January 27, 1999

Columbia, Mo. - Missouri assistant wrestling coach Bart Horton has been named assistant coach of a select team of Big 12 wrestlers that will travel to Korea in May. Horton was selected for the position by vote of the conference's head wrestling coaches. Nebraska head coach Tim Neumann will be the head coach of the team.

"This is an excellent opportunity for me to coach some of the elite athletes in the Big 12," Horton said. "It is an honor to be chosen by my peers and I think it will be good for the wrestling program here at Missouri."

The team will consist of ten wrestlers from the conference, who will compete in the Korea Junior Nationals tourney over a ten day period the end of May 1999. Each of the five Big 12 schools with wrestling programs will be represented by one wrestler automatically, leaving five spots to be chosen on at-large basis once the Big 12 season has been completed.

Head coach Brian Smith thinks this a great chance for his first-year assistant.

"This is an outstanding opportunity for Bart and for our program. He is a great recruiter and this goes along way to him developing relationships with kids from other schools and being seen as a respected coach within the Big 12."

Bart is no stranger to the Big 12 conference having been an All-American in his own right at Iowa State and graduating from the school in 1997. He was also twice a freestyle All-American wrestler and a four-year letterman for the Cyclones. After graduating from ISU, Horton spent one year as head wrestling coach at Heelan High School in Sioux City, Iowa before joining Brian Smith's staff this past August.||