 team titles, 120 individual national champions and
an
all-time record of 818-82-20 for an amazing .901 winning percentage, OSU
boasts the most tradition-rich program in collegiate wrestling history.
Head
coach John Smith's Cowboys are off to another exciting start this season
with a 5-1-1 record and a number-four national raking.
Winning streak ends
The third-longest winning streak in school history, 69, is over. The
Cowboys 16-16 tie with the Oklahoma Sooners brought it to an end on Nov.
30,
1999. Oklahoma is responsible for ending Oklahoma State's three longest
winning streaks: 76, 70 and 69.
Cowboys ranked fourth in NWCA poll
The National Wrestling Coaches Association poll came out Wednesday
with
the Cowboys ranked fourth, receiving 285 votes. Iowa retains the top
spot
with a 9-0 record. They received 324 votes and all 12 first-place votes.
Iowa State holds the No. 2 spot, while Oklahoma is fifth.
Head coach John Smith
In his eighth season at the helm of the Cowboys, head coach John
Smith
has compiled a record of 114-15-3. Smith is one of the greatest
American
wrestlers of all-time. He won two NCAA titles, six world titles and two
Olympic gold medals. As a coach, he has won one national championship
and
four conference crowns. He has coached seven different Cowboys to 10
individual national titles. In that same span 17 OSU wrestlers have won
24
Big 8/Big 12 Championships.
Saying Goodbye
The Cowboy and wrestling community lost a dear friend this past
spring.
Longtime journalist and tournament coordinator Bob Dellinger passed away
after a battle with cancer. Dellinger was an inspiration to all that
knew
him, especially in the wrestling media field. He is a member of the
National
Wrestling Hall of Fame, even though he never stepped on the mat. He won
the
Amateur Wrestling News award as the ?Writer of the Year? in 1960, '61
and
'62. After that, he dropped his name from consideration for the award
and
the award was renamed in his honor. He was instrumental in creating the
current scoring system and consolation bracket at the NCAA tournament.
He
worked over 100 national and international events as a tournament
organizer,
including the Olympics. He also did public announcing at Oklahoma State
home
dual meets for many seasons.
One All-American returns
For the first time since 1993, OSU has fewer than two All-Americans
returning. In 1993, the Cowboys returned two All-Americans, but none
suited
for the Cowboys. Current Cowboy assistant coach Pat Smith and Alan Fried
both redshirted during the 1993 season. In 1999, junior Reggie Wright
earned
All-America honors with a fourth-place finish at last season's NCAA
Championships. Wright is the lone All-American returning to the Cowboy
lineup for the 1999-2000 season.
Five seniors dot the OSU roster
Five Cowboys will finish their wrestling careers with the Pokes in 2000. They are Dave Anderton, Jamill Kelly, Todd Munson, Jeff Ragan and Justin Turner. Ragan is entering his fifth season in the OSU program.
1999 in review
The Cowboys concluded their third straight undefeated season. One
Cowboy wrestler, Eric Guerrero, remained undefeated, and won an NCAA
Championship at 133. The Cowboys also won team titles at the Reno Duals
and
the National Duals.
Four seniors, All-Americans gone
Oklahoma State will begin the 1999-2000 season without four seniors
that
made their mark on Oklahoma State wrestling history. Eric Guerrero
finished
his collegiate career as a three-time NCAA Champion and a four-time
All-America. Teague Moore ended his career on a high note, earning
All-American honors for the third time. He was an NCAA Champion in 1998.
Mark Smith finished his college career as a three-time All-American.
Jimmy
Arias also finished his OSU career as an All-American.
Wrestler Wt. Record Duals Falls Dec. M. Dec. T. Falls Teague Moore 125 27-4 18-1 8-0 8-4 6-0 2-0 Eric Guerrero 133 31-0 23-0 1-0 9-0 7-0 12-0 Jimmy Arias 157 19-7 18-5 0-0 15-7 4-0 0-0 Mark Smith 174 36-2 23-0 5-0 14-2 13-0 4-0
Cowboy coaching staff
Oklahoma State has assembled one of the most successful coaching
staffs
ever. Head coach John Smith's assistant coaches include Mark Perry, Pat
Smith and Mark Branch. Combined these wrestlers won six national titles.
