Cowboys down Utah Valley in dominant fashion

LARAMIE, Wyo. (February 4, 2023)The Wyoming Cowboy wrestling team picked up its first dual win of the season in impressive fashion Saturday afternoon with a 26-6 victory over Utah Valley. Eight Pokes picked up wins over the Wolverines led by bonus point wins Jore Volk and Garrett Ricks.

“We definitely had more grit today, Tyce came out and showed grit and it really set the tone for us. Overall improved and some of it was forced and didn’t come naturally, but I appreciated that they recognized it and put in a lot more effort today.” Head wrestling coach Mark Branch said: “It’s good to get a win and this team needed a win. It’s definitely something to build on and we’re looking to get better every day.”

Tyce Raddon opened the Pokes’ dual power at 197 pounds when he faced Jack Forbes. After being down 3-1 early in the match, Raddon exploded for five straight points to jump out to a 6-3 lead and ride Forbes to victory. For Raddon, this is the first dual win of his career as a Cowboy.

At 125 pounds, No. 16 Volk turned in a dominant performance against Kase Mauger. Volk wasted no time scoring in the first period and riding the end of Mauger in the opening period. After building a 4-0 lead, Volk broke the match wide open in the third period with a takedown and near fall to seal an 11-1 major decision victory.

Ricks gave the Cowboys back-to-back big wins with a win over the impressive Kobe Nelms. With the game scoreless in the second period, Ricks locked in a cradle to turn Nelms into four for a 4-0 lead. Ricks finished the match by scoring five points in the third period for a 10-2 win.

at 141 kilos, Work Greenwood went up against Ty Smith in a tight battle. Greenwood built an early lead and held off a late attack attempt by Smith to come away with a gritty 7-6 victory.

It was another tight match at 157 pounds with 11 Jacob Wright faced Tyson Humphreys. With the match tied in the third set, Wright made the decisive move, scoring a takedown and riding Humphreys to a 6-4 win. The win now brings Wright’s career wins to 97.

at 165 kilos, Cole Moody managed to put together a good performance against Tanner Lofthouse and win 8-4. Moody never trailed in his match, scoring three takedowns but never giving up a takedown.

in a 174-pound match Brett McIntosh beat the exciting Mark Takara. With the match tied less than 30 seconds later, McIntosh scored a decisive 4-3 win.

Quay’s Short ended the day on a high for the Pokes when he faced Hon Rushton. Lyhyt controlled the shape of the match from start to finish and took two third period falls in a 7-1 win.

The Pokes now have a quick turnaround as they take the mat again tomorrow on Senior Day hosting No. 19 Northern Colorado at the UniWyo Sports Complex at 1 p.m.

Wyoming Cowboys 26 | Utah Valley Wolverines 6

197 Tyce Raddon (WYO) Dec. Jack Forbes (UVU)
285 HM Chase Trussell (UVU) dec Mason Ding (WYO) 3-2
125 No. 16 Jore Volk (WYO) big dec Kase Mauger (UVU) 11-1
133 Garrett Ricks (WYO) big dec Kobe Nelms (UVU) 10-2
141 Work Greenwood (WYO) dec Ty Smith (UVU) 7-6
149 Isaiah Thin (UVU) dec Warren Carr (WYO) 1-0
157 No. 11 Jacob Wright (WYO) dec Tyson Hiumphreys (UVU) 6-4
165 HM Cole Moody (WYO) dec Tanner Lofthouse (UVU) 8-4
174 Brett McIntosh (WYO) dec Mark Takara (UVU) 4-3
184 Quay’s Short (WYO) dec Hon Rushton (UVU) 7-1

Extra match

149 Darren Green (WYO) dec James Emmer (UVU) 3-2