Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Win Sixth-Straight Reno Tournament Of Champions Title
December 20, 2000 | Cowboy Wrestling
Dec. 20, 2000
RENO, Nev. Top-ranked Oklahoma State dominated the sixth annual Reno Tournament of Champions scoring 192.5 team points and crowning six individual champions Wednesday evening at the Reno Livestock and Events Center.
Arizona State finished in second place with 120.5 points and two champions. Indiana was third with 111 team points, while Boise State was fourth. Cal Poly rounded out the top five, registering 75 points.
In the most exciting match of the day, No. 2 Steve Blackford of ASU and No. 7 Ty Wilcox of OSU had the spectators in the Livestock and Events center on the edge of there seats. In the end, after two periods of scrambling, Blackford won 6-5 on riding time to claim the title.
Another matchup of highly ranked wrestlers took place at 184 pounds where OSU's eighth-ranked Daniel Cormier faced off with Indiana's No. 2 Victor Sveda. Cormier was in control the entire match,leading 9-3 before pinning the Hoosier in 5:43.
Cormier also took home the outstanding wrestler award with his pin of Sveda and a 9-6 semifinal win over Oregon's No. 4 Doug Lee.
OSU's second-ranked Mark Mu-oz was also suprised by Boise State's eighth-ranked Rusty Cook 7-4. The loss was the first on the season for Mu-oz.
At heavyweight, Arizona State's Kellen Fluckiger locked up the second title of the day for the Sun Devils, winning a 5-3 decision over Oregon's Eric Webb.
An oddity occurred at 133 pounds where OSU's third-ranked and top-seeded Charles Walker battled with teammate Johnny Thompson. The Reno Tournament of Champions allows each team to wrestle 13 wrestlers with 10 counting toward the team totals and three going unattached.
Thompson, one of the Cowboys three unattached wrestlers, pulled the upset. Tied at 4-4 at the end of regulation, Thompson shot a double leg 30 seconds into sudden victory and took Walker to the mat for the winning takedown and a 6-4 win.
Penn State's Nate Parker was hit with a stalling penalty midway through the third period, that proved to be the difference as Oklahoma State's Jerrod Sanders held on for a 2-1 win.
The Cowboys added another individual title at 149 pounds where No. 3-ranked Reggie Wright decisioned Cal Poly's Cedric Waymon 7-2.
The first final not to feature an Oklahoma State wrestler took place at 157 pounds. Boise State's Kirk White, a 1999 NCAA Champion at 165 pounds, took on Arizona State's Rocky Smart. White jumped out to a three-point lead in the second period with an escape and a takedown, those points proved to be vital as White held on for a 3-2 win.
At 174 pounds, OSU's Tyrone Lewis made quick work of Cal Poly's Steve Strange. Lewis arm barred Strange to his back and showed him the lights in just 30 seconds.
The finals started at 125 pounds where OSU claimed its first individual title when Matt Brown decisioned Boise State's Ben Vonbaur 9-7.
Team Scoring: Oklahoma State 192.5, Arizona State 120.5, Indiana 111, Boise State 103.5, Cal Poly 75, Oregon 74, Penn State 74, Cal St. Bakersfield 43, Portland St. 38, Central Michigan 35.5, Cal Davis 32, Lassen 21.5, Stanford 10.5
