Jeremy Spates won his first match at the NCAA Championships, 8-5Jeremy Spates won his first match at the NCAA Championships, 8-5
Wrestling

Missouri Wrestling Results After NCAA Championships First Round

March 16, 2000

St. Louis, Mo. - The University of Missouri went 1-2 in the first round of competition today at the NCAA Wrestling Championships held at Kiel Center in St. Louis, Mo. Freshman Jeremy Spates, wrestling at his first NCAA event, cameback from a 5-1 deficit, to defeat Northern Iowa's Nick Flach, 8-5. Flach is the No. 12-seed at 141 pounds, Spates is unseeded.

Tiger senior Jeff Urban (149) wrestled a tough first round match with Illinois' Adam Tirapelle, the No. 2-seed, losing 6-3. Also falling in the first round was John Kopnisky, MU's 174-pound sophomore. Kopnisky lost to Gabe McMahan of Iowa, the No. 9-seed, 15-9.

All three will wrestle tonight in the second round and consolation bracket. Spates will take on No. 5-seed Jamill Kelly of Oklahoma State in second round action, while Urban will face Dennis Whitby of Old Dominion in the wrestlebacks. Kopnisky has Minnesota's Delaney Berger up next in the wrestlebacks.