Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Wrestling Set to Compete at NWCA National Duals
April 16, 2003 | Cowboy Wrestling
Oklahoma State's top-ranked wrestling team travels to Columbus, Ohio, to compete in the NWCA National Duals. The top 16 teams in the country will take part in the annual dual team championship. The Cowboys enter the tournament with the top seed and will face Northern Iowa on Saturday at 8 a.m. (CST)
On Northern Iowa
The Panthers are coming off a 21-15 win over No. 25 Norther Illinois, last Saturday. The Huskies scored the first seven points and led most of the match, but the Panthers prevailed coming away with the 21-15 win. The Panthers are coached by Brad Penrith and return one All-American in Paul Hynek (285 pounds).
Last Time Out
Oklahoma State's top-ranked wrestling team won six of the 10 bouts en route to a 24-15 victory over the second-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, Sunday afternoon before, 9,026 fans in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The "Dynasty Dual" featured 17 ranked wrestlers, with 10 of them ranked in the top five. The dual marked the first 1-2 match up of the two teams since the 1997-98 season. Oklahoma State and Iowa have combined for 50 NCAA championships.
The Cowboys (6-0, 2-0) won four of the first five matches to take an early 13-3 lead heading into the intermission.
The Hawkeyes (5-1, 0-0) would come roaring back after the break, winning the next three matches to take a 15-14 lead.
Freshman standout Zack Esposito electrified the crowd after pinning No. 18 Luke Moffitt. The win put the Cowboys back on top 20-15.
The second-ranked Blair Academy product recorded a quick takedown and a two-point nearfall igniting the crowd, and giving him a 4-0 lead.
Moffitt would use an escape and a takedown to cut the lead to 4-3, only to see it diminish as Esposito reversed Moffitt, extending his lead to 6-3. Moffitt would record an escape before the second period.
Esposito reversed Moffitt to begin the second frame. He then put him on his back, pinning him in 4:06, propelling the Cowboys to victory.
The Cowboys moved the all-time series record against the Hawkeyes to 19-15-1, and have won six of the last seven duals.
Last year at the National Duals
The Cowboys finished seventh at last year's National Duals, going 3-2. The Cowboys won their first dual, 36-6, against Michigan State, but fell to host Ohio State, 19-15. In the consolation bracket, OSU wrestled Fresno State, Iowa State and Pennsylvania. The Pokes beat the Bulldogs, 25-16, before losing to Iowa State, 25-20. The Cowboys finished the tournament by defeating Pennsylvania, 23-15, in the seventh place match.
Esposito Makes Immediate Impact
Freshman standout Zack Esposito has made an immediate impact on Cowboy wrestling. The Three Bridges, N.J., native has been perfect thus far in his collegiate career, winning his first 14 matches and helping the Pokes to a 6-0 record. Among his 14 victories, six have come by fall and three by major decisions, a .643 bonus point winning percentage. He has defeated six ranked opponents and has defeated J.P. Reese and Luke Moffitt twice. Esposito has won two tournaments and notched O.W. honors at the Omaha Open.
Bonus Points
Oklahoma State has enjoyed numerous bonus point wins in the past, and that tradition has not changed today. The Cowboys have reeled off 15 bonus point wins in dual action. The Cowboy have charged out to a 6-0 record, including wins against three top five opponents; Oklahoma, Iowa and Minnesota, and a lot of this is due to bonus point victories. Here is the top five percentage of bonus point wins in duals. Tyrone Lewis 66%
Muhammed Lawal 66%
*Zack Esposito 60%
Chris Pendleton 50%
Jerrod Sanders 33%
Jake Rosholt 33%
*has only wrestled in five duals
The Rankings
Nine Cowboys are ranked in the top 10 individually by Amateur Wrestling News. Zack Esposito, Tyrone Lewis and Chris Pendleton lead the way for the Pokes at second, while Muhammed Lawal and Johnny Thompson are each ranked third. Shane Roller rounds out the top five at four. Skyler Holman holds the sixth spot, while Jerrod Sanders is ranked seventh. Jake Rosholt has moved up in the rankings to eighth after winning six of his last eight matches, including a 6-0 victory over Damion Hahn.
Team Rankings
Oklahoma State remains atop the collegiate wrestling polls for the eighth consecutive week. Iowa and Minnesota remain at two and three, while Cornell and Ohio State round out the top five at fourth and fifth, respectively.
History of Cowboy Wrestling
In 83 seasons of wrestling, Oklahoma State has compiled an 862-90-20 record; a .886 winning percentage. The Cowboys have 30 national titles, which is 10 more of the next closest (Iowa). Their conference record in 43 season is a blistering 183-28-5, a .851 winning percentage. OSU owns 27 conference titles with its last one coming in 2001. Seventy-six Oklahoma State wrestlers have won 122 individual NCAA championships, and at least one individual champion has been from Oklahoma State in 56 of the 70 NCAA tournaments.
The Cowboy All-Americans
In the 70 years of the NCAA tournament, Oklahoma State has had more All-Americans than any other shcool in the nation. OSU has had 197 wrestlers earn All-America honors 378 times, and at least two competitors have been honored in every NCAA tournament except 1993. In 2002, four wrestlers captured All-America honors, with Johnny Thompson notching his first NCAA individual title. Shane Roller and Tyrone Lewis earned their second All-America status, while Skyler Holman captured his first honors. Only seven Oklahoma State wrestlers have been four-time All-Americans. Among the four is current strength and conditioning coach Eric Guerrero, who competed from 1996-99.
Cowboy National Champions
Seventy-six Oklahoma State wrestlers have won 122 individual NCAA championships. Six times in the NCAA, the Cowboys produced four individual champions in eight possible weights, an unparalledled record (there are now 10 weight divisions in NCAA competition). OSU's most recent individual national champion is current 133-pounder Johnny Thompson. He defeated Minnesota's Ryan Lewis, 5-4, in the finals to prevail as champion. Dating back to 1994, current head coach John Smith has had at least one wrestler win an individual title every year except 1996. This includes three-time National Champion Eric Guerrero, two-time National Champion Mark Branch and brother Pat Smith, who was the first wrestler in NCAA history to win four NCAA individual titles. All three wrestlers currently coach for Smith.
Smith Inducted into FILA Hall of Fame
At last week's dual against Iowa, FILA and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame were present to announce that the new location of the FILA International Wrestling Hall of Fame will be located in Stillwater at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. FILA also introduced the inagural inductees to the international hall of fame, which included head coach John Smith.
On the air
Oklahoma State wrestling 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. At the National Duals, the 8 a.m. session and the noon session can be heard on 780 AM due to the Cowboy basketball game. All other sessions can be heard on 93.7 FM.
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 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. He is also the only wrestler to win the James E. Sullivan Award, honoring the nation's top amateur athlete for the previous year.
