March 3, 1999
Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri wrestling squad travels to Ames, Iowa this weekend where Iowa State University will play host to the 1999 Big 12 Wrestling Championships. The Tigers are coming off a 21-15 victory over Northern Illinois to close their season, February 21, where Missouri won six of ten matches.
MU will send ten men to the mat on Saturday in search of the schools first Big 12 champion and first conference champion since Joe Weir championed the 177 division in 1996.
Jeff Urban (149), enters the tournament with a 20-10 record and a No. 19 ranking in the nation by Intermat Magazine. In 1999, Urban led the team with five wins by pin, climbing as high as No. 15 after his February 7 defeat of then No. 6 Cole Sanderson from Iowa State. Over a two month stretch, the junior won eight consecutive dual matches as he broke into the national polls. Urban will be the No. 4 or 5 seed in a weight class that features a nationally ranked wrestler from each of the five schools. With a couple of wins, Jeff can assured himself a spot at the NCAA Championships.
John Kopnisky (174) could be another Tiger who can make some noise in the conference event. The redshirt freshman was 18-10 this season, wrestling at 165 for the first half of the year, and then moving to 174 when Jesse Jordan returned to the lineup after knee surgery. John will be after a strong performance in an effort to qualify himself for one of the conferences five wild card selections for the NCAA Championships.
Kevin Herron stepped into the starting lineup mid-season at 197 and showed great promise for the future of Missouri wrestling. Of his 14 wins, four came by pin of his opponent and four were major decision victories for the freshman. Kevins victory total was also the most by a Missouri true freshman in this season.
The heavyweight position has been held down all year by Chad Hertzog, a freshman from Lees Summit, Missouri who came to the program as an undefeated state champion from the year before. The big man progressed well all year towards developing into a strong collegiate wrestler as he ended the season with two wins over heavyweights from Nebraska and Northern Illinois.
Another one of MU's young guns is redshirt freshman Jesse Jordan at 165. He began the season at 157, going 11-8 before a minor knee injury forced out of the lineup and into surgery to repair a partially torn miniscus. When he returned six weeks later he moved to 165 to fill out of the lineup for the season's final three weeks. At the higher weight Jordan went 3-4, finishing the regular season with a two-match winning streak versus Nebraska and Northern Illinois. In the seasons first half, Jordan wrestled to a second place finsh at the Central Missouri State Open and fourth place at the St. Louis Open.
Wrestling for Missouri at 157 is the teams lone senior member, Matt Webster. The native of Washington, Illinois started the season at 149, but when Jesse Jordan went out with a knee injury, Webster stepped up for the team and moved to 157. Once in the starters role Matt wrestled to a third place finish at the Great Plains Open and four consecutive dual match victories. He enters his final post-season as a Tiger on a two-match winning streak after posting wins versus Nebraska and Northern Illinois.
Missouri 1998 NCAA qualifier Jason Moore is the Tigers' man at 184. Moore earned a wild card bid to the national meet last year by finishing fourth at 167 at the Big 12 Championships. This season, has been a struggle for the two-time Missouri state high school champion. By moving up a weight class from last season, Moore has encountered more physical wrestling and has had to adjust to the change. As the terams captain, Jason went 11-17 this season, winning the Central Missouri State Open at 184.
Missouris 133 spot is filled by the "Buzzsaw". Freshman Mark Bader earned his nickname, with his early season success and his "go for broke" style of wrestling. Mark compiled a 10-15 record over the year, earning place honors at both the Central Missouri State Open and St. Louis Open, where he finished fifth and fourth repsectively.
Junior college transfer Jake Lapinski wrestles for Missouri at 125. The junior came to Mizzou from Meremec Community College in St. Louis where he was a juco all-American. Jake compiled only a 9-16 record, but earned a fourth place finish at the Great Plains Open with a 2-2 record. In the season's first open at Central Missouri State, Lapinski went 4-1 and finished second overall.
Walk-on Cliff Sutcliffe has struggled through a 2-18 season at 141, but has continually worked hard for Head Coach Brian Smith from the seasons begining. In four years at Pacific (Mo.) High School. Cliff was 117-24 and at three-time MVP of the Pacific wrestling team.
The Big 12 Championships begin at 11 am with first round matches on Saturday. Championship semi-finals start at noon and the consolation and third place matches will be held begining at 4 pm. The championships will be tape-delay broadcast by Fox Sports Chicago on Sunday, March 14 at 2 pm. Tickets for the championships are available at $15 for reserved seats, $10 adult general admission, and $5 18 and under student. For ticket information call 1-888-478-2925.
1999 Big 12 Wrestling Championships Preliminary Seedings:
125
1. Teague Moore Oklahoma State
2. Shane Valdez Oklahoma
3. Paul Gomez Nebraska
4. Jake Lapinski Missouri
5. Jesse West Iowa State
133
1. Eric Guerrero Oklahoma St.
2. Cody Sanderson Iowa State
3. Dane Valdez Oklahoma
4. Todd Beckerman Nebraska
5. Mark Bader Missouri
141
1. Michael Lightner Oklahoma
2. Jose DeAnda Nebraska
3. Charles Walker Oklahoma State
4. Benji Winegarden Iowa State
5. Cliff Sutcliffe Missouri
149
1. Reggie Wright Oklahoma State
2. Joe Henson Nebraska
3. Jared Frayer Oklahoma
4. Jeff Urban Missouri
5. Cole Sanderson Iowa State
157
1. Jimmy Arias Oklahoma State
2. Brian Snyder Nebraska
3. David Maldonado Iowa State
4. David Kjeldgaard Oklahoma
5. Matt Webster Missouri
165
1. Joe Heskett Iowa State
2. Rod Jones Oklahoma
3. Ty Wilcox Oklahoma
4. Jesse Jordan Missouri
5. Joe Henson Nebraska
174
1. Mark Smith Oklahoma State
2. Michael Barger Oklahoma
3. Perry Parks Iowa State
4. John Kopnisky Missouri
5. Charles McTorry Nebraska
184
1. Cael Sanderson Iowa State
2. Mark Munoz Oklahoma State
3. Brad Vering Nebraska
4. Tom Grossman Oklahoma
5. Jason Moore Missouri
197
1. Zach Thompson Iowa State
2. Scott Munson Nebraska
3. Josh Cruzan Oklahoma State
4. Waymon May Oklahoma
5. Kevin Herron Missouri
HWT
1. J.R. Plienis Nebraska
2. John Henry Ward Oklahoma
3. Mark Knauer Iowa State
4. Dave Anderton Oklahoma State
5. Chad Hertzog Missouri