February 10, 1999

Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri Wrestling team heads to Oklahoma to face two national title contenders this weekend in Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Sooners are ranked #4 in the nation by the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the Cowboys currently hold the #1 ranking with an undefeated 19-0 record. Fridays match in Norman begins at 7 pm and the dual with OSU will start at 3:30 pm.

The Tigers enter this weekends action having lost their last two matches to #25 Northern Iowa and #5 Iowa State. Missouri wrestled tough in both matches and had the opportunity to win several matches, but could not put it all together. This weekends matches will be a challenge for a Missouri team that has improved over the course of the season.

The Sooners are 12-5-1 overall, but stand winless in the Big 12 at 0-3-1. Two of those losses in conference have come by a total of five points, an 18-17 defeat at the hands of Nebraska and a 19-15 loss to OSU. Oklahoma returns eight starters from last years squad that finish 15th at the NCAA Championships.

As for the Cowboys from Oklahoma State winning wrestling is a way of life. OSU returns four All-Americans from the 98 team including national champions Eric Guerrero (133) and Teague Moore (125). At the NCAA meet last year, the Cowboys finished in third place and enter Saturdays match with a 66 match winning streak.

Missouri will conclude their home schedule, Wednesday, February 17 when they play host to Nebraska at 7 pm in the Hearnes Fieldhouse. The Tigers finish finish the reguar season Saturday, February 21 at Northern Illinois.

NOTES ON MIZZOU

Movin On Up the Polls

MU junior Jeff Urban has continued his climg up the national polls at 149. Urban won two matches over the weekend raising his consecutive dual wins streak to eight. On Sunday, Jeffs win came on a last second takedown of #6 Cole Sanderson of Iowa State. At OU and OSU Urban will face two more top ten wrestlers, in #2 Reggie Wright of OSU and #8 Jeff Frayer of OU. Urbans record now stands at 19-7 overall, 8-1 in dual action. The native of Wichita, Kansas has earned dual victories over Indiana, Purdue, Wyoming, Lindenwood, Missouri Valley, Central Missouri State, Northern Iowa and Iowa State.

The Last Time They Met on the Mat

Last year the Sooners and Cowboys scored victories over the Tigers in Big 12 conference action. Oklahoma defeated Missouri 29-14 in Columbia on February 14. Mike Harp and Matt Webster scored major decision wins for MU and Jeff Urban gained a forfeit victory. The next day OSU shutout the Tigers 37-0 stretching their undeafeated streak versus Missouri to 25 matches.

Horton Named to Select Team Staff

Missouri assistant wrestling coach Bart Horton has been named assistant coach of a Big 12 select team that will travel to Korea in May. Horton was selected for the position by vote of the conferences head wrestling coaches. Nebraska head coach Tim Nuemann will be the select teams head man. "This is an excellent opportunity for me to coach some of the elite athletes in the Big 12," Horton said of his appointment. "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 with the Korean Junior Nationals over a ten day period at the end of May 1999. Each of the five Big 12 schools with wrestling programs will be guaranteed representation by at least one wrestler. The other five positions will be filled on an at-large basis based on individual results at the end of the season. Head coach Brian Smith thinks this is 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."

PROBABLE LINEUPS AND RECORDS VERSUS OKLAHOMA

125 Jake Lapinski (7-12) versus Shane Valdez (25-3)

133 Mark Bader (13-11) versus Dane Valdez (10-9)

141 Cliff Sutcliffe (1-15) versus Michael Lightner (30-2)

149 #19 Jeff Urban (19-7) versus Jared Frayer (21-9)

157 Matt Webster (16-7) versus David Kjeldgaard (12-7)

165 Jesse Jordan (11-7) versus Rodney Jones (27-3)

174 John Kopnisky (17-9) versus Michael Barger (13-12) or Keith Wilson (13-5)

184 Jason Moore (13-13) versus Tom Grossman (14-10)

197 Kevin Herron (9-11) versus Waymon May (21-12)

HWT Chad Hertzog (9-10) versus John Henry Ward (20-5)

PROBABLE LINEUPS MU VERSUS OKLAHOMA STATE

125 Jake Lapinski (7-12) versus Teague Moore (20-2)

133 Mark Bader (13-11) versus Eric Guerrero (22-0)

141 Cliff Sutcliffe (1-15) versus Charles Walker (22-6)

149 #19 Jeff Urban (19-7) versus Reggie Wright (18-1)

157 Matt Webster (16-7) versus Jimmy Arias (16-4)

165 Jesse Jordan (11-7) versus Ty Wilcox (9-10)

174 John Kopnisky (17-9) versus Mark Smith (27-0)

184 Jason Moore (13-13) versus Mark Munoz (15-6)

197 Kevin Herron (9-11) versus Josh Cruzan (11-14)

HWT Chad Hertzog (9-10) versus Dave Anderson (16-8)