PALO ALTO, Calif. – Facing an improved Stanford team on Friday night on the road, the University of Wyoming wrestling team showed up with a big effort and walked away with a 25-9 victory.
Wyoming improves to 3-1 in dual matches this season, while Stanford drops to 5-2. The Cowboys are now 5-0 all-time versus the Cardinal.
The dual was a good measuring stick for the ‘Pokes, since Stanford had beaten fellow Western Wrestling Conference member, and reigning league champion Northern Iowa earlier this season 19-12.
UW got a major decision victory from sophomore Chase Smith at 141 pounds to begin the match and never looked back. Earning decisions for the ‘Pokes were sophomores Alfonso Hernandez at 197 pounds, Joe LeBlanc (184), Michael Martinez (125) and Brock Smith (174). Juniors Cole Dallaserra (149) and Matthew McLaughlin (Hwt.) also got wins for the Cowboy team.
“I am proud of our effort tonight,” UW head coach Mark Branch said. “This was a dual that concerned us, following up finals week and against a much-improved team. I think that ultimately our advantage was that we have already seen a lot of tough competition this year and this dual did not faze our guys. We had watched film in preparation for Stanford and focused on keeping pressure on their guys. I saw improvement in that area, it made a difference and was good to see.
“With Shane (Onufer) out, Ernie (Alex Rieder) was asked to cut some weight over the last two weeks and make 165 pounds for this dual. Even though he lost tonight, his effort was incredible and he really sacrificed for the good of the team. Brock’s (Smith) win was a big swing for us and certainly a turning point. After having some struggles early on in his match, he really fought back, stayed tough and pulled out an important win.”
The evening began at 141 pounds where UW got a dominant 12-2 major decision from Chase Smith. That win would prove to be the only bonus-point victory for Wyoming, but did set the pace for the rest of the team. Dallaserra then earned a workmanlike 6-3 decision in the Cowboys’ favor at 149 pounds to put the team score at 7-0.
Next, Stanford won two straight, Lucas Espericueta over Mikah Kadera, 7-2 at 157 pounds, and No. 16 Nick Amuchastegui by a slim margin over Alex Rieder, 8-6 at the 165 pound weight class. That brought the team score to 7-6 in favor of the ‘Pokes.
The Cowboys then won five straight to leave no doubt and put the dual out of reach. That run started with a comeback victory for Brock Smith at 174 pounds. With the score tied 4-4 late in the third period and down over a minute in riding time to Stanford’s Jake Johnson, Smith dug in his spurs and got a two-point takedown on the edge of the mat with 10 seconds remaining. Smith would win 6-5 despite Johnson tacking on the riding time point.
In the marquee match-up of the night, No. 5-ranked LeBlanc out-muscled No. 13 Zack Geisen at 184 pounds and won handily, 8-1. LeBlanc narrowly missed out on an eight-point major decision which would have earned UW an additional team bonus point, however he did rack up over four minutes of riding time and kept the pressure on Geisen the entire match.
Following suit for the Cowboys was Hernandez at 197 pounds with a solid 7-1 decision and McLaughlin, who won by injury default at heavyweight. McLaughlin was leading 2-1 after two periods, with a riding time advantage, in his match when Dylan Rush was forced to bow out with a shoulder injury sustained from twice being slammed to the mat by Wyoming’s big man.
No. 9-ranked Martinez out-lasted a formidable opponent in Ryan Mango at 125 pounds, scoring two third period takedowns to win 8-4.
The Cardinal did pick up another win at 133 pounds, when Justin Paulsen beat Kasey Garnhart 10-3, but ultimately that bout played little role in the final team tally of 25-9 in favor of the Cowboys.
Wyoming will now travel to Reno, Nev. for the Reno Tournament of Champions which will take place all day on Sunday.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Onufer earns wrestler of week honors
UW sophomore Shane OnuferCEDAR FALLS, Iowa - University of Wyoming sophomore 165-pounder Shane Onufer has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week.
In what many consider the top early tournament in collegiate wrestling, Onufer placed third at 165 pounds this past weekend at the 28th Annual Las Vegas Invitational. In doing so, he beat All-American Andy Rendos from Bucknell twice. Onufer finished the tournament with a 5-1 record, 14-4 so far this year, and helped the Wyoming team to a 10th-place finish in the stacked field.
On Friday, Onufer opened the event with a major decision victory over Cody Hutcheson from Cornell. He then beat P.J. Gillespie from Hofstra (4-1), setting up a quarterfinal bout with No. 6-ranked and the event's No. 2-seed Rendos. Onufer knocked off Rendos by a score of 5-3 to advance to Saturday's semifinals.
He then lost by a slim margin in the semifinals to No. 8 Colt Sponseller from Ohio State (6-4), before winning two straight to finish the tournament. He beat Gillespie again by a score of 3-2, before getting his second victory in as many days over 2009 All-American Rendos in the consolation final. Onufer was aggressive from the start and stuck Rendos' shoulders to the mat at 2:15 in the first period to bring his weekend to an exciting end.
Other Nominees: Air Force - Derek Gillespie, Jr., 141 lbs., Chesapeake, Va. (Great Bridge)Northern Colorado - Justin Gaethje, Jr., 157 lbs., Safford, Ariz. (Safford HS)Utah Valley - Flint Ray, Jr., 133 lbs., Roy, Utah (Roy HS)
Monday, December 7, 2009
UW hockey sweeps Metro State
UW photo/UW goalkeeper Robert Kola prepares to make a save Saturday night during the Cowboys' 3-2 win over Metro State at the Laramie Community Ice Arena.A 13-day layoff didn't the bother the University of Wyoming hockey club.
The Cowboys returned from their Thanksgiving break with a pair of victories last weekend against Metropolitan State College of Denver, beating the Roadrunners 7-4 and 3-2 to improve their record to 12-5.
In Friday's opener at the Taco John's Events Center in Cheyenne, Seth Farrell (Longmont, Colo.) had a goal and two assists and Kenny Ainsworth (Casper) turned aside 30 shots in goal to front UW.
