Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Wrestling Opens In Broken Arrow
November 14, 2000 | Cowboy Wrestling
Nov. 14, 2000
STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State wrestling opens the season against the Missouri Tigers Thursday at 7 p.m. at Broken Arrow High School.
John Smith opens his ninth season on the OSU bench with a 121-19-5 record including a 7-0 mark against Missouri. The Cowboys throttled Missouri 34-3 last year in Columbia.
The Tigers, coached by Brian Smith, are 0-1 on the season after absorbing a 33-6 loss to fifth-ranked Illinois last Friday. Missouri finished the 1999-2000 season with a 11-11 dual record, the most wins since 1984-85, while finishing 41st at the NCAA Championships.
John Kopinsky, Missouri's 174-pounder, is the Tigers' lone returning NCAA qualifier and runner-up at the Big 12 Championships a year ago. He will face off against redshirt freshman Tyrone Lewis, a newcomer to the Cowboy lineup.
The Cowboys return two All-Americans from the 2000 team that finished fifth at the NCAA Championships. Mark Mu?oz returns following a third-place finish at 197 pounds last season, Mu?oz will start the season with a No. 3 national ranking. At 149 pounds, two-time All-American Reggie Wright has his eyes set on a national title in his senior campaign.
OSU has won all 26 meetings between the two schools, dating back to the 1928-29 season.
Projected OSU lineup
125 Matt Brown
133 Charles Walker
141 Jerrod Sanders
149 Reggie Wright
157 Shane Roller
165 Tony Gansen
174 Tyrone Lewis
184 Pat Popolizio
197 Mark Mu?oz
285 James Huml
Projected Missouri lineup
125 Justin Spates
133 Jesse West
141 J.P. Reese
149 Jesse Jordan
157 David Neff or
Kenny Burleson
165 Mark Vollmar
174 John Kopnisky
184 Ry Stone
197 Dante Stone
285 Chad Hertzog
