UTAH VALLEY vs. #13 WYOMING
Friday, Feb. 8  |  7 p.m. MT
Lockhart Arena  |  Orem, Utah
TV: UVU TV (channel 17 on local Xfinity)
WAC Digital Network  |  Live Results  |  Tickets  |  UVU Notes  |  UW Notes  

UTAH VALLEY vs. #17 NORTHERN IOWA
Saturday, Feb. 9  |  7 p.m. MT
Lockhart Arena  |  Orem, Utah
TV: UVU TV (Channel 17 on local Xfinity)
WAC Digital Network  |  Live Results  |  Tickets  |  UVU Notes  |  UNI Notes  
 

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OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University wrestling will close its home slate this weekend with a pair of Big 12 Conference duals against No. 13 Wyoming and No. 17 Northern Iowa. The Wolverines will first welcome Wyoming to town on Friday (Feb. 8) before hosting UNI for Senior Night on Saturday (Feb. 9). 
 
Both duals are set to begin at 7 p.m. at UVU's Lockhart Arena and will be televised locally on UVU TV. They will also be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network and live results will be available for both contests at TrackWrestling.com.
 
The Wolverines (9-11, 0-5 Big 12) will enter the contests on the heels of a trio of Big 12 setbacks in the Midwest last week. With the majority of Utah Valley's starters sidelined last week due to injury, UVU first dropped a tightly contested 26-13 contest to South Dakota State before falling to No. 25 North Dakota State, 47-3, and No. 14 Iowa State, 53-0. 
 
In the SDSU dual last Thursday in Brookings, South Dakota, the Wolverines won four of the 10 bouts including bonus-point wins from No. 12 Kimball Bastian at 174 as well as redshirt freshman Ashton Seely at 197. After dropping the first four matches of the night, Bastian then got UVU on the scoreboard with a 12-3 major decision victory over Samuel Grove. After another Wolverine loss, Seely then picked up a big third-period fall (5:26) over 2018 NCAA qualifier Martin Mueller to give UVU a chance. The Wolverines then picked up a 9-2 decision win from heavyweight Tate Orndorff followed by a hard fought 3-2 decision from senior Josh Jensen at 125. SDSU would go on to pull out the contest however, with a final win at 133 to cap the dual.
 
Then in last Friday and Sunday's duals at No. 25 NDSU and No. 14 ISU, UVU mustered just one win in the two duals with a 7-6 decision from freshman Dylan Gregerson over North Dakota State's Sawyer Degen at 141 pounds. 
 
Friday and Saturday's duals will mark UVU's third and fourth straight contests against nationally ranked opponents as well as its ninth and 10th of the season. 
 
RANKED WOLVERINES
UVU will enter the week with six grapplers currently nationally ranked and a pair inside the top-10 in ninth-ranked junior 165-pounder Demetrius Romero and 10th-ranked sophomore 141-pounder Matt Findlay. Junior 174-pounder Bastian is next by checking in at No. 13, while two-time NCAA qualifier and junior 197-pounder Tanner Orndorff is 14th, redshirt freshman heavyweight Tate Orndorff is 17th and senior 184-pounder Will Sumner is 26th on the most recent NCAA Coaches' Panel ranking. Romero, Bastian and Tanner Orndorff are all returning NCAA qualifiers for the Wolverines, and Romero fronts the group on the year with a 19-2 record, while Tate Orndorff is 19-6 and Findlay is 14-1. Of the group, just Bastian and Tate Orndorff wrestled last week as the rest were sidelined due to injury. 
 
WELCOME TO THE TOP 25
After spending 10 consecutive weeks in the NWCA Top 25 Coaches Poll this season and the last two just outside the poll and receiving votes, UVU has now dropped out of the poll and from receiving votes after its most recent road trip. The Wolverines held down spots 21-23 during their 10 weeks inside the top 25 poll this season. The national ranking marked just the second time in program history that UVU has been nationally ranked and the No. 21 ranking was the highest in UVU wrestling history. 
 
SENIOR NIGHT
Saturday's contest against UNI will be Senior Night for Utah Valley. The Wolverines will honor five seniors prior to the contest in Jensen (125), Sumner (184), Mitch Brown (133), Matthew Ontiveros (149) and Raider Lofthouse (157). 
 
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
The 13th-ranked Cowboys will come to Orem with a 13-4 overall record and a 3-2 clip in Big 12 action. Wyoming had previously won eight straight duals until dropping a 21-12 contest at Fresno State last Sunday. The Pokes then rebounded later in the day with a convincing 25-6 victory over Pac-12 foe CSU Bakersfield. During the winning streak, UW picked up wins over No. 15 North Carolina, Michigan State, Oregon State, West Virginia, Air Force, American, Army and SIU Edwardsville. The Pokes also hold wins on the year over No. 4 NC State, No. 19 North Dakota State, Virginia and Edinboro. 
 
Wyoming will enter Friday's contest with eight wrestlers currently nationally ranked. Senior 165-pounder and Spanish Fork native Branson Ashworth (27-3) leads the way as he's ranked eighth, while Montorie Bridges (24-7) is No. 10 at 133, Sam Turner (22-10) is No. 12 at 141, Cole Verner (20-11) is No. 16 at 125, Tate Samuelson (19-4) is No. 19 at 184, Cale Davidson (22-11) is No. 20 at 197, Brian Andrews (26-8) is No. 21 at heavyweight and Hayden Hastings (20-10) is No. 24 at 174. The Pokes return three NCAA qualifiers this season, which includes 2018 NCAA All-American Bridges who placed eighth as a freshman at 133.  
 
