Chris Pendleton has joined the staff at the University of Wyoming, joining Head Coach Mark Branch.  Both are former Oklahoma State Cowboys and NCAA Champions.  Branch's staff now includes former Nebraska Husker Travis Shufelt and another former OSU Cowboy Ethan Kyle.

The Wyoming Cowboys won their first conference title since 1992, by the slimmest of margins. Joe LeBlanc, Michael Martinez,  and Shane Onufur each earned automatic berths to the NCAA Championships by winning the conference championship. Senior Cory Vombaur was second and will have to wait a few days until the at-large berths are announced.

The Cowboys scored 75 points, Northern Iowa had 74.5, North Dakota State (44.5) was third, followed by Utah Valley (43.5), Air Force (37.5), South Dakota State (29.5) and Northern Colorado (18.5). UNI had one the West Region (now the WWC) for 24 straight years.

The Cowboys put a couple more notches in the win column last week, over two Western Wrestling Conference foes.  The UW team knocked off perennial WWC powerhouse Northern Iowa  37-3.  UNI has had a two decade plus stranglehold on the West Region (now WWC), that appears to be in serious jeopardy this year. 

The Cowboys also took out the Utah Valley Wolverines by a 26-12 margin.  Utah Valley's Ben Kjar defeated Wyoming's Michael Martinez in match-up of highly ranked NCAA wrestlers. But it was mostly the Cowboys who were doing the winning.

Oklahoma State showed their talent and just had a little too much horsepower over a game Wyoming Cowboy team. The OSU squad won a few close matches and was able to ride out of Laramie winning nine out of ten weight classes and with a 31-3 victory.

John Smith's team, pulled out one-point victories at 125 lbs, and 133 lbs. Mark Branch, a longtime OSU assistant in his 2nd year with the UW program, was impressed with the fans and atmosphere, but expected a few more wins.

http://www.laramieboomerang.com/articles/2010/01/30/sports/doc4b63d55a6de32875221564.txt

The competition schedule is busy once again this coming week.  Lots of teams are right back in action, and many are getting heavily  into their conference dual season.  We have a summary of what is going on out west this week in college wrestling, and also for western teams on the road. 


Wednesday, January 13
North Idaho at Yakima Valley CC
North Idaho vs. Highline CC at Yakima, Wash.
Mesa State at Nebraska-Kearney

Thursday, January 14
Adams State at Chadron State
Southern Oregon at San Francisco State
Mesa State at Fort Hays State
North Idaho at SW Oregon CC
Cal Poly at San Francisco State
Cal Poly vs. Southern Oregon at San Francisco, Calif.


Friday, January 15
Adams State at Colorado School of Mines
Boise State vs. North Dakota State at Bozeman, Mont.
North Idaho at Clackamas CC
Northern Colorado at Wyoming
UC Davis at Oregon State
Cal Baptist at Grand Canyon
Cal Baptist vs. CSU-Pueblo at Phoenix, Ariz.
CSU-Pueblo at Grand Canyon


Saturday, January 16
Cal Baptist vs. Great Falls at Prescott, Ariz.
Cal Baptist vs. Simon Fraser at Prescott, Ariz.
Cal Baptist vs. Southern Oregon at Prescott, Ariz.
CSU-Pueblo at Embry-Riddle
Eastern Michigan vs. Stanford at East Lansing, Mich.
Great Falls at Embry-Riddle
Nebraska-Kearney vs. New Mexico Highlands at Grand Prairie, Texas
New Mexico Highlands vs. Newman at Grand Prairie, Texas
Utah Valley vs. Arizona State at Grand Prairie, Texas
Harvard vs. Arizona State at Grand Prairie, Texas
Harvard vs. Utah Valley at Grand Prairie, Texas
Air Force vs. Arizona State at Grand Prairie, Texas
Air Force vs. Northwestern at Grand Prairie, Texas
Brown vs. Air Force at Grand Prairie, Texas
Brown vs. Utah Valley at Grand Prairie, Texas
Western State at Grand Canyon
Clackamas Open- Oregon City, Oregon
Menlo at Embry-Riddle
Stanford at Michigan State

Sunday, January 17
Cal State-Bakersfield at Oregon State
Stanford at Central Michigan
Wyoming at Nebraska

Oregon State moved to 12-1 on the season with three wins in California. OSU is on an eleven match win streak as they go into the Pac 10 season. The OSU team also defeated Wyoming last week by a score of 28-8.  In California, OSU was bale to shut out Menlo and Northern Colorado, before knocking off Stanford by a 31-7 margin.  They are back in action vs UC Davis and Bakersfield this weekend at home.

    

Wyoming 26, North Carolina State 15

The Cowboys got back into competition on Tuesday, getting a win against NC State, despite being a little shorthanded. UW forfeited at 125 lbs, but was able to come back and win six of the next nine bouts, including four with bonus points to get the team victory.

