Eastern Michigan Duals
Utah Valley vs. Michigan State
Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015  |  7 a.m. MT/9 a.m. ET
Ypsilanti, Mich.   |   Convocation Center
Live Video  |  Live Results  |  UVU Match Notes

Utah Valley vs. Rider (RV)
Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015  |  10 a.m. MT/12 p.m. ET
Ypsilanti, Mich.   |   Convocation Center
Live Video  |  Live Results

Utah Valley vs. #11 Illinois
Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015  |  11:30 a.m. MT/1:30 p.m. ET
Ypsilanti, Mich.   |   Convocation Center
Live Video  |  Live Results
 

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UVU WRESTLING SET TO OPEN 2015-16 CAMPAIGN SATURDAY AT EMU DUALS
OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University wrestling team, who now calls the Big 12 Conference home, will begin its 2015-16 season Saturday at the Eastern Michigan Duals in Ypsilanti, Michigan. There, the Wolverines will face a trio of tough opponents in No. 11 Illinois, Michigan State and Rider.
 
UVU will open the dual tournament at 7 a.m. MT/9 a.m. ET in a Big 12 vs. Big Ten showdown against the Michigan State Spartans. Following a contest against the Rider Broncs, who are currently receiving votes for the top-25, at 10 a.m. MT/12 p.m. ET, the Wolverines will close the opening-season tournament against the 11th-ranked Fighting Illini in another Big 12 vs. Big Ten matchup at 11:30 a.m. MT/1:30 p.m. ET.
 
"They are all going to be tough duals," 10th-year Utah Valley head coach Greg Williams said. "We're excited to get out there and compete so that we can see where our guys are at against some real competition." 
 
The Wolverines welcome back eight of their 10 starters from last year's squad and two of their three 2015 NCAA qualifiers in senior Chasen Tolbert (125 pounds) and Jade Rauser (133). Tolbert enters the season ranked 13th in his weight class by InterMat after going 18-8 last season for Utah Valley, while Rauser finds himself currently ranked 18th by FloWrestling after leading the Wolverines with a 22-8 record and winning a conference title in 2014-15. The duo, along with fellow senior starters Ross Taylor (174) and Derek Thomas (197), as well as junior Trevor Willson (141), will look to lead the way for UVU this season.
 
"We've got Jade and Chasen to lead the way for us this season. They have confidence and have been there before," Williams added. "We also have a few other upperclassmen who have really improved over the summer and we're expecting big things from them as well."
 
As a team, the Wolverines went 2-9 a year ago with wins over Air Force and Grand Canyon and finished 1-4 in their final season of competition in the now defunct Western Wrestling Conference. Utah Valley, along with all five of its fellow former WWC counterparts, now calls the Big 12 Conference home, as the league officially added all six schools as affiliate members for the sport of wrestling this past summer. UVU, Air Force, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, South Dakota State and Wyoming now joins forces with Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and West Virginia for a new-look 10-team Big 12.
 
"Being in the Big 12 raises the bar for us," added Williams. "We feel like we've got the coaching staff and the recruits to help us compete well in that league. We've got a big jump to make, but I feel like our guys are gamers and are willing to really work hard to help us be successful."
 
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Michigan State went 5-13 overall a year ago and 1-8 in Big Ten Conference action. The youthful Spartans will look to be led by sophomore Mitch Rogaliner at 125 pounds, as he went 17-13 a year ago. MSU leads the all-time series 1-0 over UVU, after defeating the Wolverines by a score of 21-18 at the 2013 Eastern Michigan Duals. 
 
Rider, who is just outside of the NWCA/USA Today top-25 poll and currently ranked 23rd on the InterMat poll, finished its 2014-15 season with a 13-8 overall record and a 4-2 clip in the Eastern Wrestling League. The Broncs currently have four grapplers ranked in their respective weight classes by InterMat, led by reigning All-American B.J. Clagon who is tabbed fourth at 149 pounds. Three-time NCAA qualifier Rob Deutsch and Conor Brennan are next for Rider, as they both come in ranked 15th at 133 and 165, respectively, while Chad Walsh rounds out the ranked Broncs at 20th at 157. Saturday's dual will be the first all-time meeting between UVU and Rider.
 
