Jan. 11, 2000
Columbia, Mo. - Three opponents await the University of Missouri wrestling team this weekend at the Brown University Duals. On Saturday, January 15, MU will take on Franklin and Marshall (1-1) at 11 a.m., followed by matches with Army (0-2) and Brown (1-3). Missouri will look to even its record which now stands at 3-6.
The Tigers are coming off a 1-1 performance at the Central Michigan/Hampton Inn ?Duels?. MU defeated Findlay, 27-9 before dropping a 26-10 decision to Central Michigan.
With two months of the season in the books, the Missouri squad features two wrestlers who have reached the 20-win plateau (John Kopnisky 24-2, 174, Jeremy Spates 21-5, 141), one with 18 wins (Jeff Urban 18-8, 149), one with 17 wins (Jesse Jordan 17-12, 157) and one with 14 wins (Kevin Herron 14-8, 197). Those records suggest the Tigers have made significant improvements over last season?s club and seem to be on the verge of equal team success.
Herron and Urban each won two matches last weekend, earning each a spot on the Central Michigan/Hampton Inn All-Tournament team. Herron, who is only a true sophomore, has won four straight matches, dating back to his two wins at the Great Plains Open which earned him third place and his victories last weekend. The 197-pound wrestler will likely pass his career-high win total of 15, which he set last season during his freshman campaign when he finished 15-17.
Urban will move up the national rankings from his No. 20 spot on the strength of an overtime pin of Jeremy Harden of Central Michigan, who was ranked No. 16 at the time of their match. Urban, who has won three of his last four duals, now stands at 18-8 overall, 5-4 in dual matches. Two wins at the Brown Duals would give him 20 wins for the fourth consecutive season. Entering weekend competition, Urban stands only 13 wins shy of becoming the seventh Missouri wrestler in history to reach 100 wins for his career.
Kopnisky and Spates each lost last-second matches to Central Michigan wrestlers, each of whom was ranked No. 6 in the nation at his weight class. Kopnisky dropped a 2-1 decision to Ryan Cunningham, while Spates lost a 3-2 decision to Chris Marshall on a takedown in the final 20 seconds. For Kopnisky, the loss was only his second of the season. Spates lost just his fifth match of the year and remains Missouri?s top freshman.
The meeting with Franklin and Marshall will be the first for Missouri since the two schools met in 1973. Missouri won that match 22-16. The Army match will mark the first time Missouri and the United State Military Academy have met for wrestling. The Brown-Missouri matchup will be the first since 1994 when the Tigers defeated the Bears, 27-14 at the Virginia Duals.
The Tigers are next in action Thursday, January 20 when they travel to Marshall, Mo. for a three-way dual with Missouri Valley (NAIA) and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. One week later, January 27, Missouri hosts Central Missouri State for its next home dual. The match begins at 7 p.m. and will be held in the Hearnes Arena