Home Finale Pits UW Wrestlers Against Utah Valley

 

Pokes will honor one senior prior to matches

 

LARAMIE, Wyo. (Feb. 13, 2014) The home season for the University of Wyoming wrestling program will come to a close Saturday as the Pokes will battle Utah Valley in a Western Wrestling Conference showdown.

 

The details

It’s Senior Night for one Cowboy, Kyle Komata. The senior 141-pounder will be honored prior to matches. The dual represents the final home competition of the season for the Pokes, as they’ll have one dual and two postseason tournaments remaining, all on the road.

 

Matches begin at 7 p.m. from the UniWyo Sports Complex. Live results will be available on TrackWrestling.com and live video will be at GoWyo.com. A group of local youth wrestlers will hit the mats in an intermission period, between the fifth and sixth matches.

 

A look at the Cowboys

Winners of three straight, the Pokes (4-6 overall, 2-1 WWC) have found a rhythm in recent competitions and appear to be heating up at the right time. UW defeated Air Force 28-14 on Tuesday, thanks in large part to three pins. In the last three duals, the Pokes have racked up eight falls and have outscored opponents 98-32.

 

Five Pokes are in the national polls this week, with juniors Tyler Cox (eighth at 125 pounds), Andy McCulley (19^th at 157), Dakota Friesth (18^th at 165) and Shane Woods, 24^th at 197. Redshirt freshman Benjamin Stroh is 14^th at 184 pounds. 

 

A look at the Wolverines

Utah Valley is 6-7 overall but right in the thick of the conference race with a 2-1 WWC mark. On Wednesday, the Wolverines knocked off Northern Colorado 25-12. UVU will face Air Force on Friday night prior to heading north for the UW dual. Highlighting the Wolverine lineup is junior heavyweight Adam Fager, who is ranked 13^th in the nation.

 

Last time/series history

In the last meeting, on Jan. 20, 2013, Wyoming took down UVU on the road, 20-12. Wins from current Cowboys Brandon Richardson, McCulley and Woods gave the Pokes their first conference win of last year.

                                   

Saturday’s contest will be the 10^th meeting in series history. UW holds an 8-1 advantage in the series, winning each matchup since 2006-07.

 

The matchups

125 pounds: #8/8/10 Tyler Cox vs. Jade Rauser (UVU)

133: Gunnar Woodburn vs. Chasen Tolbert (UVU)

141: Kyle Komata OR Cole Mendenhall vs. Avery Garner (UVU)

149: Brandon Richardson vs. Trevor Willson (UVU)

157: #NR/19/24 Andy McCulley vs. Chase Cuthbertson (UVU)

165: #NR/NR/18 Dakota Friesth vs. OR Logan Addis OR Curtis Abner Cook (UVU)

174: Brent Havlik vs. Monte Schmalhaus (UVU)

184: #18/14/17 Benjamin Stroh vs. Abel Gomez OR Ethan Smith (UVU)

197: #NR/NR/24 Shane Woods vs. Derek Thomas (UVU)

285: Tanner Harms OR Leland Pfeifer vs. #13/13/13 Adam Fager OR Richard Larsen (UVU)

 

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