LARAMIE – Only four wrestlers at each weight at the NCAA Championships finish their season with a win, and Jore Volk is one of them.
The University of Wyoming sophomore secured a seventh-place finish by winning five of his last six bouts, with the final victory occurring Saturday morning inside the T-Mobile Center. This strong finish earned Volk his first All-American award at 125 pounds.
“I’m proud of my performance and what I was able to do on the back side (of the bracket),” Volk said. “It’s big for me knowing I can compete with anybody. It helps my mindset, going into every match believing I can get the job done.”
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Volk sealed his run with a 4-0 decision victory over South Dakota State’s Tanner Jordan, bouncing back from a loss in the Round of 32. He secured an early takedown and accumulated enough riding time for additional cushion.
With a 5-2 record at the NCAA Championships, Volk notably upset Penn State’s No. 1 seed Braeden Davis. This marked a significant improvement from his 1-2 performance at last year’s tournament, though head coach Mark Branch believes there’s still room for growth.
“He’s got so much more,” Branch said. “We know it. He’s got to untap and open up his offense. He just built upon what he did at the Big 12 Tournament. There’s a lot of room for improvements, but he’s walking away with that momentum. That’s a big thing.”
Gabe Willochell (149) and Joey Novak (197) also showed off their skills, each finishing with a 2-2 record at the championships, securing a pair of upsets along the way.