Illinois will enter Saturday's season opener ranked 11th nationally after finishing 12th at the 2015 NCAA Championships and going 13-5 and 6-3 in Big Ten action a year ago. The Fighting Illini will enter the weekend with seven of their grapplers nationally ranked including defending national champion and top-ranked Isaiah Martinez at 157 pounds. Illinois holds a 1-0 all-time advantage over the Wolverines after defeating UVU by a score of 41-3 at the Wrestle for a Cure Duals in 2011.
 
WEGHT-BY-WEIGHT PREVIEW 
125
Senior Chasen Tolbert (Delta, Utah) is the clear starter here for the Wolverines. He is currently ranked 13th in the nation by InterMat after going 18-8 last season with wins over a handful of nationally ranked opponents, including David Terao (American), Josh Martinez (Air Force), Josh Rodriguez (North Dakota State) and Evan Silver (Stanford). He also made his first trip to nationals last year after placing third at the NCAA West Regional a year ago. The future is bright at this weight with sophomore Mitch Brown coming in as a transfer from Air Force. Brown is from nearby Payson, Utah (Payson HS), where he was a three-time Utah state champion. At Air Force during his freshman year, he went 15-7 overall. Brown is planning on redshirting this season.
 
133
Senior Jade Rauser (Townsend, Mont.) is arguably the most seasoned wrestler for UVU this year, as he is a three-time NCAA qualifier and holds many wins over top-20 opponents during his career. Last year at the NCAA Championships, Rauser defeated two-time All-American Mason Beckman of Lehigh before dropping a heartbreaker to fellow All-American Jimmy Gulibon of Penn State. He was then was ousted out of the tournament by the three-time All-American AJ Schopp of Edinboro. Rauser showed at last year's tournament that he is a legitimate contender to cap his career with an All-American finish this season. Jarod Maynes (Liberty Lake, Wash.) will be a redshirt sophomore this year after redshirting for the Wolverines last season. Maynes won the UVU Open a year ago and looks to work his way into the starting line-up in the near future.
 
141
Junior Trevor Willson (Tucson, Ariz.) is making the drop down to 141 wrestling up a weight at 149 for the past two years. Willson was very competitive at 149 pounds and with the drop should be a contender in his weight class in the Big 12 right away. Junior Bracken Nipko (Pleasant View, Utah) is a junior who has battled injuries the past two years after seeing some action at 125 pounds during his redshirt freshman year. Nipko will look to battle Willson for the starting spot. Freshman Chase Call (Shelley, Idaho) was a two-time state champion and a four-time state finalist at Shelley High School in Shelley, Idaho. Call was also an All-American while in High School. This is his first year after returning home from serving an LDS mission.
 
149
Redshirt sophomore Brayden Humpherys (Layton, Utah) looks to lock down the 149 pound spot for the Wolverines. Humpherys is from Layton High School and started his collegiate career at Colorado Mesa before transferring to UVU. The former Layton High standout redshirted last season after serving an LDS mission and looks to be in top form this year. Freshmen Grant LaMont (Mapleton, Utah) and Khristian Olivas (Clovis, Calif.), as well as sophomore Matthew Ontiveros (Fresno, Calif.) will all be redshirting this year. LaMont was a National Champion before coming to UVU as well a three-time Utah High School State Champion. Khristian Olivas, who was a two-time California state placer at Clovis High School (Clovis, Calif.), will look to be in the mix of things come next year as well. Matthew Ontiveros will make the jump up to 149 this year after starting for UVU at 141 last season.
 
