University of Missouri
Oklahoma
Tiger Wrestling Falls to Oklahoma
2/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 26, 2002
The No. 9 Missouri wrestling team closed out the regular season on Tuesday with a 23-12 loss to No. 6 Oklahoma. The Tigers won four of the ten bouts on the night, two of which were upsets. Missouri finishes the regular season with an 18-3 record.
The dual began with the heavyweight match where No. 4 Leonce Crump of Oklahoma defeated MU junior Kevin Herron by a 7-4 decision. Herron finishes the regular season 20-11.
At 125 pounds, No. 6 Matt Ridings of OU recorded a 7-3 decision over junior Mark Bader. Bader closes out the regular season with a 17-14 overall record.
In the 133-pound match, Oklahoma's Witt Durden, ranked No. 4, defeated freshman Chris McCormick with a 14-8 major decision.
Sophomore J.P. Reese picked up Mizzou's first win of the night by defeating No. 9 Nate Parker in the 141-pound match 6-4. Reese improved to 22-8 on the year and is now 3-1 in the Big 12 Conference.
At 149 pounds, No. 8 Jared Frayer of OU defeated MU sophomore and No. 12 ranked Jeremy Spates by a score of 6-3. Spates finishes the regular season 23-6 overall.
Tiger sophomore Kenny Burleson, ranked No. 15 at 157 pounds, picked up an 8-5 decision over No. 11 Doug Cieleski. Burleson leads the team in wins with a record of 27-8 on the season.
In the 165-pound match, No. 9 Robert Waller pinned MU redshirt freshman Tyron Woodley in the first period. Woodley's record now stands at 18-8.
MU's lone senior in the lineup on senior night, John Kopnisky, recorded a 4-0 win over Michael Barger in the 174-pound bout. Kopnisky is now 23-4 on the year and improved to a perfect 4-0 in the Big 12 Conference. The win also places Kopnisky in third place on the all-time wins list at Missouri with 103 career victories.
No. 7 Josh Lambrecht of Oklahoma defeated MU junior Dante Stone by a 12-1 major decision. Stone closes the season with a 16-11 record.
In the final match of the night, Tiger sophomore Scott Barker, the No. 7 ranked 197-pound wrestler, defeated the Sooners' Tommy Grossman 15-8. Barker's record improves to 22-2 on the season and he is 3-1 in Big 12 Conference competition.
Missouri closes out the regular season having recorded its first winning season in nine years and the Tigers tied a school record for wins in a season with eighteen. MU reached its highest ranking ever at No. 9 in the nation, a spot it has held for nine consecutive weeks.
Ten different Tigers spent time ranked in the top 20 and currently six MU wrestlers are ranked among the nation's best.
Next up for Missouri are the Big 12 Championships on March 9 in Norman, Okla.
OKLAHOMA 23 MISSOURI 12
HWT- Leonce Crump (OU) dec. Kevin Herron (MU) 7-4
125- Matt Ridings (OU) dec. Mark Bader (MU) 7-3
133- Witt Durden (OU) maj. dec. Chris McCormick (MU)14-8
141- J.P. Reese (MU) dec. Nate Parker (OU) 6-4
149- Jared Frayer (OU) dec. Jeremy Spates (MU) 6-3
157- Kenny Burleson (MU) dec. Doug Cieleski (OU) 8-5
165- Robbie Waller (OU) fall Tyron Woodley (MU) 1:48
174- John Kopnisky (MU) dec. Michael Barger (OU) 4-0
184- Josh Lambrecht (OU) maj. dec. Dante Stone (MU) 12-1
197- Scott Barker (MU) dec. Tommy Grossman (OU) 15-8
