March 3, 2001
Stillwater, Okla. - University of Missouri wrestlers Justin Spates (125), and John Kopnisky (174) each qualified for the NCAA Championships on Saturday via a Big 12 Conference wild card to the national meet. The University of Missouri team finished competition at the 2001 Big 12 Championships in fifth pace with 10.5 points and five fourth place finishers.
For Kopnisky it will be his second consecutive trip to the NCAA meet. The true freshmen Spates will be making his first NCAA trip for Missouri. The tournament will be held on the campus of the University of Iowa, March 15-17.
Six Tigers were in the running for NCAA automatic bids on Saturday, wrestling in the third/fourth place matches. A third place finish would have sent any of the six to the NCAA Championships. However, no MU grapplers were able to win in those matches.
"We wrestled very young today," Head Coach Brian Smith said. "We did not have the competitive fire necessary to compete at the Big 12 Championships. But we are glad to get Justin and John out to nationals."
Justin Spates (125), J.P. Reese (141), Kenny Burelson (149), John Kopnisky (174), Ry Stone (184), and Scott Barker (HWT) all dropped semi-final matches for MU. Burelson won his consolation semi-final match to qualify for the third/fourth place bout, but well short 8-4, to Iowa State's Billy Maldonado. Spates, Reese, Burelson, Stone and Barker all finished in fourth place. Kopnisky also took part in a challenge match for fourth place, and potentially a wild card to the NCAAs, but was pinned by Oklahoma's Michael Barger in 3:29 and finished in fifth place.
Three Tigers qualified for the NCAA Championships last year, when Jeff Urban, Jeremy Spates and Kopnisky competed at the national meet. The last Missouri Tiger to earn All-America honors at the NCAA Championships was Mike Harp in 1998. The
Missouri match results Day Two-Big 12 Championships
Justin Spates 21-10 Loss to Matt Brown (OSU), 4-3
Jesse West 15-16 Loss to Matt Azevedo (ISU), 12-9
J.P. Reese 16-12 Loss to Zach Roberson (ISU), 14-2
Kenny Burelson 23-10 Win over Travis Baker (NU), 4-1 Loss to Billy Maldonado (ISU), 8-4
Jesse Jordan 13-13 Loss to Shane Roller (OSU), 8-4
Mark Vollmar 15-24 Loss to Chris Pendleton (OSU), 5-2
John Kopnisky 28-7 Loss to Ati Conner (NU), 9-4 Loss by pin to Michael Barger (OU), 3:29
Ry Stone 15-16 Loss by pin to Josh Lambrecht (OU)
Dante Stone 15-14 Loss to Zach Thompson (ISU), 8-3
Scott Barker 15-10 Loss to Matt Kanuer (ISU), 6-5