Oklahoma State University Athletics
Squaks, Okies and rodents
January 10, 2003 | Cowboy Wrestling
Jan. 10, 2003
Say what you want, but Iowa and Oklahoma State on a wrestling mat - along with the junk that goes on in the stands, on the internet and everywhere else matheads gather - is about as intense as it gets.
There is a mutual respect but there is also a genuine dislike for the opponent. The two traditional wrestling powers will collide Sunday at 2 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena for the 36th time with Oklahoma State holding a slim 18-16-1 all-time series advantage.
However, the landscape has changed just a bit.
There seems to be a new kid on the block who doesn't quite respect his elders. He's all about showmanship, spectacle and a lot of talk.
From the all-of-a-sudden behemoth Brock Lesnar to Jesse "The Body" Ventura to comments about Johnny Thompson's talent level compared to Ryan Lewis.
Of course when you walk the walk after talking the talk you can get away with it. And that is what the Minnesota Golden Gophers have done the past two seasons. We could be talking about three straight NCAA titles for the Gophers but you have to remember Lesnar's heavyweight title match with Bakersfield's Stephen Neal three seasons ago.
It was talked about all season - Neal and Lesnar meeting in the NCAA heavyweight final - but it turned out to be a turd of a match.
But the Gophers showed they were getting ready to win the program's first team title.
As we enter the stretch run of the 2003 season, the Gophers are talking the talk but are not walking the walk. Twice in mega-duals known as the Border Brawl and the Ice Dual, UM has been whipped.
With an injury-depleted lineup, the Gophers fell to Iowa, 24-11.
With two of their big guns back in the lineup, they fell, 26-6, to Oklahoma State last Friday.
And yet they still talk.
March is still a ways off and Minnesota has plenty of time to right the ship. Two teams have the potential to put six in the NCAA finals and one of them is Minnesota.
Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes were left for dead - by many - when legendary head coach Dan Gable retired. All Jim Zalesky did was keep the NCAA trophy in Iowa City, winning three titles from 1998-00.
In the world of what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, Zalesky has drawn criticism the last two mat seasons. I mean, come on, Iowa was runner up to the Gophers in 2001 and dropped all the way to fourth last season.
In no way is Iowa as dominant as some of the Lincoln McIlravy, Joe Williams, Mark Ironside teams but checking the rankings and looking at some of the dual scores, the Hawkeyes are making another run for the gold.
They come to Stillwater with just three seniors in the lineup and a sophomore named Steve Mocco, who, like him or not, is pretty tough to beat.
While Zalesky and the Hawkeyes can still remember drinking out the trophy, Oklahoma State's memory of hoisting the hardware on a Saturday night isn't as familiar.
Not since 1994, when Pat Smith became the first four-time champion and a freshman named Mark Branch rolled through the 167-pound bracket, have the Cowboys won a national title.
They have won their share of dual meets but have watched Iowa, and now Minnesota, celebrate on selected Saturdays the past eight years.
Oklahoma State pretty much invented the NCAA-winning celebration. Under Edward C. Gallagher, the Cowboys won 11 titles from 1928-40.
Art Griffith won eight more from 1941-56 and Myron Roderick's teams won six titles from 1958-68.
However, only four times since 1971 has OSU been crowned champions of Division I.
Iowa stole OSU's thunder for three decades.
Minnesota is acting like they have been there for a century - they finished 19th in 1996 - and are talking like they may never lose again.
It's time for the Cowboys to take back what they made popular, and in the meantime, get some respect from the grandchildren.
Remember the opening scene from Monty Python's Meaning of Life?
The difference is the Cowboys are armed with Skyler Holman, Johnny Thompson, Zack Esposito, Jerrod Sanders, Shane Roller, Tyrone Lewis, Chris Pendleton, Jake Rosholt, Muhammed Lawal and Willie Gruenwald.
Interesting event
Former Cowboy Eric Guerrero will take part in the Titan Games, Feb. 14-15, in San Jose, Calif. The event features the United States' 2004 Olympic hopefuls in wrestling, boxing, fencing, weightlifting, judo, taekwondo and karate in a two-day festival.
The different disciplines will take place on four platforms simultaneously and the event is the first of its kind.
Russia and Cuba are expected to participate in wrestling.
"I am excited to return to where I grew up," said Guerrero, a three-time California state champion. "San Jose is a huge wrestling town. It got me on my way and heading in the direction that I am going today. It will be great to see family and friends and to compete in front of people who have never seen me on the international level."
Guerrero is expected to be joined by Stephen Abas, Chris Bono, Casey Cunningham, Cael Sanderson, Tim Hartung and Kerry McCoy to make up the U.S. squad.