Erik Blomberg (Parker, Colo.) and Lucas Wescoat (Idaho Falls, Idaho) added a goal and assist for the Cowboys, who netted four goals in the first period to take control of the game. Michael Leriger (Houston, Texas), Mitch Nelson (Sheridan) and Luke Walker (Jackson) also had goals for UW.
Cody Suder (Laramie) contributed two assists, and Ryan Allred (Laramie), Taylor Freeman (Parker, Colo.), Levi Wood (Cheyenne) and Tyler Yorke (Houston, Texas) also had assists.
In Saturday's finale at the Laramie Community Ice Arena, Allred scored the game-winning goal, assisted by Blomberg and Jake Bates (Jackson), at the 18:30 mark of the final period to complete the Cowboys' sweep. Three minutes earlier, Farrell had tied the score at 2-all with his fourth goal of the season, assisted by Blomberg.
Wood scored UW's first goal in the opening period, assisted by Dustin Galbreath (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and Cody Leeper (Bondurant).
Robert Kola (Colorado Springs, Colo.) earned the victory between the pipes with 28 saves.
UW is off for the next six weeks. The Cowboys return from the semester break with a three-game road trip, beginning Jan. 15 at South Dakota State University.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Cowboy wrestlers finish 10th
PRIMM, Nev. – Capping a strong showing in a high-caliber event, the Wyoming wrestlers left the Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday with two third-place finishes and one fourth-place honor. UW’s Joe LeBlanc, at 184 pounds, and Shane Onufer, at 165 pounds, both took third in their brackets. Michael Martinez (125) placed fourth in his weight class.
All three Wyoming grapplers had to beat All-Americans during the two-day event to secure their finishes.
As a team, the Cowboys held their position in the standings from the first day and finished in 10th place out of 42 squads. That field included 12 of the top-25 ranked wrestling programs in the country. Wyoming placed ahead of ranked programs No. 19 Old Dominion, No. 20 Illinois, No. 21 Arizona State and No. 24 Virginia Tech.
“We did some good things to put ourselves in the top 10,” UW head coach Mark Branch said. “When you look at this field, our finish was a positive team step, but probably more so individually because some of the wins our guys got make it easier for the others to realize the type of success we are capable of. This should provide some positive things for the mentality of the team. Our finishes here will also bring some exposure and respect, both of which are important for a program.”
At 184 pounds, LeBlanc had one of the biggest wins of the event for the ‘Pokes in the consolation finals when he beat No. 3-ranked, three-time All-American and 2008 NCAA champion Mike Pucillo of Ohio State. The Cowboy sophomore finished his tournament strong by dominating the match and beating Pucillo 10-5. To get to that match, LeBlanc beat Steve Bosak from Cornell, 7-5 in sudden victory, after narrowly losing to No.7 ranked Kirk Smith from Boise State (3-2) in his semifinal match. He ended the event with a 6-1 record, 16-2 this season.
Onufer followed a similar path at 174 pounds, losing by a slim margin in the semifinals to No. 8 Colt Sponseller from Ohio State (6-4), before winning two straight to finish the tournament. He beat P.J. Gillespie from Hofstra by a score of 3-2, before getting his second victory in as many days over All-American and No. 6 ranked Andy Rendos from Bucknell in the consolation final. Onufer was aggressive from the start and stuck Rendos’ shoulders to the mat at 2:15 in the first period. He finished the tournament with a 5-1 record, 14-4 so far this year.
Martinez lost his 125-pound semifinal bout with No. 3 Anthony Robles of Arizona State by a score of 7-3. He then beat Alan Bartelli of Boise State 4-1, setting up a rematch with All-American and No. 5 ranked James Nicholson of Old Dominion. On Friday, Martinez beat Nicholson 6-4 in sudden victory to get to the semifinals. This time around Nicholson would have the upper hand, winning 7-2. Martinez concluded the event with a 4-2 record, 14-3 this season.
No. 4 ranked Ohio State won the team title with 122.5 points, followed by No. 9 Cornell (121.5), No. 12 Oklahoma (109.5), No. 7 Boise State (97.5), No. 11 Nebraska (95), No. 13 Indiana (90.5), No. 23 Cal Poly (78.5), Oregon State (77.5), No. 22 Wisconsin (73.5) and then UW (71).
Wyoming will now have a 12-day break before traveling to Stanford for a dual on Dec. 18 and then to the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 20.
All three Wyoming grapplers had to beat All-Americans during the two-day event to secure their finishes.
As a team, the Cowboys held their position in the standings from the first day and finished in 10th place out of 42 squads. That field included 12 of the top-25 ranked wrestling programs in the country. Wyoming placed ahead of ranked programs No. 19 Old Dominion, No. 20 Illinois, No. 21 Arizona State and No. 24 Virginia Tech.
“We did some good things to put ourselves in the top 10,” UW head coach Mark Branch said. “When you look at this field, our finish was a positive team step, but probably more so individually because some of the wins our guys got make it easier for the others to realize the type of success we are capable of. This should provide some positive things for the mentality of the team. Our finishes here will also bring some exposure and respect, both of which are important for a program.”
At 184 pounds, LeBlanc had one of the biggest wins of the event for the ‘Pokes in the consolation finals when he beat No. 3-ranked, three-time All-American and 2008 NCAA champion Mike Pucillo of Ohio State. The Cowboy sophomore finished his tournament strong by dominating the match and beating Pucillo 10-5. To get to that match, LeBlanc beat Steve Bosak from Cornell, 7-5 in sudden victory, after narrowly losing to No.7 ranked Kirk Smith from Boise State (3-2) in his semifinal match. He ended the event with a 6-1 record, 16-2 this season.
Onufer followed a similar path at 174 pounds, losing by a slim margin in the semifinals to No. 8 Colt Sponseller from Ohio State (6-4), before winning two straight to finish the tournament. He beat P.J. Gillespie from Hofstra by a score of 3-2, before getting his second victory in as many days over All-American and No. 6 ranked Andy Rendos from Bucknell in the consolation final. Onufer was aggressive from the start and stuck Rendos’ shoulders to the mat at 2:15 in the first period. He finished the tournament with a 5-1 record, 14-4 so far this year.