157
Redshirt freshman Raider Lofthouse (Avon, Utah) looks to hold down the 157-pound spot for the Wolverines, as he comes off of a redshirt year. Lofthouse won four Utah state titles at Mountain Crest High School and will now look to continue that success at the collegiate level. His older brother Ethen and his uncle Luke, who are both currently on Coach Williams' staff here at Utah Valley, were both All-American wrestlers for the Iowa Hawkeyes. 
 
165
Sophomore Koleton Hardy (Brigham City, Utah) returns after suffering a season-ending injury last year and looks to put together a solid season at 165 for the Wolverines. Also returning from a grayshirt year will be freshman Kimball Bastian (Mapleton, Utah) from Maple Mountain HS. Bastian will be redshirting but placed high in several tournaments this summer showing that he will be a huge addition in the future for UVU. Fellow freshman Kieffer Taylor (Mesa, Ariz.) hails from Arizona where he was a state champion and a highly sought after recruit. Taylor has impressed early and could challenge for a starting spot this year, but for now will plan on redshirting.
 
174
Senior Ross Taylor (Newcastle, Utah) will be dropping down a weight class this year and will be the starting 174-pounder for the Wolverines. Taylor placed sixth at the Reno Tournament of Champions last season by going 5-3 at the tournament and picked up conference wins over Air Force and Northern Colorado. The senior Taylor will be one of the leaders for the Wolverines in 2015-16. Sophomore Dalton Harmon (Nephi, Utah) will be moving up to 174 this year after starting at 165 last season for UVU as a freshman. Harmon will redshirt this year and look to take over the weight class next season when Taylor graduates.
 
184
Redshirt freshman Will Sumner (Penn Valley, Calif.) or junior Abel Gomez (Las Vegas, Nev.) will be taking over the 184-pound duties for UVU this season with Taylor moving down to 174. Sumner impressed last season during his redshirt year by winning the UVU Open and placing third at the Battle of the Rockies. Gomez has made his way into the starting lineup for the Wolverines over the past couple of seasons and will wrestle Sumner for the starting spot. Freshman Jake Armstrong, who hails from West Mountain, Utah, will be redshirting this year. Armstrong comes to UVU as one of the top high school recruits last year (Salem Hills HS). Armstrong was a three-time Utah state champion and an All-American in high school. At 184 pounds, Armstrong will look to be in the mix for the starting job for the 2016-17 season.
 
197
Senior Derek Thomas (Layton, Utah) will be the guy at 197 pounds barring any injuries. As a three-year starter, Thomas will look to have a break through year and qualify for the NCAA Championships. For the past two seasons, Thomas has placed third at conference where he just narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Coming in as a senior, Thomas is poised to make a run this year. Challengers at 197 will be sophomore Aryton Almberg (Ely, Nev.) and redshirt freshman Logan Blackwood (Boise, Idaho). Redshirting will be freshmen Tanner Orndorff (Spokane, Wash.) and Richard Ybarra-Brandt (Madera, Calif.). Orndorff recently returned home from an LDS mission but had an excellent high school career in Washington that he finished with a state championship. Ybarra-Brandt was a state runner-up in California as a junior but an injury prevented him from competing at state his senior year.
 
285
Sophomore Jordan Karst (Las Vegas, Nev.) picked up some valuable starting experience last season and seemed to improve quickly, as he placed fourth at the conference championship and just missed out on qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Redshirt sophomore Dustin Dennison (Pleasant Grove, Utah) took a redshirt year and went 17-6, which included a sixth-place finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions. This is going to be a year-long battle between these two on who will be the Wolverine starter at heavyweight this season.
 
UP NEXT FOR UVU
Following the Eastern Michigan Duals, the Wolverines will head to Corvallis, Oregon, for a pair of duals against No. 19 Oregon State and No. 18 Rutgers on Nov. 21. The Wolverines will then return to Orem for their 2015-16 home opener on Nov. 28 against Boise State.