LARAMIE – The University of Wyoming wrestling squad will make its way to the nation’s capital for the American Duals on Friday. UW opens with host American at 1 p.m. MT, before facing off against North Carolina at 3 p.m. and Army West Point at 5 p.m.
Wyoming’s first match of the day will be streamed on the Patriot League Network at the link above. There is no charge to watch the event. All three matches will have live results on Trackwrestling.com. The link for the live results will be available Friday morning.
KNOW THE ENEMY
Before the Reno Tournament of Champions, head coach Mark Branch mentioned the excitement of being able to go up against teams that UW wouldn’t usually see. The Pokes will once again be able to do just that on Friday in Washington. The duals against Army and North Carolina will be just the second time in UW history. UW last saw Army in 2002, and the Tar Heels in 1976. It will be the first-ever dual against host American University.
American last competed at the 54th Annual Midlands Championship wrestling tournament on Dec. 30. The Eagles were led by sophomore Josh Terao, who placed third in the 125-pound weight class. AU finished 23rd as a team among a field that included 16 ranked squads. Terao has been the Eagles most consistent wrestler this season. He holds a 15-3 record heading into the American Duals.
American Projected Lineup
125: #17/15 Josh Terao
133: Angelo Barberio
141: Jack Mutchnik
149: Michael Sprague
157: Cole Moseley
165: Michael Eckhart
174: Joe Salvi
184: Jason Grimes
197: Jeric Kasunic
285: Brett Dempsey
Last time out, Army competed at the Cliff Keen Invite in Las Vegas on December 3. Seniors Logan Everett and Samson Imonode placed in Vegas, as Everett took fifth and Imonode finished in eighth in their respective weight classes. Two Cadets are currently ranked in the Intermat and the Open Mat rankings. Everett is 15th in the InterMat poll and 11th in the Open Mat’s rankings as senior Russ Parsons is 18th in the InterMat rankings and 12th in the Open Mat’s poll.
Army Projected Lineup
125: Trey Chalifoux or Sean Badua
133: Austin Harry
141: #15/11 Logan Everett
149: Matt Kelly
157: #18/12 Russ Parsons
165: Andrew Mendel or Cael McCormick
174: Ben Harvey
184: Samson Imonode or Jack Wedholm
197: Rocco Caywood
285: Trevor Smith
North Carolina last took to the mat at the Southern Scuffle this past weekend. Joey Ward and Ethan Ramos each placed within the top-ten of their respective weight classes to lead the Tar Heels to a ninth-place team finish. Ward is the nation’s fifth-ranked wrestler in the 141-pound weight class, with Ramos currently ranking seventh at 174. Ward placed seventh at last season’s NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships to earn All-American honors. UNC is the 25th-ranked team according to Trackwrestling’s rankings.
North Carolina Projected Lineup
125: James Szymanski or Anthony Bosco
133: Alex Rinaldi or Tyrone Klump
141: #5/4 Joey Ward
149: Troy Heilmann
157: Joey Moon
165: Jack Clark
174: #7/7 Ethan Ramos
184: Elijah Kerr-Brown
197: Danny Chaid
285: Cory Daniel
*Rankings reflect Intermat/The Open Mat rankings
WYOMING IN THE RANKINGS
A number of Cowboys have found themselves once again in the latest rankings. As a team, the Cowboys are currently receiving votes in the latest USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll and UW moved to 23rd in the InterMat Dual Meet rankings.
The Open Mat has three Pokes in the top-10 of their respective weight classes. Leading the way is Cole Mendenhall who is seventh in the 149-pound weight class. All-American Bryce Meredith is eighth at 141 with Branson Ashworth ninth at 165. Archie Colgan is the fourth Cowboy in the rankings, as he is 13th at the 157-pound weight class.
The same four Cowboys are in the InterMat individual rankings, as Mendenhall, Colgan and Ashworth all joined Meredith in the rankings the week of the RTOC. Meredith is eighth with Mendenhall (11th), Ashworth (12th) and Colgan (16th) all continuing to hold their own.
Wyoming Projected Lineup
125: Gunnar Woodburn
133: Drew Templeman/ Ronnie Stevens
141: #8/8 Bryce Meredith
149: ##11/7 Cole Mendenhall
157: #12/13 Archie Colgan
165: #16/9 Branson Ashworth
174: Kyle Pope/Chaz Polson
184: Luke Paine
197: VOID
285: Brandon Tribble
LAST TIME OUT
Just before the holiday break, Wyoming held its own at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Cole Mendenhall and Archie Colgan each won their respective division titles in Reno, while Drew Templeman, Bryce Meredith and Branson Ashworth each made the finals, but ultimately took runner-up honors. As a team, the Pokes finished in third place with 122.5 points.
HE SAID IT
“This weekend will be another great opportunity for our guys to see different competition,” UW head coach Mark Branch said. “It helps us get in the conversation with a lot of the east coast teams. In terms of our lineup, we still need a little help at some weights. We will have a couple guys that will be stretching weight classes and that will give us a few different options for each dual.”
“This weekend will need to be a team effort, as it will be about bonus points. I want to see our guys capitalizing when given an opportunity. I don’t think any of these teams will run away with any of the duals. Looking at how the teams matchup, I believe everyone will hold their own out there.”
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