Martinez lost his 125-pound semifinal bout with No. 3 Anthony Robles of Arizona State by a score of 7-3. He then beat Alan Bartelli of Boise State 4-1, setting up a rematch with All-American and No. 5 ranked James Nicholson of Old Dominion. On Friday, Martinez beat Nicholson 6-4 in sudden victory to get to the semifinals. This time around Nicholson would have the upper hand, winning 7-2. Martinez concluded the event with a 4-2 record, 14-3 this season.
No. 4 ranked Ohio State won the team title with 122.5 points, followed by No. 9 Cornell (121.5), No. 12 Oklahoma (109.5), No. 7 Boise State (97.5), No. 11 Nebraska (95), No. 13 Indiana (90.5), No. 23 Cal Poly (78.5), Oregon State (77.5), No. 22 Wisconsin (73.5) and then UW (71).
Wyoming will now have a 12-day break before traveling to Stanford for a dual on Dec. 18 and then to the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 20.
UW indoor tracksters beat CSU
Strong performances from top to bottom lifted the University of Wyoming men’s and women’s track teams with wins against Colorado State at the Wyoming Power Meet Saturday at the War Memorial Fieldhouse.
The Cowboys defeated CSU 59-33, with the Cowgirls coming out on top 62-29. The two Wyoming teams combined to win 11 of the 22 events.
The Cowboys were led by junior Jeremiah James, who provisionally qualified in the long jump and triple jump. James won both events and dazzled the crowd with his personal best long jump of 24-feet, 11.25 inches and personal best triple jump of 51-0 1/4, both of which are fifth all-time in Wyoming history.
“All the jumpers had breakout performances today, new personal records were attained across the board and our freshman did well in their first collegiate meet,” said assistant coach Quincy Howe. “Jeremiah had an exceptional day today and we look forward to him continuing his success the entire year.”
The jumpers highlighted the meet with the first five men in the long jump coming from Wyoming with redshirt-freshman Stephen Michel coming in second. The women’s long jump had two freshmen leading the way with Erin Urbanoski and Hannah Romsa finishing second and third with their leaps of 18-7 3/4 and 17-6 3/4 respectively. In the triple jump, Michel once again finished behind James with a jump of 48-11 1/2.
Two Cowgirls battling it out for first and second in the long jump at a matching height of 5-7. Junior Britney Jackson had her personal best and out jumped senior Johnna Jeffries by one attempt for first place.
“Jeremiah was a big stand-out today and with his performance today, it will put him in the forefront of the national scene,” said head coach Don Yentes.
The throw crew was not far behind with returning conference champion Amanda Aimone finishing in second behind an unattached Kate Burton with her best throw in the 20lb weight throw landing 57-2 1/4 from the ring. She was followed by junior Ashley Hutchinson with her third-place finish. Junior Alan John and sophomore Joe Plante had solid performances in the 35lb weight throw with their second and third-place finishes respectively.
As for the shot put, the Cowgirls put Hutchinson in the mix and she performed well, finishing second with a toss of 45-1 1/2. Plante finished fourth and freshman Mark Sparks finished sixth.
The sprinters had quite a few new faces running for the Brown and Gold and saw some very good things. Freshmen Cowgirls, Taylor Gardner and Olivia Heaston won the 400 and 200-meter dashes with times of 1:00.29 and 26.52 respectively. While Katy Hall added to the freshman success with her second-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles.
“We have a lot of good athletes that will make an impact right away and it was nice to see them get in there and have some things happen,” said Yentes.
On the men’s side, senior Keith Brauneis edged out Josh Murphy of CSU in the 200-meter dash by one hundredth of a second. While the 4x400-meter relay team saw a very gutsy performance from the team of Ken Lane, Kekoa Chavez, Mark Flegel and Andy McKen to fend off the late strides of Nigel Joseph of CSU, to win by three hundredth of a second.
“This is one of our best starts in a couple years and I just hope we can continue to keep our training over the break,” said Yentes. “I am very happy with all of our performances today and am excited to see the progression of this team.”
The Cowboys defeated CSU 59-33, with the Cowgirls coming out on top 62-29. The two Wyoming teams combined to win 11 of the 22 events.
The Cowboys were led by junior Jeremiah James, who provisionally qualified in the long jump and triple jump. James won both events and dazzled the crowd with his personal best long jump of 24-feet, 11.25 inches and personal best triple jump of 51-0 1/4, both of which are fifth all-time in Wyoming history.
“All the jumpers had breakout performances today, new personal records were attained across the board and our freshman did well in their first collegiate meet,” said assistant coach Quincy Howe. “Jeremiah had an exceptional day today and we look forward to him continuing his success the entire year.”
The jumpers highlighted the meet with the first five men in the long jump coming from Wyoming with redshirt-freshman Stephen Michel coming in second. The women’s long jump had two freshmen leading the way with Erin Urbanoski and Hannah Romsa finishing second and third with their leaps of 18-7 3/4 and 17-6 3/4 respectively. In the triple jump, Michel once again finished behind James with a jump of 48-11 1/2.
Two Cowgirls battling it out for first and second in the long jump at a matching height of 5-7. Junior Britney Jackson had her personal best and out jumped senior Johnna Jeffries by one attempt for first place.
“Jeremiah was a big stand-out today and with his performance today, it will put him in the forefront of the national scene,” said head coach Don Yentes.
The throw crew was not far behind with returning conference champion Amanda Aimone finishing in second behind an unattached Kate Burton with her best throw in the 20lb weight throw landing 57-2 1/4 from the ring. She was followed by junior Ashley Hutchinson with her third-place finish. Junior Alan John and sophomore Joe Plante had solid performances in the 35lb weight throw with their second and third-place finishes respectively.
As for the shot put, the Cowgirls put Hutchinson in the mix and she performed well, finishing second with a toss of 45-1 1/2. Plante finished fourth and freshman Mark Sparks finished sixth.
The sprinters had quite a few new faces running for the Brown and Gold and saw some very good things. Freshmen Cowgirls, Taylor Gardner and Olivia Heaston won the 400 and 200-meter dashes with times of 1:00.29 and 26.52 respectively. While Katy Hall added to the freshman success with her second-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles.
