Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Travel to Compete in Reno Tournament of Champions
December 16, 2002 | Cowboy Wrestling
Dec. 16, 2002
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Cowboys head to Reno
Oklahoma State's top-ranked wrestling team will compete in the 8th annual Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 19 at the Reno Livestock Event Center. The one-day tournament will feature 22 universities, with five of the teams ranked in the top 25. Each team is allowed to enter three extra wrestlers in the tournament, but those athletes will not earn any points toward the team race. The tournament is slated to start at 9 a.m. (PST) with the finals beginning at 7 p.m. (PST).
Last Year at Reno
Last year at the Reno Tournament, the Cowboys recorded 171 team points en route to a second-place finish. The Cowboys were led by Jerrod Sanders, Shane Roller and Ty Wilcox, each recording first-place victories. Sanders decisioned Missouri's Jeremy Spates, 3-2, while Roller decisioned Kenny Burleson of Missouri, 8-6. Wilcox upset Missouri's eighth-ranked John Kopnisky, 3-0, to record the victory. Johnny Thompson, Skyler Holman and Pat Popolizio all recorded second-place finishes. Thompson recorded a fall and a technical fall in the second round and quarterfinals, respectively, before losing to Arizona State's David Douglas, 3-2, in the finals. Holman lost to Ben VamBaur of Boise State, 3-1, in the finals, while Popolizio ended his 12-match win streak after getting upended by Penn State's Mark Becks, 6-3, in the finals.
Cowboys take on Boise State
The Cowboys will travel to Provo, Utah, to take on the Boise State Broncos on Dec. 21. The Cowboys and Broncos have met once previously in the National Duals; OSU won the dual 39-6. The match is slated to start at 8 p.m. (PST) BSU will be one of the ranked opponents competing in the Reno Tournament.
About the Broncos
The Broncos are led by All-American Ben VomBaur and coached by Greg Randall. BSU is coming off a dual victory over Fresno State. Boise State won the first four matches of the dual en route to a 23-13 victory over the Bulldogs. Ben VomBaur and Collin Robertson each recorded technical falls to spur the Broncos to victory.
Last Time Out
Oklahoma State's top-ranked wrestling team won six of the 10 matches en route to a 23-16 victory over the fourth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on Dec. 8 at the Lloyd Noble Center. The Sooners (1-1, 0-1) took an early 3-0 lead after top-ranked Josh Lambrecht decisioned Jake Rosholt 7-2. The Cowboys (3-0, 2-0) knotted up the score at 3-3 after third-ranked Muhammed Lawal decisioned No. 14 Tom Grossman, 3-1. OU extended its lead to 16-3 after Leonce Crump, Bo Maynes and Witt Durden all recorded victories. OSU cut the lead to 16-9 after second-ranked Zack Esposito pinned ninth-ranked Nate Parker in 3:40. The Cowboys won the next four matches to defeat the Sooners for the eighth consecutive time.
On the air
Oklahoma State Cowboy will once again be carried live by Stillwater Radio KSPI 93.7 FM. J. Carl Guymon will once again be the play-by-play voice of the Cowboys in 2002-03. 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.
Head coach John Smith
John Smith begins his 11th season on the OSU bench with 177-23-3 record. Smith's Cowboys claimed the national title in 1994 and have captured six conference championships during his tenur,e 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. He is also the only wrestler to win the James E. Sullivan Award, honoring the nation's top amateur athlete for the previous year.