Pat
is the only wrestler in NCAA history to win four NCAA titles, while
Branch
is one of nine four-time national finalists.
OSU on the radio
Oklahoma State wrestling can be heard live on Stillwater's KSPI 93.7
and
over the internet at www.okstate.com. J. Carl Guymon will be doing the
play-by-play for the Cowboys.
1999-2000 COWBOY STARTERS THUMBNAILS
125-Jeff Ragan (Sr., Englewood, Fla., 11th)
Ragan, a fifth-year
senior, is
a full-time starter for the first time in his career after backup stints
behind NCAA Champions Eric Guerrero and Teague Moore. Coming into this
week's action, Ragan is 18-6 on the season and ranked 11th in the latest
Amateur Wrestling News poll at 125 pounds. He finished sixth at the Las
Vegas Invitational, earning a win over 17th-ranked K.C. Rock of Boise
State.
All four of his losses have been to higher-ranked opponents. At the Reno Tournament of Champions, he blazed through the competition to win the 125-pound weight class.
125-Matt Brown (So., Bristow, Okla.)
Brown is 9-3 on the season for
the
Pokes. He made the trip to the Reno Tournament of Champions and wrestled
unattached for the Pokes. He looked impressive with a win over
then-17th-ranked K.C. Rock of Boise State. He then lost to Arizona's
State
11th-ranked Michael Kawamura, 7-5, in a tough last-second decision.
133-Charles Walker (Jr., Geary, Okla., 9th)
A move down to 133 pounds
has
proved beneficial early in the 1999-2000 season, with Walker boasting a
20-2
record. Walker sports wins over 10th-ranked Robert Sessley of Ohio State
and
11th-ranked Rob Loper of Pittsburgh. He is currently ranked ninth by
AWN. He
also won the individual title at 133 pounds at the Reno Tournament of
Champions.
141-Jamill Kelly (Sr., Atwater, Calif., 3rd)
Kelly spent the preseason
in
a hard-fought battle with teammate Jerrod Sanders. Kelly took over the
starting spot in the Cowboy's second dual against the University of
Oklahoma. He responded with an upset win over OU's Michael Lightner,
then
ranked No. 2, 1-1 in a tiebreaker. Kelly continued his hot streak at the
Las
Vegas Invitational cruising into the finals with wins over Michigan's
sixth-ranked Damion Logan and 15th-ranked Jon Archuleta of Cal-State
Bakersfield. His only loss came in the finals where he was decisioned
4-0 by
Clarion's Mark Angle, who is currently ranked second. Kelly is 20-1 on
the
young season. He also won the 141-pound weight class at the Reno
Tournament
of Champions.
141-Jerrod Sanders (Fr., El Reno, Okla.)
Sanders started OSU's first
dual
against Missouri and defeated Jeremy Spates 6-5. Jamill Kelly took over
the
starting spot at 141 pounds following the Missouri dual, winning two of
three tightly contested ranking matches. Sanders is 20-3 on the season
with
his only losses coming to Central Michigan's Chris Marshall, Minnesota's
Chad Erikson and Jeremy Spates.
149-Reggie Wright (Jr., Chicago, Ill., 3rd)
Oklahoma State's only
returning All-American, Wright entered the season ranked third and has
maintained that ranking. His major decision over Oklahoma's Jared Frayer
enabled the Cowboys to earn a tie with the Sooners. Wright's only loss
this
season came in the finals of the Las Vegas Invitational to longtime
nemesis
Adam Tirapelle of Illinois, who also beat Wright twice in last season's
NCAA
Tournament. He has recorded eight falls this season, four of which were
technical falls. He also won the 149-pound weight class at the Reno
Tournament of Champions.
157-Shane Roller (RS-Fr., Bixby, Okla., 16th)
Roller, a redshirt
freshman,
is the only freshman in OSU's starting linup. He is 22-8 on the season
and
4-3 in dual action. In his first action in a Cowboy singlet, Roller
decisioned Missouri's Jesse Jordan 6-4. He suffered a disappointing 7-6
loss
to OU's David Kjeldgaard in OSU's 16-16 tie with the Sooners. Roller is
currently ranked 16th by Amateur Wrestling News.