“We have a lot of good athletes that will make an impact right away and it was nice to see them get in there and have some things happen,” said Yentes.
On the men’s side, senior Keith Brauneis edged out Josh Murphy of CSU in the 200-meter dash by one hundredth of a second. While the 4x400-meter relay team saw a very gutsy performance from the team of Ken Lane, Kekoa Chavez, Mark Flegel and Andy McKen to fend off the late strides of Nigel Joseph of CSU, to win by three hundredth of a second.
“This is one of our best starts in a couple years and I just hope we can continue to keep our training over the break,” said Yentes. “I am very happy with all of our performances today and am excited to see the progression of this team.”
Murdock breaks own diving record
At the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas, the Wyoming swimming and diving squad swam in only preliminary rounds on Saturday, but Cowboy diver Mark Murdock set a new school record on platform at the final day of the Texas and Diving Hall of Fame Invitational.
While some of the team was swimming in Texas, the rest of the Cowgirl team defeated Northern Colorado 170-124 in Greeley, Colo., to stay undefeated on the season at 8-0 overall and 2-0 in the Mountain West Conference.
In Texas, the highlight of the day came from Murdock, whose score of 355.15 points broke his own school mark he set last year at 346.45. He finished third overall.
The Pokes had solid performances from two distance swimmers in the 1,650 freestyle. Senior Robbie Hilton swam to a second-place finish in 15 minutes, 54.96 seconds, while fellow senior Sam Holmes was close behind in third with a time of 15:55.38. After two great final round swims Friday, sophomore Brandon Fischer continued his weekend of solid performances by placing 10th in the 200 breaststroke, while Tyler Kybartas finished 13th in the 200 butterfly.
Lesley Young swam to a top-eight finish in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:16.87 for the best finish in Texas for the Cowgirls on Saturday. Stephanie Vint added another top-20 finish, this time in 19th in the 200 butterfly. Emily Huth scored the highest for the Cowgirls on platform and finished in 10th.
Against Northern Colorado, the Cowgirls won a total of 12 events for the 170-124 win.
“Today was a great opportunity for us to compete against a near-by opponent,” said UW assistant coach Wyn Saunier. “UNC is a rapidly improving team that is coached very well. Some of our women swam events they don’t typically swim, but it was great meet that gave us a chance to do that.”
Winning multiple events today was freshman Paige Fischer and sophomore Kelsey Conci. Typically a distance swimmer, Fischer won both the 100 (55.49) and 200 freestyles (1:57.41). In the 200 backstroke, the Cowgirls finished first and second with sophomore Kelsey Conci leading the way in first (2:14.49) and freshman Jessy Badaracco in second (2:14.98). Conci also won the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:14.49.
Kenzie Hewson added a first place finish in the 50 freestyle, while twin-sister Lauren swam to a first place finish in the 200 IM. Other event winners for the Cowgirls include Shauna Nelson in the 1000 freestyle (11:06.39), Kaella Hartigan in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.20), Whitney Taylor in the 200 butterfly (2:13.55), Caitlin Hudak in the 500 freestyle (5:27.31), and Taylor O’Holleran in the 100 butterfly (1:01.65).
The Cowgirls also won both the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays.
While some of the team was swimming in Texas, the rest of the Cowgirl team defeated Northern Colorado 170-124 in Greeley, Colo., to stay undefeated on the season at 8-0 overall and 2-0 in the Mountain West Conference.
In Texas, the highlight of the day came from Murdock, whose score of 355.15 points broke his own school mark he set last year at 346.45. He finished third overall.
The Pokes had solid performances from two distance swimmers in the 1,650 freestyle. Senior Robbie Hilton swam to a second-place finish in 15 minutes, 54.96 seconds, while fellow senior Sam Holmes was close behind in third with a time of 15:55.38. After two great final round swims Friday, sophomore Brandon Fischer continued his weekend of solid performances by placing 10th in the 200 breaststroke, while Tyler Kybartas finished 13th in the 200 butterfly.
Lesley Young swam to a top-eight finish in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:16.87 for the best finish in Texas for the Cowgirls on Saturday. Stephanie Vint added another top-20 finish, this time in 19th in the 200 butterfly. Emily Huth scored the highest for the Cowgirls on platform and finished in 10th.
Against Northern Colorado, the Cowgirls won a total of 12 events for the 170-124 win.
“Today was a great opportunity for us to compete against a near-by opponent,” said UW assistant coach Wyn Saunier. “UNC is a rapidly improving team that is coached very well. Some of our women swam events they don’t typically swim, but it was great meet that gave us a chance to do that.”
Winning multiple events today was freshman Paige Fischer and sophomore Kelsey Conci. Typically a distance swimmer, Fischer won both the 100 (55.49) and 200 freestyles (1:57.41). In the 200 backstroke, the Cowgirls finished first and second with sophomore Kelsey Conci leading the way in first (2:14.49) and freshman Jessy Badaracco in second (2:14.98). Conci also won the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:14.49.
Kenzie Hewson added a first place finish in the 50 freestyle, while twin-sister Lauren swam to a first place finish in the 200 IM. Other event winners for the Cowgirls include Shauna Nelson in the 1000 freestyle (11:06.39), Kaella Hartigan in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.20), Whitney Taylor in the 200 butterfly (2:13.55), Caitlin Hudak in the 500 freestyle (5:27.31), and Taylor O’Holleran in the 100 butterfly (1:01.65).
The Cowgirls also won both the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays.
Three Cowboys in Vegas semis
PRIMM, Nev. – Last season, Wyoming’s Joe LeBlanc used the Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational to break onto the national scene and show what lay in store for his All-America season. This year, three Cowboy wrestlers, including LeBlanc, have advanced to the semifinals of the 28th annual event and have positioned the UW team for a dramatic improvement in what some consider the best early tournament in the country.
The trio of Wyoming sophomores, LeBlanc at 184 pounds, Michael Martinez (125) and Shane Onufer (165) all advanced through their brackets and will wrestle on Saturday in the semifinals, assuring themselves of at least sixth place.
