Oklahoma State University Athletics
No. 1 OSU takes on Sooners
December 06, 2000 | Cowboy Wrestling
Dec. 6, 2000
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Sooners begin Cowboys' road trip
The top-ranked Cowboys and sixth-ranked Sooners square off Sunday, Dec. 3, at 3 p.m. Sunday marks the first of three straight road duals for the Pokes. Following Sunday's contest, OSU ventures to California for duals against Cal Poly (Dec. 17) and Fresno State (Dec. 17). The Cowboys then travel to Reno, Nev., for the Reno Tournament of Champions, before returning home on Jan. 4 for the first dual in the newly renovated Gallagher-Iba Arena against Oregon at 7 p.m.
The last time out
OSU derailed the mighty Iowa Hawkeyes, 21-14, at the Myriad Convention Center in Oklahoma City. Sparked by bonus-point wins at 197 and 285 pounds, OSU's 133-pounder Charles Walker capped off the afternoon with a 3-2 upset win over Iowa's No. 1-ranked Eric Juergens. Walker scored the decisive takedown in the final 30 seconds to seal the match and the dual. OSU also picked up wins at 149, 165 and 184 pounds in the win.
The Oklahoma Sooners
The sixth-ranked Sooners enter Bedlam with a 1-0 record following a 39-3 win over Central Oklahoma at the OU Fieldhouse. In the win, OU's 174-pounder Michael Barger and heavyweight Leonce Crump recorded pins, while Jared Frayer picked up a technical fall at 149 pounds. OU head coach Jack Spates is 1-11-2 all-time against the Cowboys, going 0-2-1 last season. OU's Michael Lightner has moved into fourth-place on Oklahoma's career win chart with 119.
Cowboys vault to the top
With the win over Iowa, OSU jumped into the top spot in the first National Wrestling Coaches Association poll. OSU received 320 votes along with nine of a possible 13 first-place votes. Minnesota follows the Pokes in second with 307 votes and three first-place votes. Iowa comes in this week in third, while Iowa State is fourth with one first-place vote.
On the air
Oklahoma State Cowboy wrestling will once again be carried live by Stillwater Radio KSPI 93.7 FM. J. Carl Guymon will be the play-by-play voice of the Cowboys in 2000-01 with Roger Moore providing color analysis. Fans unable to pick up the over-the-air broadcast will be able to listen to the games via the internet at www.okstate.com or www.kspi.com. A live match-by-match update will also be available at www.wrestlingmall.com
Mu?oz looks for win No. 100
Oklahoma State senior 197-pounder Mark Mu?oz will be looking for career win No. 100 when he tangles with OU's 12th-ranked Waymon May on Sunday. Mu?oz brings in a career record of 99-26 along with a perfect 4-0 season mark into the dual.
Head coach John Smith
In his ninth season on the OSU bench, John Smith owns a career record of 123-19-3 including a 11-3-2 mark against the Sooners. Smith's Cowboys claimed the national title in 1994 and have captured five conference championships during his tenure, including the Big 12 title last season. Smith also wrestled for the Cowboys from 1984-88, posting a 154-7-2 record and capturing two national championships. On the international stage, Smith won Olympic Freestyle Gold in 1988 and 1992 along with World Championships in 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1991. In 1990 was honored as the only wrestler ever to win the James E. Sullivan Award, honoring the nation's top amateur athlete for the previous year.
The series: Oklahoma
OSU owns a 107-24-9 edge in the all-time series over the Sooners. The Cowboys haven't lost to the Sooners since the first match of the 1995-96 season. The Sooners did pick up a 16-16 tie in the first meeting last season in Stillwater, only to see the Pokes win the second and third meetings in University Park and Norman, respectively.
Head-to-head
Four of the Cowboy's probable starters for Sunday's dual have faced their OU counterparts. At 133 pounds, No. 3 Charles Walker is 4-0 all-time against OU's Witt Durden. Reggie Wright continues to dominate Jared Frayer at 149 pounds, having won all six previous meetings. At 165 pounds, OSU's Ty Wilcox owns a 3-1 series edge over the Sooners' Robbie Waller, while OSU's redshirt freshman 174-pounder Tyrone Lewis picked up a win earlier this season over Michael Barger.
Mu?oz, Wright headline Cowboy lineup
Mark Mu?oz and Reggie Wright highlight the OSU lineup, wrestling at 197 and 149 pounds, respectively. Mu?oz captured All-America honors for the first time in 2000, placing third. He is currently ranked second by Amateur Wrestling News and Intermat. Wright earned All-America honors for the second time, finishing fourth for the second-straight year. Amateur Wrestling News and Intermat have Wright ranked fourth.
Walker registers upset
Charles Walker just had to make sure he didn't give up bonus points, and his Cowboys would beat No. 1 Iowa. However, Walker did one better and upset Iowa's top-ranked and defending national champion Eric Juergens 3-2. With the win, Walker moved up to No. 3 in this weeks AWN poll. Walker is now 4-0 on the season. He is also still battling for his starting job with redshirt freshman Johnny Thompson, who is 11-0 on the season.
New assistant
Mark Cody joined the Oklahoma State staff during the offseason. Cody comes to the Cowboys after spending 12 years coaching the upper-weights for Nebraska. At Nebraska, Cody coached two national champions, Brad Vering and Tolly Thompson, along with 23 All-Americans.
Longtime Cowboys depart
All-American Jeff Ragan and Jamill Kelly said goodbye to the Cowboy program in 2000. Ragan spent five years in Stillwater, toiling behind national champions Eric Guerrero and Teague Moore, before placing sixth in 2000. Kelly spent two years in the starting lineup at 141 pounds.
OSU tradition
It ranks right up there with Notre Dame football or UCLA basketball. Few schools in the nation have a tradition in any sport as strong as the one Oklahoma State has built in wrestling. OSU won the first NCAA wrestling championship in 1928 and have won a total of 30 -- more than any other school in the country. The Cowboys all-time record is 827-86-20 (.897) in 81 years of varsity wrestling. The Pokes claimed six Southwest Conference title, 25 of a possible 38 Big Eight titles and three of four Big 12 titles. Seventy-four Oklahoma State wrestlers have won 120 individual NCAA Champions, including the only four-time NCAA Champion Pat Smith.