Friday's contest will mark the 15th all-time meeting between UVU and Wyoming. The Cowboys will enter the match with a commanding 13-1 series advantage, which includes a 7-0 mark in Orem. UVU's lone win was a 26-19 victory at the Cowboy Duals in Laramie in 2006. 
 
The 17th-ranked Panthers are currently 5-5 on the season and 5-1 in Big 12 duals. Saturday's match will mark UNI's lone contest of the week. Northern Iowa will enter Saturday off of a 24-9 setback at No. 2 Oklahoma State last weekend. Prior to that dual, UNI had won three straight with Big 12 home wins over Oklahoma, Air Force and Northern Colorado. Northern Iowa also holds wins over South Dakota State and West Virginia on the year. 
 
UNI currently has six grapplers individually ranked in the most recent national polls. Senior Josh Alber (25-4) leads the way at No. 5 at 141 pounds, while the reigning Big 12 Conference Wrestler of the Week Taylor Lujuan (21-3) is No. 6 at 174, Drew Foster (19-4) is No. 9 at 184, Max Thomsen (16-6) is No. 10 at 149, Bryce Steiert (19-5) is No. 12 at 165 and Jay Schwarm (9-8) is No. 19 at 125. The Panthers boast a trio of All-Americans on their current roster in 2018 All-American Jacob Holschlag (fifth at 197) and 2017 All-Americans Thomsen (fifth at 149) and Foster (seventh at 184). 
 
Saturday's contest will mark just the fourth all-time meeting between UVU and UNI and the first as members of the Big 12 Conference. Northern Iowa holds a 2-1 series advantage and has won the last two meetings, 21-12 in Cedar Falls in 2016 and 24-18 in Orem in 2012. UVU's lone victory was 19-16 in Laramie in 2010. 
 
UP NEXT FOR UTAH VALLEY
The Wolverines will close their 2018-19 dual slate on the road next weekend with a pair of road Big 12 duals in Colorado. UVU will first take on Northern Colorado in Greeley on Feb. 15, before closing its regular season at Air Force in Colorado Springs on Feb. 16. 
 
Utah Valley's Probable Lineup
125 – Josh Jensen, Sr. (9-14 overall, 8-12 duals)
133 – Isaiah Delgado, Fr. (6-12, 2-8) OR Dylan Gregerson, Fr. (5-6, 2-4) 
141 – Open
149 – Cameron Haddock, Fr. (10-9, 0-5) OR Landon Knutzen, RSo. (9-14, 3-9)  
157 – Spencer Heywood, RFr. (4-13, 0-4)
165 – Koy Wilkinson, RSo. (11-8, 2-6) OR #9 Demetrius Romero, RJr. (19-2, 12-1)
174 – #13 Kimball Bastian, RJr. (13-7, 8-4) OR Kyle Snelling, RFr. (3-7, 1-5)
184 – #26 Will Sumner, RSr. (15-7, 10-4)
197 – Ashton Seely, RFr. (11-12, 5-4) OR #14 Tanner Orndorff, RJr. (11-9, 7-5)   
285 – #17 Tate Orndorff, RFr. (19-6, 12-4) OR Benjamin Andrew, RSo. (10-5, 2-0)
 
#13 Wyoming's Probable Lineup
125 – #16 Cole Verner, RJr. (20-11, 9-6) OR Brock George, Sr. (7-7, 1-1)
133 – #10 Montorie Bridges, RSo. (24-7, 14-3)
141 – #12 Sam Turner, So. (22-10, 10-5)
149 – Jaron Jensen, RSo. (17-15, 7-8)
157 – Jed Loveless, RFr. (10-10, 0-7)
165 – #8 Branson Ashworth, Sr. (27-3, 17-0)
174 – #24 Hayden Hastings, RFr. (20-10, 8-4)
184 – #19 Tate Samuelson, Fr. (19-4, 6-1) OR Carless Looney, RFr. (11-15, 2-8)
197 – #20 Cale Davidson, RFr. (22-11, 10-6)
285 – #21 Brian Andrews, So. (26-8, 13-4)
 
#17 Northern Iowa's Probable Lineup
125 – #19 Jay Schwarm, Jr. (9-8, 6-4)
133 – Jack Skudlarczyk, RFr. (6-10, 3-5)
141 – #5 Josh Alber, Sr. (25-4, 9-1)
149 – #10 Max Thomsen, Jr. (16-6, 5-3)
157 – Paden Moore, Jr. (4-4, 1-2) OR Patrick Schoenfelder, RFr. (4-17, 0-7)
165 – #12 Bryce Steiert, Jr. (19-5, 9-1) 
174 – #6 Taylor Lujan, Jr. (21-3, 9-1)
184 – #9 Drew Foster, Sr. (19-4, 6-3)
197 – Tyrell Gordon, Fr. (15-10, 2-6)
285 – Carter Isley, So. (9-6, 3-2) OR Izaak Shedenhelm, So. (6-14, 1-6)