OU Wrestlers Prepare For NCAA Championships

March 15, 2000

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Seven of nine University of Oklahoma wrestlers have received seeds at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, held this Thursday through Saturday, at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Mo. The Sooners were ranked fourth in the final NWCA poll and look to win their first team championship since 1974. OU has not crowned an individual champion since John Kading claimed the title at 190 pounds in 1996.

Undefeated and top-ranked 174-pounder Byron Tucker (29-0) is the lone Sooner to earn a number-one seed and will face Michigan State's Will Hill in the opening round. Tucker defeated Hill, 11-4, in their only previous meeting this season. Michael Lightner (29-3) received a No. 2 seed at 141 pounds and wrestles Cory Ace of Edinboro in his first match. Quantres Bates (24-2), seeded fourth at 125 pounds, faces Ruben DeLeon of Cal. State-Bakersfield and David Kjeldgaard (27-3), also seeded fourth at 157 pounds, will wrestle a pig tail match against Indiana's Kevin Stanley. Orville Palmer, 197 pounds, (20-10) will receive a bye in the opening round after earning the fifth seed. Robbie Waller (22-5) will face Jeff Rusak of Old Dominion and is seeded eighth at 165 pounds. Seeded No. 12 at 149 pounds, Jared Frayer (23-9) wrestles Clarion's Stan Spoor. Only two Sooners, Tom Grossman (184) and Brent Boeshans (Hwt.) failed to earn seeds. Grossman will face fourth-seeded Brandon Eggum in the opening round and Boeshans wrestles Tim Courtad, a ninth seed from Ohio.

"After receiving our first-round draw, we know we have to wrestle hard and that's what it takes to win the national tournament," said Head Coach Jack Spates. "The bottom line is that we have to be ready from the first to last whistle. We have to wrestle hard and that's what we're planning to do."

First round action begins Thursday at 11 a.m.

OU's First Round Matches

Hwt:	Brent Boeshans, OU vs. #9 Tim Courtad, Ohio
125:	#4 Quantres Bates, OU vs. Ruben DeLeon, Cal. State-Bakersfield
141:	#2 Michael Lightner, OU vs. Cory Ace, Edinboro
149:	#12 Jared Frayer, OU vs. Stan Spoor, Clarion
157:	#4 David Kjeldgaard, OU vs. Kevin Stanley
165:	#8 Robbie Waller, OU vs. Jeff Rusak, Old Dominion
174:	#1 Byron Tucker, OU vs. Will Hill, Michigan State
184:	Tom Grossman, OU vs. #4 Brandon Eggum, Minnesota
197:	#5 Orville Palmer, OU received bye

University of Oklahoma Athletics

OU Wrestlers Prepare For NCAA Championships

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