From: Utah Valley Athletics [email protected] Subject: UVU WRE: UVU to host No. 25 UNC and CBU on Friday for tri-dual Date: January 6, 2021 at 5:19 PM To: [email protected]

UVU to host No. 25 UNC and CBU on Friday for tri-dual 1/6/2021 | Wrestling OREM, Utah - The wrestling team will open its dual slate by welcoming No. 25 Northern and California Baptist to town for a tri-dual on Friday at Lockhart Arena.

With a trio of duals now taking place in Orem on Friday, UVU will first host CBU at 11 a.m. The Lancers and 25th-ranked Bears will then do battle at 12:45 p.m., followed by a showdown in the nightcap between UVU and No. 25 UNC at 2:30 p.m.

All three dual meets will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network, as well as the GoUVU channel on YouTube, and the KSL Sports App. Live results will also be available for all three contests by visiting TrackWrestling.com.

Friday's home tri-dual will mark UVU's first of two consecutive home meets, as the Wolverines will also welcome No. 11 Arizona State and Wyoming to town on Saturday, Jan. 23. Instead of dual meets on Jan. 23, Utah Valley will host ASU and Wyoming for the UVU Round Robin Tournament that will take place that day with two wrestlers from each school at each weight class competing. The UVU Round Robin Tournament will be competed on two mats in the UCCU Center and will be very similar to what UVU opened its 2020-21 season at last weekend at Cal Poly-the Cal Poly Round Robin Tournament.

At Sunday's (Jan. 3) season-opening Cal Poly Round Robin Tournament, UVU took on competitors from fellow Big 12 foe Fresno State and the host Mustangs, and the Wolverines led the way by crowning six of the 10 champions. Senior Demetrius Romero (174 pounds) and redshirt freshmen Ty Smith (133) and Kekana Fouret (165) paced UVU by each going 3-0 on their way to winning their respective weight classes, while freshman Danny Snediker (157) and sophomore Jacob Armstrong (197) each went 2-0, and freshmen Dawson Collins (125) and Kase Mauger (125) both posted 1-0 outings to share the 125-pound title.

After missing the majority of the 2019-20 campaign with a knee injury and up a weight class, the two-time UVU NCAA qualifier and 2019 Big 12 champion Romero picked up right where he left off with a pair of bonus-point wins as well as an overtime triumph over a fellow ranked foe in No. 20 Bernie Truax of Cal Poly. Romero won his bouts over Fresno State's Christian Rodriguez by fall (5:50), Cal Poly's Jared Priest by tech fall (16-0, 3:34), and No. 20 Truax in the first sudden victory period (6-4).

Romero is one of two Wolverines to enter Friday's action currently ranked in the top-10 nationally in his weight class, as he's ranked as high as fifth in the country at 174 pounds (by The Open Mat). Romero, who is off to a 3-0 start this season, posted a 28-5 record in 2018-19 and finished just one-win shy of earning All-American status that season after advancing to the "Blood Round" at the 2019 NCAA Championships. After sitting out the season-opener at Cal Poly and back down competing at 125 pounds this season, fellow two-time UVU NCAA qualifier and current U.S. Senior National Team member (Greco- Roman) Taylor LaMont will enter Friday ranked as high as ninth nationally (by InterMat). LaMont posted a 17-7 record at 133 pounds last season, entered the Big 12 Championships as the No. 1 seed in his weight class, and qualified for his second trip to nationals. LaMont is a redshirt junior for Utah Valley this season.

As a team, Utah Valley will also enter Friday's action ranked nationally As a team, Utah Valley will also enter Friday's action ranked nationally by both TrackWrestling and WIN Magazine. UVU will enter the weekend ranked 28th in the latest TrackWrestling Tournament Rankings and 29th in the most recent WIN Magazine Tournament Power Index.

ABOUT THE COMPETITION California Baptist, who calls the WAC home for the majority of its sports, is an NCAA Division I Independent in the sport of wrestling after recently jumping up from NCAA DII competition to NCAA DI. Friday's tri-dual will mark CBU's first competition of the young season, as it had its opener against Vanguard University postponed last weekend. The Lancers, who are in their third year of NCAA Division I competition, are coming off of 3-10 overall record last season with wins over Gardner- Webb, Davidson and Life Pacific.

With no grapplers currently ranked, senior heavyweight Zach Schrader- a West Virginia transfer-led the Lancers a year ago with a 24-5 record. Junior 149-pounder AJ Raya-a transfer from Indiana-was next with a 22-8 clip. Both capped 2019-20 with podium finishes at the National Collegiate Open.

Friday's contest will mark the first all-time meeting between UVU and CBU on the mat.

