Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Wrestling Welcomes Nebraska
February 08, 2001 | Cowboy Wrestling
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Feb. 8, 2001
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska's first-year head coach Mark Manning brings his eighth-ranked Cornhuskers to Stillwater on Saturday for a 2 p.m. showdown with the second-ranked Cowboys. Nebraska (11-3) is coming off of a thrilling 26-20 win over Manning's former team, the Northern Iowa Panthers in Cedar Falls. NU's fourth-ranked senior, Todd Beckerman, pinned UNI's 18th-ranked Chad Boudreaux in 4:21 at 133 pounds to give the Huskers the win. Nebraska features four other ranked wrestlers besides Beckerman. Fellow senior Brad Vering (20-1) is ranked No. 1 at 197 pounds, while freshman Jason Powell, a native of Midwest City, Okla., is ranked fourth at 125 pounds. Bryan Snyder is ranked second at 157 pounds and Ati Conner comes in this week ranked 13th at 174 pounds.
The Series: Oklahoma State vs. Nebraska
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Nebraska an astounding 41-2-1. The Huskers picked up a tie in 1996 at the National Duals. NU's last win came during OSU's probation year of 1993, when the Cornhuskers won a 39-12 decision in Stillwater. Before that win, Nebraska had lost 29-straight to OSU, dating back to the 1921-22 season. The Cowboys won both meetings between the two teams a year ago, winning 28-14 at the National Duals and 30-7 in Lincoln.
Mu?oz beats top-ranked Vering -- again
For the fourth-straight time and seventh overall, OSU's third-ranked Mark Mu?oz beat Nebraska top-ranked 197-pounder, Brad Vering. Vering, who captured his first national championship a year ago, lost a 3-2 decision to Mu?oz at the 34th-annual NWCA All-Star Dual in Lancaster, Pa. Mu?oz owns a lifetime record of 10-3 against Vering. The familiar foes will get another crack at each other Saturday when the Cornhuskers come to Stillwater.
Changes for the Big 12 Wrestling Championships
The 2001 Big 12 Wrestling Championships have undergone a few changes. The championship, which is being held in Stillwater, has become a two-day event. Previously scheduled for a one-day championship on Saturday, March 3, it will now be held on Friday and Saturday, March 2 and 3. The first round is scheduled for 6 p.m on Friday with the semifinals at 7 p.m. On Saturday, consolations will start at 10 a.m. with the finals at 2 p.m.
Thompson tearing it up at 133 pounds
Oklahoma State redshirt freshman Johnny Thompson (24-1) is making the country take notice. The Putnam City West product is ranked second in this week's AWN poll, behind Iowa's defending national champion Eric Juergens. He will face another challenge on Saturday against fourth-ranked Todd Beckerman. Thompson owns a 1-0 career record against Beckerman, picking up a 3-2 decision. He won the starting job from senior Charles Walker, who defeated Juergens earlier in the year. Thompson defeated Minnesota's second-ranked Brett Lawrence, 4-1, at the National Duals.
True freshman takes over at 165 pounds
True freshman Chris Pendleton, a native of Lemoore, Calif., has taken over the starting spot at 165 pounds due to the loss of junior Ty Wilcox. Wilcox suffered a tear of his ACL and partial tear of his MCL against Joe Heskett of Iowa State at the National Duals. Since joining the lineup, Pendleton has posted a 2-1 record in duals, he is 12-1 overall. In his debut at Gallagher-Iba Arena, Pendleton pinned Oregon State Jed Penell in 1:17.
Head coach John Smith
In his ninth season on the OSU bench, John Smith owns a career record of 135-20-3.
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, Smith 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.
Mu?oz gets win No. 100
Oklahoma State senior 197-pounder Mark Mu?oz recorded his 100th career win with a 3-2 decision over OU's Waymon May on Dec. 10th. Mu?oz has improved his career record to 112-30 along with a 17-4 mark this season. Mu?oz's 112 wins moves him into a three-way tie for 12th place on OSU's career victories chart. He is 17 wins away from Alan Fried and Mike Farrell for second and 42 victories short of Cowboy head coach John Smith for first.
Cormier in top form
OSU's 184-pound senior Daniel Cormier continues a strong season. Now 19-3, Cormier is ranked third at 184 pounds behind two-time national champion and undefeated Cael Sanderson of Iowa State and Illinois' Nate Patrick. Cormier may have turned in his most impressive performance against second-ranked Minnesota, picking up a 19-7 major decision over fourth-ranked Damion Hahn. Cormier took the highly-touted redshirt freshman down seven times and just missed a pin at the end of the second period.
OSU continues to roll, smokes Oregon State, 35-6
The Cowboys showed little mercy in a 35-6 clobbering of 12th-ranked Oregon State. Three freshman led the way for the Pokes, 133-pounder Johnny Thompson and 165-pounder Chris Pendleton registered pins, while 174-pounder Tyrone Lewis won an 8-4 decision over eighth-ranked Nathan Coy. Daniel Cormier also picked up a fall at 184 pounds.