Martinez and Onufer scored big upsets in their quarterfinal matches, while LeBlanc was simply dominant. Martinez beat No. 5 ranked James Nicholson of Old Dominion (6-4 in OT), Onufer knocked off No. 6 ranked Andy Rendos from Bucknell (5-3) and LeBlanc scored a technical fall over Brice Arand from Oregon State (17-1).
On the day, LeBlanc was 4-0 and all his victories earned bonus team points. Two of his wins came by way of technical fall, one major decision and one pin. Both Martinez and Onufer were 3-0, with one of Onufer’s wins a major decision.
After a full day of wrestling on Friday, the Cowboys are currently in 10th place amongst a prestigious field of 42 teams that includes 12 of the top-25 ranked wrestling programs in the country. Wyoming is ahead of ranked programs No. 18 Wisconsin, No. 19 Old Dominion, No. 20 Illinois, No. 21 Arizona State and No. 24 Virginia Tech.
No. 4 ranked Ohio State currently is atop the team standings with 89 points, followed by No. 9 Cornell (79), No. 12 Oklahoma (76), No. 7 Boise State (68.5), No. 11 Nebraska (67), No. 13 Indiana (65.5), Oregon State (61.5), No. 23 Cal Poly (59.5), Navy (57) and then UW (56.5).
“We are seeing some great competition and have definitely closed the gap on some of the top programs in the country,” UW head coach Mark Branch said. “This is a tough tournament, so having three guys advance to the semis is good and even our guys who got knocked out today looked improved. I saw a lot of the things that we have worked on in practice and focused on over the last two weeks, so that was a big positive for this team.
”Joe (LeBlanc) looked unbelievable today and was scoring from everywhere. Shane (Onufer) looked better than he has all season and Michael (Martinez) was just tough. I considered holding Michael out of this tournament because of some physical problems, but he wanted to go and pushed through.”
Also earning the Cowboy team some key wins on Friday was sophomore Brock Smith at 174 pounds. Smith was 3-2, with one win by way of fall. He was a tough out, narrowly getting bumped from the tournament by No. 13 Luke Rebertus from Navy (6-4).
Cowboys Kasey Garnhart (133), Matthew McLaughlin (Hwt.) and Chase Smith (141) each were 2-2.
In 2008, the ‘Pokes had two place-winners, LeBlanc was third at 184 and Onufer seventh at 174, and as a team they were 19th of 44.
LeBlanc will face No.7 ranked Kirk Smith from Boise State in his semifinal match, Martinez will get No. 3 Anthony Robles of Arizona State and Onufer will square off with No. 8 Colt Sponseller from Ohio State.
The tournament concludes on Saturday with consolation matches starting at 10 a.m. MT, semifinal bouts at 11 a.m. and the finals at 4 p.m. The two-day event is being held at the Star of the Desert Arena in Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino.
---
UW Results
125 pounds - Michael Martinez, 3-0, advances to semifinals
133 pounds - Kasey Garnhart, 2-2, fall
141 pounds - Chase Smith, 2-2, technical fall
149 pounds - Cole Dallaserra, 1-2, fall
157 pounds - Eric Jones , 0-2
165 pounds - Shane Onufer, 3-0, major decision, advances to semifinals
174 pounds - Brock Smith, 3-2, fall
184 pounds - Joe LeBlanc, 4-0, two technical falls, fall, major decision, advances to semifinals
197 pounds - Alfonso Hernandez, 1-2, major decision
Hwt. (285) - Matthew McLaughlin, 2-2
The trio of Wyoming sophomores, LeBlanc at 184 pounds, Michael Martinez (125) and Shane Onufer (165) all advanced through their brackets and will wrestle on Saturday in the semifinals, assuring themselves of at least sixth place.
Martinez and Onufer scored big upsets in their quarterfinal matches, while LeBlanc was simply dominant. Martinez beat No. 5 ranked James Nicholson of Old Dominion (6-4 in OT), Onufer knocked off No. 6 ranked Andy Rendos from Bucknell (5-3) and LeBlanc scored a technical fall over Brice Arand from Oregon State (17-1).
On the day, LeBlanc was 4-0 and all his victories earned bonus team points. Two of his wins came by way of technical fall, one major decision and one pin. Both Martinez and Onufer were 3-0, with one of Onufer’s wins a major decision.
After a full day of wrestling on Friday, the Cowboys are currently in 10th place amongst a prestigious field of 42 teams that includes 12 of the top-25 ranked wrestling programs in the country. Wyoming is ahead of ranked programs No. 18 Wisconsin, No. 19 Old Dominion, No. 20 Illinois, No. 21 Arizona State and No. 24 Virginia Tech.
No. 4 ranked Ohio State currently is atop the team standings with 89 points, followed by No. 9 Cornell (79), No. 12 Oklahoma (76), No. 7 Boise State (68.5), No. 11 Nebraska (67), No. 13 Indiana (65.5), Oregon State (61.5), No. 23 Cal Poly (59.5), Navy (57) and then UW (56.5).
“We are seeing some great competition and have definitely closed the gap on some of the top programs in the country,” UW head coach Mark Branch said. “This is a tough tournament, so having three guys advance to the semis is good and even our guys who got knocked out today looked improved. I saw a lot of the things that we have worked on in practice and focused on over the last two weeks, so that was a big positive for this team.
”Joe (LeBlanc) looked unbelievable today and was scoring from everywhere. Shane (Onufer) looked better than he has all season and Michael (Martinez) was just tough. I considered holding Michael out of this tournament because of some physical problems, but he wanted to go and pushed through.”
Also earning the Cowboy team some key wins on Friday was sophomore Brock Smith at 174 pounds. Smith was 3-2, with one win by way of fall. He was a tough out, narrowly getting bumped from the tournament by No. 13 Luke Rebertus from Navy (6-4).
Cowboys Kasey Garnhart (133), Matthew McLaughlin (Hwt.) and Chase Smith (141) each were 2-2.
In 2008, the ‘Pokes had two place-winners, LeBlanc was third at 184 and Onufer seventh at 174, and as a team they were 19th of 44.
LeBlanc will face No.7 ranked Kirk Smith from Boise State in his semifinal match, Martinez will get No. 3 Anthony Robles of Arizona State and Onufer will square off with No. 8 Colt Sponseller from Ohio State.