157-Brian Burrows (So., Jeanette, Pa.)
Burrows, a native of Jeanette,
Pa.,
is 5-0 after joining the Cowboys during the Christmans break. He won the
Central Missouri Open and was named outstanding wrestler last weekend.
165-Ty Wilcox (So., Fountain Valley, Calif., 7th)
In one of the
nation's
toughest weight classes, Wilcox has looked impressive against some tough
competition. He boasts a 18-4 record and is ranked seventh in the latest
AWN
poll. His only losses came to top-10 competitors: third-ranked Steve
Blackford (2), fifth-ranked Robbie Waller and Bill Zeman who was
then-ranked
eighth.
174-Billy Gabel (Jr., St. Francis, Kan.)
Gabel, a transfer form
Nebraska,
makes is second career start tonight for the Cowboys. He is 11-4 on the
season and was major decisioned, 20-9, by Minnesota's No. 2 Brandon
Eggum in
his only dual outing of the season. He replaces Tony Gansen, who is 18-7
on
the season in the Cowboys' lineup at 174 pounds. Gabel was a four-time
Kansas State Champion at wrestling powerhouse St. Francis High School
and
posted a 125-5 career record.
174-Tony Gansen (So., Belle Plaine, Minn.)
Gansen has struggled early
in
the season, but Cowboy coaches are hoping he broke out of his slump at
the
Las Vegas Invitational. He went 7-2 and fought his way back through
losers
bracket to finish fifth. He is 22-7 on the season with four losses
coming to
ranked individuals. Gansen won the 174-pound weight class at the Central
Missouri Open.
184-Daniel Cormier (Jr., Lafayette, La.,)
Cormier will come out of
redshirt tonight to replace Pat Popolizio as the starter at 184 pounds.
Cormier is 14-1 on the season, with his only loss coming to sixth-ranked
Doug Lee of Oregon in a tough 6-4 decision. He is a two-time NJCAA
National
Champion at Colby Community College. He posted a 61-0 record with 33
falls
at Colby. During his high school career, Cormier was 101-9, winning
three
state championships and recording 89 falls.
184-Pat Popolizio (Jr., Niskayuna, N.Y., 16th)
Popolizio, who is in
his
second-year as a Cowboys starter, has compiled a 15-5 record and is
currently ranked 16th by Amateur Wrestling News. He is 3-2 in dual
action
with a 8-3 decision over Missouri's Josh Maze, a 2-0 decision over
Oregon
State's Isaac Weber and a 6-4 win over Penn State's Jeff Knapp.
Popolizio
finished fifth at the Las Vegas Invitational helping the Cowboys take
home
the team title.
197-Mark Munoz (Jr., Vallejo, Calif., 2nd)
Junior Mark Munoz has
looked
overpowering in his assault on the 197-pound weight class. He has moved
up
to second in the AWN rankings. Munoz is 22-1 and 6-1 in dual
competition. He
began the season ranked seventh, but with wins over Illinois' Pat Quirk,
Oklahoma's Orville Palmer and Wisconsin's Steve Alf, all of which are
ranked
in the top 10, vaulted Munoz up the polls. He was OSU's lone individual
champion at the Las Vegas Invitational. He also won the Reno Tournament
of
Champions. He suffered his first loss to 11th-ranked Ross Thatcher of
Penn
State, 3-2.
285-Dave Anderton (Sr., Blackfoot, Idaho, 9th)
One of five seniors on
this
Oklahoma State squad, Anderton is 18-4 on the season and ranked ninth by
Amateur Wrestling News. He advanced to the finals of the Cliff Keen Las
Vegas Invitational knocking off 11th-ranked Sean Hage of West Virginia
and
16th-ranked John Testa of Clarion. He is 43-1 in dual action this season
and
leads the Cowboys in falls with 11, the quickest coming in just :25
seconds.
He was pinned by Minnesota's No. 1-ranked Brock Lesnar in OSU's 19-15
loss
to the Golden Gophers.
