Cowboys Sending Record-Tying Seven Wrestlers to National Championships
Information provided by Cobe Michael Wastler/Wyoming Athletic Department
Sophomore Stephen Buchanan, the No. 8 seeded at the 197-pound level, leads a record-tying seven Cowboys entered in the NCAA Wrestling Championships this weekend in St. Louis. Buchanan, is coming off a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championships.
“We are always working to qualify all 10 guys, but to have a record tying seven qualifiers is encouraging and promising,” said head coach Mark Branch. “These guys can make some noise at this tournament but they need to believe that and go there for that reason only. We can’t go for the “experience. Experience is overrated and we need to go to St. Louis expecting to win big matches and seize the opportunity.”
Branch feels the Cowboys can be a factor in the championships.
“They have winnable matches in the first round and that’s all that matters,” Branch said of the seven Wyoming wrestlers. “Just focus on performing that first match and then we’ll gear up for round 2. If you can keep it simple to managing one match at a time, you can stay focused and perform to your capabilities. “
Buchanan is at the topof that list. Herecorded three wins over top five opponents during the regular season.
The trio of Hayden Hastings (174), Tate Samuelson (184) and Brian Andrews (HWT) will look to help pace the Cowboys this weekend as they make their third NCAA tournament appearance. Samuelson checks in as the No. 10 seed at 184 pounds while Hastings and Andrews are the No. 14 and No. 13 seeds in their respective brackets. All three Cowboys earned a runner-up finish at the Big 12 Championships.
In his first season as a Cowboy, Jacob Wright (157) punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships behind a solid season that saw him rack up 15 wins. This is the second time in his career that Wright has qualified for the NCAA Championships, qualifying once while competing for Fresno State. He earned an at-large bid to the tournament after finishing fifth at the Big 12 Championships and is the No. 23 seed in the 157-pound bracket.
The Pokes are rounded out by two first-time NCAA Qualifiers in Chase Zollmann (141) and Cole Moody (165).
Moody had a breakout season for the Cowboys which culminated in a career best second place finish at the Big 12 Championships. Moody will have the No. 20 seed in the 165-pound bracket.
Zollmann found a groove late in the season when he finished third at the Cowboy Challenge tournament winning his placing match by fall. He rode that momentum in the Big 12 championships where he was seeded eighth and picked up multiple upset wins on his way to a fifth-place finish. Zollamnn will have the NO. 29 seed at 141 pounds.
Quick Hits
• Wyoming has crowned 35 All-Americans at the NCAA Championships since 1950. That total includes seven NCAA finalists.
• If the Cowboys are to bring home an individual championship this weekend, it would mark the program's second, and first since Dick Ballinger in 1960.
• Under head coach Mark Branch, 12 Cowboys have returned from the NCAA Championships as All-Americans.
• Branch's teams have recorded three top-20 finishes at the tournament, and five top-25 finishes.
• In Branch's previous 10 seasons, Wyoming has recorded multiple All-Americans in four years, one in four years, and none in just three years.
The First Round Matchups
141 – No. 29 Zollmann (WYO) vs No. 4 Tariq Wilson (NCST)
157 – No. 23 Wright (WYO) vs No. 10 Justin Thomas (OU)
165 – No. 20 Moody (WYO) vs No. 13 Tanner Skidgel (NAVY)
174 – No. 14 Hastings (WYO) vs No. 19 Michael O’Malley (DREX)
184 – No. 10 Samuelson (WYO) vs No. 23 Charles Small (HOF)
197 – No. 8 Buchanan (WYO) vs No. 25 J.J. Dixon (ORST)
HWT – No. 13 Andrews (WYO) vs No. 20 Quinn Miller (UVA)