The tournament concludes on Saturday with consolation matches starting at 10 a.m. MT, semifinal bouts at 11 a.m. and the finals at 4 p.m. The two-day event is being held at the Star of the Desert Arena in Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino.
---
UW Results
125 pounds - Michael Martinez, 3-0, advances to semifinals
133 pounds - Kasey Garnhart, 2-2, fall
141 pounds - Chase Smith, 2-2, technical fall
149 pounds - Cole Dallaserra, 1-2, fall
157 pounds - Eric Jones , 0-2
165 pounds - Shane Onufer, 3-0, major decision, advances to semifinals
174 pounds - Brock Smith, 3-2, fall
184 pounds - Joe LeBlanc, 4-0, two technical falls, fall, major decision, advances to semifinals
197 pounds - Alfonso Hernandez, 1-2, major decision
Hwt. (285) - Matthew McLaughlin, 2-2
UW swimmers fare well in Texas
AUSTIN, Texas -- Day two of the Texas Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame Invitational proved to be another day of solid performances from both the Cowboys and Cowgirls, including a Cowgirl NCAA provisional qualifying time at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
Both the Cowboys and Cowgirls remain in sixth place. The meet features numerous top-25 teams on both the men’s and women’s side. Fourth-ranked Arizona leads the way on the women’s side again with 725.5 points and are followed by No. 3 Texas (656), No. 16 Wisconsin (311.5), No. 7 Auburn (261), North Texas (188), and the Cowgirls (180). The sixth-ranked Arizona men also remain in first with 732.5 points and are trailed by top-ranked Texas (668), No. 5 Auburn (303), UC Davis (246.5), Wisconsin (187), and the Cowboys (139).
“We made great steps today and had a few individuals stand out,” said UW head coach Tom Johnson. “The divers did awesome and I am happy with some of our times that we swam today.”
Lesley Young led the Cowgirls with an excellent time in the preliminary round in the 100 breaststroke that put her in the top-eight for the finals. Later in the day, Young improved on her prelim time and finished in seventh with a time 1 minute, 2.71 seconds, an NCAA “B” cut time.
Stephanie Vint continued her stellar weekend with a ninth place finish in the 400 IM. Sophomore Caroline Wells was also in the 400 IM final and finished in 15th. A day after her own NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 50 freestyle, senior Cassie Stelow swam the 100 breaststroke and finished 16th with a time of 1:05.73. Other Cowgirls in event finals include a 26th place finish from Shelby Bull in the 200 freestyle (1:51.35), and Wells placed 24th in the 100 backstroke (59.21).
The Cowgirls had two divers reach the finals today on the one-meter springboard. Allie Smith placed the highest for UW in seventh with a mark of 234.15 points, while Stephanie Ortiz was close behind in eighth with a score of 227.70.
The Cowgirls also swam two relays today. The 800 freestyle relay finished eighth, while the 200 medley relay was ninth.
“Hopefully, we can get Young’s time to an NCAA “A” time during the season, but Bull, Vint, Wells, and Stelow were awesome today,” Johnson said.
The best performance for the Pokes came from diver Mark Murdock on three-meter springboard. Murdock ended the day in third place with a score of 341.60, and teammate Kyle Bogner placed sixth.
For the Cowboy swimmers, Brandon Fischer reached the finals in both the 400 IM and 100 breaststroke. Fischer swam the 100 breaststroke in 56.34 which was good enough for 12th, and then placed 14th in the 400 IM at 4:03.69.
Sam Holmes and Marshall Dilworth joined Fischer in the 400 IM and finished 20th and 21st respectively. Three more Cowboys earned final round spots today as well. Tommy Gregory placed the highest in the 200 freestyle in 26th (1:42.63), while Tyler Kybartas was 27th (1:42.95), and Christian Johnson placed 30th (1:44.19).
Like the Cowgirls, the Pokes also swam in two relays. The best finish came in the 800 freestyle relay that finished fourth, while the 200 medley was 10th.
“Fischer and Holmes had tremendous times in the 400 IM today, especially in the morning,” Johnson added. “Fischer came back in the 100 breaststroke and had his second great swim of the day.”
The meet will wrap-up Saturday and Wyoming will only compete in the preliminary rounds that will start at 9 a.m. Mountain. Along with the Texas Invite, Cowgirls not in Texas will travel to Greeley, Colo., for a dual meet against Northern Colorado at noon.
Both the Cowboys and Cowgirls remain in sixth place. The meet features numerous top-25 teams on both the men’s and women’s side. Fourth-ranked Arizona leads the way on the women’s side again with 725.5 points and are followed by No. 3 Texas (656), No. 16 Wisconsin (311.5), No. 7 Auburn (261), North Texas (188), and the Cowgirls (180). The sixth-ranked Arizona men also remain in first with 732.5 points and are trailed by top-ranked Texas (668), No. 5 Auburn (303), UC Davis (246.5), Wisconsin (187), and the Cowboys (139).
“We made great steps today and had a few individuals stand out,” said UW head coach Tom Johnson. “The divers did awesome and I am happy with some of our times that we swam today.”
Lesley Young led the Cowgirls with an excellent time in the preliminary round in the 100 breaststroke that put her in the top-eight for the finals. Later in the day, Young improved on her prelim time and finished in seventh with a time 1 minute, 2.71 seconds, an NCAA “B” cut time.
Stephanie Vint continued her stellar weekend with a ninth place finish in the 400 IM. Sophomore Caroline Wells was also in the 400 IM final and finished in 15th. A day after her own NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 50 freestyle, senior Cassie Stelow swam the 100 breaststroke and finished 16th with a time of 1:05.73. Other Cowgirls in event finals include a 26th place finish from Shelby Bull in the 200 freestyle (1:51.35), and Wells placed 24th in the 100 backstroke (59.21).
The Cowgirls had two divers reach the finals today on the one-meter springboard. Allie Smith placed the highest for UW in seventh with a mark of 234.15 points, while Stephanie Ortiz was close behind in eighth with a score of 227.70.
The Cowgirls also swam two relays today. The 800 freestyle relay finished eighth, while the 200 medley relay was ninth.
