2017-18 Wyoming Cowboy Wrestling
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2017-18 Wyoming Cowboy Wrestling Up Next: 2018 Division I Wrestling Championships Date/Time: March 15-17, 2018 / All Day Location: Cleveland, Ohio How To Watch: ESPN Networks Live Stats: TrackWrestling.com Fun Times in Cleveland After taking fourth as a team at the Big 12 Championship, head coach Mark Branch will lead the Cowboys to the Quicken Loans Areana in Cleveland for the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships. ESPN’s prime-time coverage begins with the second round on Thursday, March 15, at 5 p.m. MT, the second consecutive year a session from the championships’ first day has been televised on ESPN. The semifinals will also air on ESPN on Friday, March 16, before the finals shift to ESPN2 on TV Broadcast Information Saturday. ESPNU will carry all the championships’ earlier sessions each day, beginning with the first Thursday, March 15 round. Session I – 10 a.m. MT – ESPNU Cowboys at the NCAA Championships Session II – 5 p.m. MT – ESPN In the 86-year history of Wyoming wrestling, the Cowboys boast 22 All-Americans and one indi- vidual national champion. Dick Ballinger won UW’s lone title in 1960. Last year in St. Louis, the team Friday, March 16 finished tied for 21st, as Meredith led the Brown and Gold with a fourth-place finish and second Session III – 9 a.m. MT – ESPNU All-American selection. Wyoming’s 22 All-Americans have earned All-America status 33 times, in- cluding one four-time, two three-time and four two-time honorees. Session IV – 6 p.m. MT – ESPN Saturday, March 17 Cowboys Lone Champion Dick Ballinger was inducted into the Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993. The Cody native won Session V – 9 a.m. MT – ESPNU the 1960 NCAA Wrestling Championship at 167 pounds as a senior. He placed second as a sopho- Session VI – 6 p.m. MT – ESPN2 more in 1958 and fourth the following year as a junior. To quick note, Meredith finished the 2016 *ESPN will broadcast every match on every mat NCAA Championships as runner-up at 141 pounds as a sophomore and then took fourth last sea- son. Ballinger guided Wyoming to a sixth-place national team finish in 1959 and a Wyoming all-time again this year on WatchESPN best third-place team finish in 1960. *All sessions will also have live scoring, provided by Qualifiers TrackWrestling. UW has sent at least four athletes to the NCAA Championships in nine of head coach Mark Branch’s 10 seasons. The Pokes had seven in 2013, when Tyler Cox (125) and Alfonso Hernandez (197) were All-Americans. This season became the first time since 2015 UW had six qualifiers. It’s also the 25th time Wyoming will send at least five wrestlers to the National Tournament. 2017-18 SCHEDULE Championship Experience Date Opponent Time/Result Meredith may be one of the most popular athletes in college athletics. It’s well known in the NCAA Nov. 4 Cowboy Open N.T.S. wrestling world that he was runner-up at 141 pounds as a sophomore in 2016, and finished fourth Nov. 17 Nebraska L, 25-10 last season. He leads UW to Cleveland with what is his third trip to Nationals. Ashworth and Colgan will be competing in the Big Dance for the second time, while Bridges, Polson and Turner are first Nov. 18 UNK Holiday Inn Open N.T.S. timers. Dec. 1-2 Cliff Keen Invite 9th Dec. 9 Iowa State * W, 24-14 Streaking Meredith, a native of Cheyenne, continues the streak of a Wyoming native qualifying for the NCAA Dec. 17 Reno TOC $ 2nd Championships making it six-straight seasons. Tyler Cox made three-straight trips to the NCAA Dec. 19 Oklahoma State * % L, 20-15 Championships from 2013-15. Jan. 5 North Carolina W, 21-17 When One Ends, Another Begins Duke W, 34-7 For the past nine seasons, the Pokes had been represented well at 125 pounds. Former Cowboys Army W, 38-3 Drew Templeman, Tyler Cox and Michael Martinez had put together nine-straight NCAA American W, 28-10 appearances at 125 pounds. This season is the first since 2008 UW won’t have a wrestler at the National Tournament competing at 125 pounds. Bridges will look to begin a stretch of consistent Jan. 12 CSU Bakersfield W, 28-9 wrestlers at 133 pounds, as he is the first wrestler since Zach Zehner in 2012 to qualify at 133 Jan. 14 Oregon St. W, 29-12 pounds. Jan. 18 South Dakota State * L, 20-18 2017 NCAA Wrap-up Jan. 20 North Dakota State * W, 32-6 All five Cowboys that qualified to NCAAs a year ago made it past the first day of the event. Meredith Jan. 27 Fresno State * W, 40-6 