Cowboys' Bridges Earns 1st Team All-America Honors
From the desk of Kevin DeVries/Wyoming Athletic Department
MANHEIM, Pa. – Wyoming 133-pounder Montroie Bridges was selected a 1st Team All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), and heavyweight Brian Andrews was named to the Honorable Mention Team.
The NWCA recognizes student-athletes by naming All-Americans based off their achievements at the NCAA Championships. However, this season, due to COVID-19, the championships were canceled and All-Americans were recognized based on their overall body of work through conference tournaments and up to the national championships.
Bridges, who also earned All-American status in 2018 as a freshman, qualified for his third NCAA Championships this season and was slated to be the No. 8 seed at the national tournament. Bridges, who took third place at the Big 12 Championships, led the Cowboys with a 32-6 record this season and is just two shy of 100 for his career, which would make him the 21 member of the 100-win club in program history.
Bridges notched six ranked victories this season, five of which, coming against top-20 opponents and went 15-3 in dual competition for the Pokes in 2019-20. Bridges placed second at both the Cowboy Open and the Cliff Keen Invite and was one of three Cowboy champions at the Reno Tournament of Champions.
Andrews, who became just the third Cowboy to win a Big 12 Championship since UW joined the league, qualified for his second consecutive NCAA Championships and was to be the No. 13 seed at the tournament. Andrews, who posted an overall record of 30-7 on the year, went 4-0 at the Big 12s and upset three ranked opponents on his way to the title, defeating the top seed and the No. 2 and No. 4 seeds.
Andrews was one of the hottest wrestlers in the country heading into the NCAAs, riding a seven-match winning streak and winning 12-of-13 overall to end the season. Andrews led the Cowboys with eight ranked victories on the season and also went 15-3 in dual action while recording 11 bonus-point victories on the year.
The duo becomes the 13 and 14 Cowboys under Head Coach Mark Branch to earn All-American status and 36 and 37 overall in program history.
“During difficult times, there are always people who rise to the occasion and I’m proud of the action that the NWCA Division I Leadership Group took in providing direction for honoring the 2020 All-American team,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer.
“It’s important that these athletes’ efforts and successes during the season are recognized. Congratulations to each of this year’s honorees and National Qualifiers.”