“Hopefully, we can get Young’s time to an NCAA “A” time during the season, but Bull, Vint, Wells, and Stelow were awesome today,” Johnson said.
The best performance for the Pokes came from diver Mark Murdock on three-meter springboard. Murdock ended the day in third place with a score of 341.60, and teammate Kyle Bogner placed sixth.
For the Cowboy swimmers, Brandon Fischer reached the finals in both the 400 IM and 100 breaststroke. Fischer swam the 100 breaststroke in 56.34 which was good enough for 12th, and then placed 14th in the 400 IM at 4:03.69.
Sam Holmes and Marshall Dilworth joined Fischer in the 400 IM and finished 20th and 21st respectively. Three more Cowboys earned final round spots today as well. Tommy Gregory placed the highest in the 200 freestyle in 26th (1:42.63), while Tyler Kybartas was 27th (1:42.95), and Christian Johnson placed 30th (1:44.19).
Like the Cowgirls, the Pokes also swam in two relays. The best finish came in the 800 freestyle relay that finished fourth, while the 200 medley was 10th.
“Fischer and Holmes had tremendous times in the 400 IM today, especially in the morning,” Johnson added. “Fischer came back in the 100 breaststroke and had his second great swim of the day.”
The meet will wrap-up Saturday and Wyoming will only compete in the preliminary rounds that will start at 9 a.m. Mountain. Along with the Texas Invite, Cowgirls not in Texas will travel to Greeley, Colo., for a dual meet against Northern Colorado at noon.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Cowboy wrestling signs six
The Cowboy wrestlers have another decorated group of recruits on deck, as University of Wyoming head coach Mark Branch announced on Thursday that six high school state champions have signed national letters of intent to wrestle for the ‘Pokes beginning in the 2010-11 season.
Joining the Cowboy squad next fall will be Michael Hamel (Gilbert, Ariz.), Cody Mansur (Clackamas, Ore.), Andrew McCulley (Rock Springs), Brandon Richardson (Rathdrum, Idaho), Shane Woods (Tuttle, Okla.) and Zach Zehner (Tomahawk, Wis.).
“This is a solid class that will take care of many of our weight class needs,” said Branch as he described his incoming freshmen for next season. “I am very excited about these young men and their attitudes towards competition and success. These are young kids that, in the end, wanted to be Cowboys and chose to come here because they felt like this is the place where they can be All-Americans and NCAA Champions. I have no doubt that they will find success here and help us build a nationally powerful program at Wyoming.”
Hamel is projected to wrestle at 133 or 141 pounds collegiately. After placing fifth as a freshman and third as a sophomore, Hamel was the 2009 Arizona State 5A High School Champion at 130 pounds for Mesquite High School as a junior. He was an Arizona National Team member in 2008 and was an All-State selection as both a sophomore and junior. Michael was born in Gillette and is the son of Wyoming’s all-time pins leader Mike Hamel. The elder Hamel lettered at UW from 1983-86, was a two-time WAC champion and had 61 career pins.
Mansur has developed as a prep wrestler, where he was the Oregon state 6A champion at 215 pounds during his junior year. Wrestling for Clackamas High School, he also placed third in the state tournament as a sophomore at 189 pounds. In 2008, Mansur placed third at the Reno World of Wrestling Championships at 200 pounds. As a collegiate student-athlete he is expected to compete either at 197 pounds or heavyweight (285).
At Rock Springs High School, McCulley was the Wyoming 4A state champion in 2008 at 130 pounds as a sophomore. As a junior in 2009, he was injured at the state tournament competing at 145 pounds. McCulley is a two-time 4A West Regional Champion. In 2008, he was the Wyoming USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner, as well as a Cadet All-American by placing fourth at USA Wrestling Nationals. McCulley has been on the honor roll each year. At UW, he will compete at 157 or 165 pounds.
Richardson should wrestle for the Cowboys at 149 or 157 pounds. He was an Idaho 4A state champion in 2007 as a freshman at Lakeland High School. He was a USA Wrestling National Champion in 2008, the 4A state runner-up as a junior in 2009 and the 2008 Tri-State Champion. Richardson served as Lakeland Student Council Vice President in 2007-08 and has been an honor roll student each year of high school. He also played soccer, lettering twice.
Woods was a Oklahoma state 4A champion in 2009 as a junior at 215 pounds. He led his team to a state title that same season and placed third individually at the Midwest Classic in Kansas City. As a sophomore, Woods placed third at the state tournament in the 160-pound weight class. At UW he will compete at 197 pounds.
Zehner was a Wisconsin state champion at 125 pounds in 2009. He was also a regional and sectional champion in 2009, as well as first team all-conference as both a sophomore and junior. He was a member of the Wisconsin National Dual Team, was the Freestyle State Champion in 2009 and was runner-up at the 2009 Junior National Tournament. In addition to four years as a wrestling letterman, Zehner also will letter four years in track and field and once in football. His expected weight class while at UW is 141 or 149 pounds.
Joining the Cowboy squad next fall will be Michael Hamel (Gilbert, Ariz.), Cody Mansur (Clackamas, Ore.), Andrew McCulley (Rock Springs), Brandon Richardson (Rathdrum, Idaho), Shane Woods (Tuttle, Okla.) and Zach Zehner (Tomahawk, Wis.).
“This is a solid class that will take care of many of our weight class needs,” said Branch as he described his incoming freshmen for next season. “I am very excited about these young men and their attitudes towards competition and success. These are young kids that, in the end, wanted to be Cowboys and chose to come here because they felt like this is the place where they can be All-Americans and NCAA Champions. I have no doubt that they will find success here and help us build a nationally powerful program at Wyoming.”
Hamel is projected to wrestle at 133 or 141 pounds collegiately. After placing fifth as a freshman and third as a sophomore, Hamel was the 2009 Arizona State 5A High School Champion at 130 pounds for Mesquite High School as a junior. He was an Arizona National Team member in 2008 and was an All-State selection as both a sophomore and junior. Michael was born in Gillette and is the son of Wyoming’s all-time pins leader Mike Hamel. The elder Hamel lettered at UW from 1983-86, was a two-time WAC champion and had 61 career pins.