was the lone Poke to compete in the third and final day. He claimed fourth place at 141 pounds Feb. 4 Oklahoma * W, 26-9 going 4-2. Ashworth (165 pounds) and Cole Mendenhall (149 pounds) each went 1-2, as Drew Templeman (125 pounds) closed out his career going 2-2 and Colgan (157 pounds) went 3-2. Feb. 9 Utah Valley * W, 38-4 Feb. 10 Northern Colorado * W, 38-4 100 x 3 Feb. 16 Air Force * W, 37-3 Now with 110 career wins, senior Archie Colgan, who is the 19th Cowboy to have at least 100 wins, moved past former Cowboy Brad Steele (2000-03) and into a tie for 13th all-time. Colgan is tied with Mar. 3-4 Big 12 Championship 4th, 82.5 pts three-time NCAA All-American Reese Andy (1992-96). The Westminster, Colo., native currently has Mar. 15-17 NCAA Championships ! All Day a record of 32-7 in his senior season. Home events in BOLD | Times listed in MT Senior Bryce Meredith currently has 105 career Division I wins. He went 29-5 in his first season at ^ - Las Vegas / $ - Reno, Nev. Wyoming, totaled a 32-8 record last season and has a 29-1 record as of right now. He also went # - Tulsa, Okla. / % - Cheyenne, Wyo. 15-7 during his freshman season at North Carolina State in 2014-15. ! - Cleveland, Ohio * - Big 12 Conference dual With the win at Air Force to closeout the regular season, Mark Branch became the fourth coach to earn at least 100 wins at the helm of the program. UW Coaches with 100 Wins Everett Lantz (1936-43, ‘46-52, ‘53-65): 141-73-8 Steven Suder (1989-2008): 127-136-2 Follow Cowboy Wrestling Joe Dowler (1973-87): 104-64-1 Twitter: @Wyowrestle Mark Branch (2008-present): 100-49 Instagram: wyo.wrestle Facebook: facebook.com/wyowrestle GOWYO.COM 2017-18 Wyoming Cowboy Wrestling Wyoming Opening Round NCAA Championships Under Branch 133: No. 8 Montorie Bridges v. Ben Thornton (Purdue) 141: No. 1 Bryce Meredith v. Colton Schilling (Cal Poly) 149: Sam Turner v. No. 16 Alfred Bannister (Maryland) 2017: T21st | One All-American 157: No. 9 Archie Colgan v. Hunter Willits (Oregon State) 125: Drew Templeman, 2-2 165: No. 14 Branson Ashworth v. Connor Flynn (Mizzou) 141: Bryce Meredith, 4-2 (4th) 184: Chaz Polson v. No. 7 Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 149: Cole Mendenhall, 1-2 157: Archie Colgan, 3-2 March Matness Rundown 165: Branson Ashworth, 1-2 UW will send six wrestlers to the NCAA Championships this weekend in The Buckeye State. Four of the six Pokes received seeds for the National Tournament. 2016: 18th | One All-American 133 Pounds 125: Drew Templeman, 1-2 No. 8 Montorie Bridges (32-4) v. Ben Thornton (Purdue) 141: Bryce Meredith, 4-1 (2nd) Bridges has had a strong redshirt freshman campaign for the Pokes. In and out of the rankings early in 285: Tanner Harms, 3-2 the season, Bridges really hit the scene by knocking off No. 3 Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State in Chey- enne on Dec. 19. He has been ranked within the top-15 ever since. He has seven wins against ranked 2015: 39th opponents this season, and most recently brought home third place from the Big 12 Championship. 125: Tyler Cox, 1-2 165: Dakota Friesth, 1-2 On Thursday, Bridges, the No. 8 seed, will face Ben Thornton (Purdue) in the opening round. Thornton is also competing in his first NCAA Championships. He was one of five at-large bids at 133 pounds. He 174: Andy McCulley, 1-2 took eighth at the Big Ten Championships and has a 26-11 record. 184: Benjamin Stroh, 1-2 197: Shane Woods, 3-2 141 Pounds 285: Tanner Harms, 0-2 No. 1 Bryce Meredith (29-1) v. Colton Schilling (Cal Poly) Meredith has been nothing short of impressive during his final season wearing the Brown and Gold. 2014: 53rd The Cheyenne native has held the top spot at 141 pounds since December after defeating two-time 125: Tyler Cox, 1-2 NCAA Champion Dean Heil for the first time. It snapped Heil’s 55-match winning streak. Also during that month, Meredith picked up wins against three-straight top-five opponents and has currently 165: Dakota Friesth, 1-2 won 25 consecutive matches. After defeating Heil once again in Tulsa, he was joined by teammate 184: Benjamin Stroh, 1-2 Archie Colgan (157 pounds) as the first Cowboys to ever win Big 12 titles. 197: Shane Woods, 2-2 Meredith will enter the National Tournament as the top seed at 141 pounds and will face Colton Schil- 2013: 23rd | Two All-Americans ling of Cal Poly. It will be the second NCAA Championships for Schilling, who has a 14-5 record and 125: Tyler Cox, 4-3 (8th) captured the Pac-12 title at 141 pounds a couple weeks ago.