After knocking off Wyoming in the season-opener last weekend, the Northern Colorado Bears find themselves ranked in the NWCA Top 25 Coaches Poll for the first time in 51 years (1968-69). The Bears, who are 1-0 overall on the season and 1-0 in Big 12 Conference action after defeating Wyoming by a score of 24-19, will enter Friday ranked 25th nationally. UNC posted a 3-8 record a season ago and a 2-6 mark in Big 12 Conference competition with wins over Air Force, West Virginia and Cal Poly.

Northern Colorado returns five NCAA qualifiers from last season and seven prior NCAA qualifiers in all. UNC also has an impressive tally of nine of its 10 probable starters nationally ranked in No. 7 Mosha Schwartz at 133, No. 7 Andrew Alirez at 149, No. 11 Dalton Robertson at heavyweight, No. 17 Theorius Robison at 125, No. 18 Alan Clothier at 184, No. 19 Jackson Hemauer at 174 (a Fresno State transfer), No. 19 Jacob Seely at 197, No. 26 Johnny Blankenship at 165 (a Nebraska transfer), and No. 30 Chris Sandoval at 141. Alirez led the Bears last season with a 24-4 record, while Clothier went 26-9 and Schwartz 23- 10. Schwartz capped the 2019-20 season with a second-place Big 12 Championship finish, while Alirez, Clothier and Seely all took fourth.

Friday's contest between UVU and UNC will mark the 21st all-time meeting between the conference counterparts. Northern Colorado holds a slight 11-9 series advantage, but UVU has won each of the last two meetings with a 20-16 win at home last season and a 22-17 victory in Greeley in 2018-19. UNC does hold a 6-5 advantage with duals held in Orem, however.

UP NEXT FOR UVU The Wolverines will remain home to host No. 11 Arizona State and Wyoming for the UVU Round Robin Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 10 a.m. in the UCCU Center.

FAN AND TICKET INFORMATION Due to COVID-19, fans will not be permitted in Lockhart Arena for Friday's action besides a limited amount of family members that are on the team's official pass lists.

PROBABLE LINEUPS Utah Valley (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) 125: #9 Taylor LaMont, RJr. (0-0) 133: Ty Smith, RFr. (3-0) 141: Isaiah Delgado, Jr. (0-0) OR Stockton O'Brien, Fr. (1-2) 149: Cameron Hunsaker, So. (1-3) OR Jaxon Garoutte, Fr. (2-2) 157: Danny Snediker, Fr. (2-0) 165: Kekana Fouret, RFr. (3-0) OR Koy Wilkinson, RSr. (2-1) 174: #5 Demetrius Romero, RSr. (3-0) 184: Ashton Seely, RJr. (2-1) 197: Jacob Armstrong, RSo. (2-0) 285: Chase Trussell, RSo. (1-1)

California Baptist (0-0) 125: Dilan Ajtun, RSo. (0-0) 133: Brandon Paulson, RFr. (0-0) 141: Chaz Hallmark, RFr. (0-0) 149: AJ Raya, RJr. (0-0) 157: Zach Rowe, So. (0-0) 165: Josh Grant, RSo. (0-0) 165: Josh Grant, RSo. (0-0) 174: Louis Rojas, RFr. (0-0) 184: Caden Gerlach, RFr. (0-0) 197: Evan Bockman, RSo. (0-0) HWT: Zach Schrader, RSr. (0-0)

#25 Northern Colorado (1-0, 1-0 Big 12) 125: #17 Theorius Robison, RFr. (0-0) OR Jace Koelzer, RSo. (1-0) 133: #7 Mosha Schwartz, So. (1-0) 141: #30 Chris Sandoval, RJr. (1-0) 149: #7 Andrew Alirez, So. (1-0) 157: Jimmy Fate, RSr. (0-0) OR Nick Knutson, Gr. (0-1) 165: #26 Johnny Blankenship, Gr. (0-0) OR Billy Higgins, RSo. (0-1) OR Jordan Robison, RJr. (0-0) 174: #19 Jackson Hemauer, RJr. (0-0) 184: #18 Alan Clothier, RSr. (0-1) 197: #19 Jacob Seely, RSr. (0-1) 285: #11 Dalton Robertson, RSr. (0-1)

Utah Valley University Communications contacts:

Clint Burgi (MSOC, WBB, SB) Assoc. AD/Comms. & Mktg. | [email protected] | 801-863-8644 | @clintburgi

Jason Erickson (MBB, WSOC, MGO) Asst. AD/Communications | [email protected] | 801-863-5451 | @jasonerickson_

James Warnick (BSB, WRE, CC, WGO) Asst. Sports Info. Dir. | [email protected] | 801-863-6231 | @james_warnick

Kevin Lucas (VB, T&F) Asst. Sports Info. Dir. | [email protected] | 512-954-7428 | @kevlucas12