Mansur has developed as a prep wrestler, where he was the Oregon state 6A champion at 215 pounds during his junior year. Wrestling for Clackamas High School, he also placed third in the state tournament as a sophomore at 189 pounds. In 2008, Mansur placed third at the Reno World of Wrestling Championships at 200 pounds. As a collegiate student-athlete he is expected to compete either at 197 pounds or heavyweight (285).
At Rock Springs High School, McCulley was the Wyoming 4A state champion in 2008 at 130 pounds as a sophomore. As a junior in 2009, he was injured at the state tournament competing at 145 pounds. McCulley is a two-time 4A West Regional Champion. In 2008, he was the Wyoming USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner, as well as a Cadet All-American by placing fourth at USA Wrestling Nationals. McCulley has been on the honor roll each year. At UW, he will compete at 157 or 165 pounds.
Richardson should wrestle for the Cowboys at 149 or 157 pounds. He was an Idaho 4A state champion in 2007 as a freshman at Lakeland High School. He was a USA Wrestling National Champion in 2008, the 4A state runner-up as a junior in 2009 and the 2008 Tri-State Champion. Richardson served as Lakeland Student Council Vice President in 2007-08 and has been an honor roll student each year of high school. He also played soccer, lettering twice.
Woods was a Oklahoma state 4A champion in 2009 as a junior at 215 pounds. He led his team to a state title that same season and placed third individually at the Midwest Classic in Kansas City. As a sophomore, Woods placed third at the state tournament in the 160-pound weight class. At UW he will compete at 197 pounds.
Zehner was a Wisconsin state champion at 125 pounds in 2009. He was also a regional and sectional champion in 2009, as well as first team all-conference as both a sophomore and junior. He was a member of the Wisconsin National Dual Team, was the Freestyle State Champion in 2009 and was runner-up at the 2009 Junior National Tournament. In addition to four years as a wrestling letterman, Zehner also will letter four years in track and field and once in football. His expected weight class while at UW is 141 or 149 pounds.
Cowgirl volleyball signs two
University of Wyoming head volleyball coach Carrie Yerty announced that Erin Kirby and Becky Stewart will join the Wyoming volleyball program beginning in the fall of 2010.
“We are excited to add both of these players to our roster,” said Yerty. “They are incredible students and athletes, and will help improve our program.”
Kirby, a 6-foot middle blocker/opposite hitter from Evanston, is a two-time all-conference and all-state selection while attending Evanston High School. She recently earned 4A West Player of the Year and Wyoming 4A Player of the Year honors. Her team went 21-6 overall and 9-1 in the 4A West Conference, while they finished second in the State 4A Championship. She finished first in the conference in both kills with 396 (4.1 kps) and blocks (2.3 bps), while hitting 44 percent.
A three-time letterwinner, she has also earned letters in track and field and basketball. An excellent track and field athlete, she is a three-time all-conference and all-state selection. During her junior year, she qualified for seven events at the 4A State Track and Field meet and placed first in three events (400, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles) and second in an additional event. Kirby was also Best of the Best in three events at the state meet, which is the fastest overall time regardless of classification. In basketball, she was Honorable Mention All-Conference as a junior. An honor roll student, she is a member of the National Honor Society, while being involved in several scholastic and community activities.
“Erin is an extremely talented all-around athlete," Yerty said. "She will help our depth in the middle block and rightside positions, and will really help our program. We are extremely happy to get another student-athlete from the state of Wyoming, especially of her caliber.”
Stewart, a 5-7 libero from Parker, Colo., was a two-time letterwinner in volleyball while attending Ponderosa High School. In 2009, her team entered the 5A State Championship as the fifth seed and went 5-2 during the tournament to earn the 5A Colorado State Championship over Highlands Ranch, 3-2. The team finished 27-4 overall and 10-1 in league play to earn the District 8 Championship. Stewart was named Second Team All-Continental League, while earning All-Tournament honors at the Cherry Creek Tournament.
Her club team won the Omaha President’s Day Classic and the runner-up spot at the Northern Lights National Qualifier, while she won a Bronze Medal at the USA Volleyball Junior Olympics
“Becky has an incredible work ethic, ball control and will battle for playing time at the libero position," Yerty said.
“We are excited to add both of these players to our roster,” said Yerty. “They are incredible students and athletes, and will help improve our program.”
Kirby, a 6-foot middle blocker/opposite hitter from Evanston, is a two-time all-conference and all-state selection while attending Evanston High School. She recently earned 4A West Player of the Year and Wyoming 4A Player of the Year honors. Her team went 21-6 overall and 9-1 in the 4A West Conference, while they finished second in the State 4A Championship. She finished first in the conference in both kills with 396 (4.1 kps) and blocks (2.3 bps), while hitting 44 percent.
A three-time letterwinner, she has also earned letters in track and field and basketball. An excellent track and field athlete, she is a three-time all-conference and all-state selection. During her junior year, she qualified for seven events at the 4A State Track and Field meet and placed first in three events (400, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles) and second in an additional event. Kirby was also Best of the Best in three events at the state meet, which is the fastest overall time regardless of classification. In basketball, she was Honorable Mention All-Conference as a junior. An honor roll student, she is a member of the National Honor Society, while being involved in several scholastic and community activities.
“Erin is an extremely talented all-around athlete," Yerty said. "She will help our depth in the middle block and rightside positions, and will really help our program. We are extremely happy to get another student-athlete from the state of Wyoming, especially of her caliber.”
Stewart, a 5-7 libero from Parker, Colo., was a two-time letterwinner in volleyball while attending Ponderosa High School. In 2009, her team entered the 5A State Championship as the fifth seed and went 5-2 during the tournament to earn the 5A Colorado State Championship over Highlands Ranch, 3-2. The team finished 27-4 overall and 10-1 in league play to earn the District 8 Championship. Stewart was named Second Team All-Continental League, while earning All-Tournament honors at the Cherry Creek Tournament.
Her club team won the Omaha President’s Day Classic and the runner-up spot at the Northern Lights National Qualifier, while she won a Bronze Medal at the USA Volleyball Junior Olympics
“Becky has an incredible work ethic, ball control and will battle for playing time at the libero position," Yerty said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)