Cowboys second according to NWCA
OSU remained second in the National Wrestling Coaches Association poll for the second-straight week. OSU received 312 votes, falling to second, while Minnesota received all 13 first-place votes and 325 votes took over the top spot. Minnesota beat the Pokes in 20-12 in the finals of the National Duals, the win gave the Gophers a split with OSU in the season series. Iowa comes in third this week, while Iowa State is fourth. Minnesota is also ranked atop the Intermat poll following their win.
New addition
Head coach John Smith's wife Toni gave birth to their third child on the morning of Jan. 2 at 1:55 a.m. Cecelia Rene Smith weighed in at six pounds and 11 ounces, she was the first baby born in the new year at Stillwater Medical Center. Cecelia is the Smiths' third child, Joseph is now four and Isabella was born in March of 1999.
Tyrone Lewis gets hot
Redshirt freshman Tyrone Lewis is beginning to show why he is considered one of the top freshman in the country. Now 20-4, he just had his 14-match winning streak broken against Northern Iowa. During that stretch he pinned 5 opponents and picked up a 21-6 technical fall in the another. Lewis has posted nine pins and two technical falls on the season.
Gallagher-Iba Arena opening
The Cowboy wrestling team christened the OSU Athletic Center, home of Gallagher-Iba Arena, with a 33-3 thrashing of the 16th-ranked Oregon Ducks. Senior All-American Reggie Wright picked up the first win in OSU's new digs with a 15-8 decision of Tony Overstake. The first pin came at 174 pounds, redshirt freshman Tyrone Lewis stuck Oregon's Luke Larwin in 1:03. The evening's estimated attendance of 3,047 was the largest crowd for an OSU dual this season.
OSU finishes second at National Duals
OSU's 2001 National Duals started with 18th-ranked Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks posted an upset at 197 pounds, where then-No. 4 Jon Trenge beat Mark Mu?oz 11-9 in overtime. However, in the end, the Cowboys overwhelmed Lehigh 26-12. In the quarterfinals, OSU drew Arizona State, and proceeded to whip the 10th-ranked Sun Devils, 26-12. The Pokes blew the fourth-ranked Iowa State Cyclones into the consolation bracket, 25-13, in the semifinals. In the finals, Minnesota exacted a little revenge on OSU with a 20-12 win and its second National Duals title.
Pokes thump Northern Iowa, 31-9
OSU won seven out of 10 matches en route to a 31-9 win in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Cowboys did register an upset at 285 pounds as 16th-ranked James Huml decisioned then-No. 3 ranked Paul Hynek, 7-4. However, OSU was upset at 141 and 174 pounds. Charles Walker lost in overtime and Tyrone Lewis' was pinned in 48 seconds.
Pokes hammer Cyclones, 25-14
For the second time in six days, Oklahoma State put the hammer to fourth-ranked Iowa State, 25-14, The Pokes won 25-13 in the semifinals of the National Duals. OSU won six of 10 matches, including five straight from heavyweight to 149 pounds. The Cowboys picked up bonus points at 125, 133 and 149 pounds. Second-ranked Johnny Thompson recorded a fall, pinning ninth-ranked Matt Avevedo in 4:11 at 133 pounds.
Cowboys bag sixth-straight Reno title
The Cowboys dominated enroute to their sixth-straight Reno Tournament of Champions title. The Pokes scored 192.5 points and crowned six individual champions. Arizona State finished second with 120.5 points and two titlest. Matt Brown (125), Johnny Thompson (133), Jerrod Sanders (141), Reggie Wright (149), Tyrone Lewis (174) and Daniel Cormier (184) finished first, while Ty Wilcox lost a heartbreaker, 6-5, to ASU's third-ranked Steve Blackford.
Pokes romp over second-ranked Golden Gophers
Top-ranked Oklahoma State won six of 10 matches and cruised past second-ranked Minnesota in front of 9,625 fans at the Williams Arena. OSU picked up bonus points at 184, 197 and 285 pounds, including falls from Mark Mu?oz (197) and James Huml (285). At 125 pounds, OSU's No. 9-ranked Matt Brown pulled the upset of the day with a 4-3 win over third-ranked Leroy Vega.
Cowboys Upend Hawkeyes
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.
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 second.
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, Dave Anderton 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, while Anderton, a junior college transfer, started at heavyweight for two seasons.
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 839-87-20 (.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.
On the air
Oklahoma State Cowboy wrestling will once again be carried live by Stillwater Radio Y-105.5 FM. J. Carl Guymon will be the play-by-play voice of the Cowboys in 2000-01 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. You can also catch the John Smith Show on KSPI 93.7 FM every Monday night at 6 p.m. A live webcast can be found on the web at www.wrestlingmall.com.
