LARAMIE, Wyo. (Nov. 15, 2017) – The University of Wyoming wrestling team will open the 2017-18 dual season at Nebraska on Friday evening. The dual is set to take place at 6 p.m. MT inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, Neb. On Saturday, UW will compete in the UNK Holiday Inn Open in Kearney, Neb., to close out the weekend.  
 
The Pokes are currently ranked 20th in the latest Intermat Team rankings, as the Huskers hold the No. 15 spot. Friday's dual will mark the fourth matchup during head coach Mark Branch's tenure that both squads are ranked in the top-25.
 
How to Follow
FloWrestling picked up the distribution rights for the Cowboys dual against Nebraska. Fans can follow the action on Trackwrestling or watch live with a subscription to FloWrestling or Big Ten Plus.
 
Great Start to 2017
On Nov. 4, UW capped the 40th Annual Cowboy Open with five individual championships in two divisions. In the elite bracket, junior Branson Ashworth and senior Chaz Polson captured titles at 165 and 184 pounds, respectively, while freshmen Hayden Hastings, Carless Looney and Cale Davidson brought home titles in the amateur bracket. Ashworth was also named the Most Outstanding Wrestler in the elite bracket.
 
This last weekend at the UNC Open, UW sent 17 wrestlers to Greeley, Colo. Of those that competed, ten placed for the Brown and Gold. Junior Cole Verner (125), redshirt freshman Montorie Bridges (133) and true freshman Hayden Hastings (165) led the way with titles for UW.
 
UW in Season Opening Duals & Against Nebraska
Cowboy wrestling holds a 51-35 record all-time in season opening duals. UNL holds a 36-14 advantage in the all-time series including a 33-8 win a year ago. The dual will be the 11th contest all-time in the month of November between the schools and the Pokes will be looking for their first-ever win against Nebraska during that month.
 
Branch is 1-7 against Nebraska, as his lone win came during his second season (2009-10) with UW.
 
Marquee Matchups
Like every dual, there will be plenty to watch on Friday when the Cowboys take on Nebraska. The Huskers have four individuals ranked in the latest Intermat individual rankings, while the Pokes have three. A top-ten matchup at 141 pounds may highlight the dual with senior Bryce Meredith (No. 3) and junior Chad Red Jr. (No. 8). Additionally, junior Branson Ashworth (No. 17) will face No. 16 Isaiah White and senior Archie Colgan (No. 12) will matchup with No. 4 Tyler Berger.
 
Branch's Thoughts
"We've only had a couple open tournaments so far," Branch said. "But we know that duals are different. For a lot of our lineup, this Friday will be their first dual. We've emphasized our start and our approach in practice. We understand how tough a team like Nebraska will be. I believe they will no doubt be a major test for us. Nebraska is also young like us, but we aren't trying to focus on what class they are in. This is a huge opportunity for us, many people may already know the names that Nebraska will have wrestling and they may not know our guys yet. We're definitely going into the dual looking to make noise."
 
"This team has a good mix of veterans that have been successful and then also a group of young guys that can really learn from them," Branch added. "When we were down at the UNC Open last weekend, our talent showed but we will still ask our veterans to provide direction and discipline. These young guys have a number of teammates they can look up to."
 
Looking Ahead to Big 12 Championships
Tickets for the 2018 Big 12 Conference Wrestling Championship go on sale Friday, starting at 9 a.m. MT. Tickets will be available online at www.bokcenter.com, Arby's Box Office at BOK Center, or by calling 1-866-7-BOKCTR. The all-session tickets include all four sessions of the championship. The Championship takes place March 3-4, 2018, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2017, the BOK Center set a Big 12 Conference attendance record when over 15,000 people attended the two-day event.    
 
Probable Matchups v. Nebraska
125: Trent Olson v. Kris Williams
133: Montorie Bridges v. Brian Peska
141: No. 3 Bryce Meredith v. No. 8 Chad Red Jr.
149: Sam Turner v. Colton McCrystal OR Colin Purinton
157: No. 17 Archie Colgan v. No. 4 Tyler Berger
165: No. 12 Branson Ashworth v. No. 16 Isaiah White
174: Kyle Pope v. Beau Breske OR Eric Engler
184: Chaz Polson v. Taylor Venz
197: Cody Vigoren v. Eric Schultz
285: Hunter Mullins v. David Jensen OR Patrick Grayson
*Rankings based on most recent Intermat polls.