Two Top-10 Teams Await Mizzou Wrestlers
2/8/2000 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 8, 2000
Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri wrestling team hits the road this week for duals versus two top-10 opponents. First up is a date with the No. 3-ranked Iowa State Cyclones in Ames on Friday night beginning at 7 p.m. Then on Sunday, MU takes on No. 9 Northern Iowa at West Gym in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Sunday's match will start at 2 p.m.
MU is coming off a 22-16 victory over Eastern Illinois at Hearnes Center. The win was Mizzou's 10th of the season, moving its mark to 10-8 overall. The 1999-2000 squad now has more wins than any Missouri wrestling team since the 1984-85 team finished the season 11-10.
The Tigers have been getting team wins with a combination of veteran experience and young talent. Senior JEFF URBAN (149), the team's lone senior, has run off 11 straight dual wins, pushing his record to a career-best 27-8. His leadership down the stretch has brought out the best in his teammates as the Big 12 Conference championships and NCAA Championships draw nearer. Urban qualified for last year's NCAAs but lost two matches finishing the season 20-12. In 2000, Urban has his sights set on an All-American award--a top-8 finish--at Kiel Center in St. Louis, site of the 2000 NCAA Championships
Leading MU with 28 wins is JOHN KOPNISKY (174). The sophomore from Carmel, Ind. is 28-3 overall, 12-2 in duals and 2-0 in Big 12 action. A win for the 12th-ranked Kopnisky over Iowa State's Perry Parks on Friday would set up a showdown dual with Oklahoma's Byron Tucker next week at Hearnes. Assuming a Kopnisky win at ISU, next Thursday's Kopnisky-Tucker bout would decide the No. 1-seed at the Big 12 Conference championships at 174 pounds. Sunday's bout with No. 6 Randy Pugh of Northern Iowa would add another impressive line to Kopnisky's 1999-2000 resume, if the Tiger can pull off the upset over the highly ranked Panther.
Another couple of sophomores who have saved their best wrestling for the season's final month are KEVIN HERRON (197) and JESSE WEST (125). A loss last Sunday to Eastern Illinois' Zach Derrico snapped Herron's 12-match winning streak, but the sophomore is still having a career-year at 22-8. Unranked throughout the season despite his win streak, Herron will take on No. 4 Zach Thompson of Iowa State and No. 18 Tony Wieland of Northern Iowa this weekend. Both bouts give Herron opportunity to strengthen his case for an NCAA Tournament bid with victories.
West has taken well to Tiger stripes since coming to MU from Iowa State at the semester break. The sophomore is 9-2 as a Tiger, including two fall victories, at Brown and at home versus Eastern Illinois, which helped propel Missouri to two dual wins. With West in the lineup at 125, Missouri is 8-3, as compared to a 2-5 record during the first semester when MU was forced to forfeit at 125 pounds in all seven duals.
Freshman JEREMY SPATES (141) is looking to break a two-match losing streak, when he takes on Iowa State's Sonny Marchette and Northern Iowa's Nick Flach. Both wrestlers, like Spates, are ranked among the nation's top-20 at 141 pounds. Spates in enjoying an outstanding freshman campaign with a 27-8 record as he distinguishes himself as one the top young grapplers in the Big 12. A win for Spates over Marchette would put the Tiger on the No.2-No.3-seed side of the Big 12 championship bracket, keeping him away from an extra match as the fourth seed.
A sleeper heading into post-season wrestling may be sophomore JESSE JORDAN (157). The Jefferson City, Mo. native is having a banner season with a 24-13 record. A couple of wins in the final four duals could give Jordan the confidence to make some noise at the Big 12 Championships and beyond.
Friday's match with Iowa State will break a nearly two-month drought between Big 12 Conference duals for MU. After taking on Oklahoma State (Nov. 18) and Nebraska (Dec. 12) during the season's first month, Missouri has faced 13 consecutive non-conference opponents. The Tigers are 9-4 since losing to Nebraska, 32-6 in their last Big 12 dual.
The Iowa State Cyclones are 16-2 overall and 1-1 in Big 12 competition. ISU defeated Oklahoma State, 22-10, but dropped an 18-17 decision to Oklahoma. The Cyclones did beat the Sooners earlier in the season to claim the championship of the NWCA National Duals, 18-15. ISU features wrestlers in the top-20 individual poll in all but one weight class (174), with undefeated, defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Cael Sanderson leading the way at 184.
Northern Iowa boasts a No. 1-ranked wrestler of their own in senior Tony Davis, the 1999 national runner-up at 149 pounds. Davis is 17-0 overall, 13-0 in duals. Six other Panthers are ranked this week as well. Northern Iowa stands at 9-3-2, but will wrestle Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla. on Friday before taking on the Tigers on Sunday.
Following this weekend's action, Missouri has two duals remaining on their regular season schedule. Both are home matches which will take place on Wednesday, February 16 at 8 p.m. versus Oklahoma and Sunday, February 20 at 1 p.m. versus Northern Illinois.
PROBABLE MISSOURI STARTING LINEUP
125 Jesse West 9-2
133 Mark Bader 11-23
141 Jeremy Spates 27-8
149 Jeff Urban 27-8
157 Jesse Jordan 24-13
165 Tim Hawks 3-12
174 John Kopnisky 28-3
184 Josh Maze 16-24
197 Kevin Herron 22-8
HWT Chad Hertzog 16-14
TIGER TEAM LEADERS
Total Wins John Kopnisky, 28
Dual Wins Kevin Herron, 14 Jeff Urban, 14
Takedowns Jeremy Spates, 59
Reversals Jesse Jordan, 14
Near Fall 2 Kevin Herron, 6
Near Fall 3 Kevin Herron, 14
Falls Kevin Herron, 7
Total Points Jeremy Spates, 191
Team Dual Points Kevin Herron, 71
Team Pts. Overall Kevin Herron, 94
Watching The Numbers
2, Number of wins John Kopnisky needs to reach 30 wins.
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3, Number of wins Jeff Urban and Jeremy Spates need in each reach 30 wins.
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4, Number of wins Jeff Urban needs to reach 100 for his career. He would be just the seventh wrestler in school history to reach the mark.
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11, Consecutive wins by Jeff Urban.
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94, Match points scored by Kevin Herron with his 22 wins overall.