The Cowboys will now head out to Corvallis, Oregon to take on #21 ranked Oregon State on Thursday night.     



     








     125 pounds - Mike Moreno (NCST) by forfeit, 6-0 NCST
     133 pounds - No. 22 Cory VomBaur (WYO) by major decision over Scott Norris (NCST), 8-0

• 141 pounds - Dale Shull (NCST) by decision over Chase Smith (WYO), 9-8
• 149 pounds - Bobby Ward (NCST) by decision over Cole Dallaserra (WYO), 7-6
• 157 pounds - Colton Palmer (NCST) by decision over Mikah Kadera (WYO), 8-4
• 165 pounds - No. 9 Shane Onufer (WYO) by fall over Ray Ward (NCST), 4:35
• 174 pounds - Brock Smith (WYO) by decision over Quinton Godley (NCST), 5-0
• 184 pounds - No. 7 Joe LeBlanc (WYO) by fall over Jonathan Becker (NCST), 2:28
• 197 pounds - Alfonso Hernandez (WYO) by major decision over Andrew Tumlin (NCST), 13-4
• Hwt. (285) - Lee (L.J.) Helbig (WYO) by decision over Eloheim Palma (NCST), 6-0

It is time for a short break for most of al college wrestling after the Reno TOC wrapped up tonight.  Action gets going in another week or so with the Midlands and the Southern Scuffle, two premier college tournaments. Oklahoma State won the team championship, wrestling without starters Clayton Foster (184) and Albert White (149). They got a big boost in their lineup, as transfer Mike Benefiel has become eligible to wrestle for the Cowboys for the first time. He won the title at 174, and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the 15th annual Reno TOC. 

Team Scores:
Team Scores
1 - 154.0 - Oklahoma State
2 - 85.5 - Edinboro
3 - 83.0 - Penn State
4 - 77.0 - Arizona State
4 - 77.0 - Ohio
6 - 70.5 - Cal Poly
7 - 69.5 - Wyoming
8 - 57.0 - Boise State
9 - 54.0 - North Carolina
10 - 50.5 - Cal State Fullerton
11 - 43.5 - Stanford
12 - 42.5 - West Virginia
13 - 42.0 - UC Davis
14 - 38.0 - Cal State Bakersfield
15 - 32.0 - Navy
16 - 30.5 - Clackamas
17 - 28.5 - Eastern Michigan
18 - 18.5 - Upper Iowa
19 - 13.5 - Great Falls
19 - 13.5 - MSU Mankato
21 - 10.5 - South Dakota State
22 - 10.0 - Adams State
22 - 10.0 - Montana State Northern
24 - 8.5 - SW Oregon
25 - 8.0 - Southern Oregon


Here are the brackets from the TOC, thanks to tech-fall.com:

http://www.tech-fall.com/2010CLG/files/2009_Reno_College_Brackets3.PDF

The rise of the east and the demise of the west was what Roger Moore of WIN magazine alluded to in the recent column.  The column pointed more to the Pac 10 than the WWC  which UVU competes in, but generally speaking Moore's perception was that the east and west sides of the U.S. are heading in opposite directions when it comes to collegiate wrestling. Somebody forgot to tell the west that they were supposed to start the season by bowing down to the eastern teams and the more traditional powers of the midwest.  Utah Valley, a first year NCAA eligible team, won their third dual of the east coast swing in as many tries. The Wolverines were able to take 7 of the 10 bouts to win 26-10.

Earlier today, Cal Poly defeated #8 Missouri. These wins coupled with Stanford going 3-0 at the Northwestern duals last weekend should have a few people at least questioning the notion that the west is all but dead when it comes to wrestling. Stanford last week beat Northwestern, Purdue and Northern Iowa. 

ASU appears to be gaining a little steam, and BSU looks set for another strong campaign.  Oregon State looks to be gaining steam and will wrestle Wisconsin and Boise State this weekend.  Mark Branch is moving Wyoming in a good direction. Just maybe, the west is on the positive upswing.  Scores for the UVU-N.C. State dual are below.

Utah Valley 26, NC State 10
133 - Darrius Little (NCS) dec. Flint Ray, 10-7
141 - Dale Shull (NCS) major dec. Marty Carlson, 9-0
149 - Justin Morrill (UVU) injury def. Colton Palmer at 3:00
157 - Bobby Ward (NCS) dec. Richard Winger, 11-8
165 - Monte Schmalhaus (UVU) dec. Kasey Young, 12-5
174 - Brad Darrington (UVU) dec. Quinton Godley, 4-2 sv2
184 - Casen Eldredge (UVU) major dec.Jonathan Becker, 9-1
197 - Josh Woods (UVU) dec. Andrew Tumlin , 9-8
Hwt - Dylan Stadel (UVU) dec. Bobby Isola, 3-2
125 - #11 Ben Kjar (UVU) major dec. Taylor Cummings, 15-3