Conference Test Awaits Cowboy Wrestling In South Dakota

 

UW will try to remain unbeaten in WWC action

 

LARAMIE, Wyo. (Jan. 18, 2013) Aiming for its second conference win of the season, the University of Wyoming wrestling team will hit the road to take on South Dakota State in a Sunday matchup. The Cowboys will battle the Jackrabbits in a Western Wrestling Conference dual.

 

The details

Matches begin at 2 p.m. in the Donald E. Young Center on the campus of Black Hills State University in Spearfish, S.D. All tickets are sold at the door. Pricing will be $12 for adults, $6 for children up to 12, while children 5 and younger will be admitted free.

 

Live stats will be available at the following link:

http://www.trackwrestling.com/dualmeets/DualMeetDetail.jsp?dualMeetId=121938009

 

South Dakota State will be designated as the home team in the contest, although it is considered a neutral-site dual.

 

A look at the Cowboys

Wyoming leads the Western Wrestling Conference with a 1-0 mark, and is 6-3 overall, with all three losses coming at the hands of ranked opponents. The Cowboys are 4-0 at neutral sites this season, with wins over Oklahoma, San Francisco State, CSU Bakersfield and Cal Poly. UW owns a 13-0 record versus SDSU in the all-time series, which began in 1954.

 

Two Cowboys are in the Amateur Wrestling News weekly rankings, including sophomore Andy McCulley and senior Alfonso Hernandez. McCulley is the 13^th-rated wrestler at 157 pounds, while Hernandez is ranked fourth at 197 pounds. Six Cowboys in the dual lineup have winning records, including sophomore Tyler Cox (23-7), McCulley (21-6), senior L.J. Helbig (16-8), sophomore Shane Woods (19-10) and Hernandez, who is 25-1.

 

A look at the Jackrabbits

South Dakota State is 4-5 this season and makes its WWC dual debut this weekend. The Jacks upset Indiana of the Big Ten to open the season, and have beaten Tiffin, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Simpson College.

 

Top wrestlers for the Jacks include Brance Simms at 133 (14-11), Dustin Walraven at 149 (18-9) and Cody Pack at 157, who is 12-8.

 

Probable lineup

Wyoming wrestler listed first

125: Tyler Cox, So., Gillette, Wyo. (23-7) vs. Aaron Pickrel, Sr., Watertown, S.D. (9-9)

133: Kasey Garnhart, Sr., Ten Sleep, Wyo. (9-9) vs. Brance Simms, Fr., Gilmore City, Iowa (14-11) OR Chet Utesch, Fr., Akron, Iowa (7-7)

141: Kyle Komata, Jr., Woodinville, Wash. (9-10) vs. Ben Gillette, Fr., Redfield, S.D., (5-12)

149: Brandon Richardson, So., Rathdrum, Idaho (10-13) vs. Dustin Walraven, Sr., Huron, S.D. (18-9)

157: No. 13 Andy McCulley, So., Rock Springs, Wyo. (21-6) vs. Cody Pack, So., Quincy, Calif. (12-8)

165: Dakota Friesth, So., Adel, Iowa (12-15) vs. Joe Brewster, So., Park Ridge, Ill. (8-10)

174: L.J. Helbig, Sr., Mason, Mich. (16-8) vs. John Nething II, Jr., Paynesville, Minn. (6-10)

184: Shane Woods, So., Tuttle, Okla. (19-10) vs. Shea Nolan, So., Rio Rancho, N.M. (5-7)

197: No. 4 Alfonso Hernandez, Sr., Blackfoot, Idaho (25-1) vs. Joe Skow, Sr., Jackson, Minn. (3-6)

285: Leland Pfeifer, So., Hulett, Wyo. (1-4) vs. J.J. Everard, Fr., Etiwanda, Calif. (4-11)

 

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