LARAMIE, Wyo. (Jan. 24, 2019) – The NCAA released its first of four sets of wrestling coaches' panel rankings on Thursday, with eight of 10 Wyoming wrestlers appearing at their respective weights. The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine qualifiers and seeding for the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on March 21-23 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
 
Wyoming is in a group with 12 other schools nationally to have eight or more ranked wrestlers in the first set of rankings. Three freshman Pokes earned rankings in the poll, with three other ranked Cowboys being sophomores.
 
Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches' rankings to earn allocation spots for their qualifying tournaments for the championships. The coaches' rankings are compiled by a vote of coaches representing each qualifying tournament. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. To be eligible for the rankings, wrestlers must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents in the weight class and have wrestled within the last 30 days.
 
The Cowboys are led by senior Branson Ashworth, who earns a top-10 ranking from the coaches at No. 9. Ashworth has strung together a spectacular 2018-19 season, racking up a 24-3 overall record that includes a 14-0 mark in duals and seven ranked wins. The Spanish Fork, Utah native has compiled 10-straight victories, with seven of those wins coming with bonus points.
 
Cowboy redshirt sophomore and 2018 All-American Montorie Bridges comes in at No. 11 in a stacked 133-pound poll. Bridges is 21-7 overall on the year and has won seven consecutive matches. The Cowboy is 11-3 in duals with five ranked wins. He also leads the Pokes in major decisions with six and dual takedowns with 38.
 
At 125 pounds, Cole Verner is slotted at No. 19 in his first season in the Wyoming lineup. Verner is 18-11 overall just past the midway point of the season, with seven dual wins and four falls for the Pokes this season. The junior has picked up notable top-10 wins over No. 5 Zeke Moisey of Nebraska and No. 7 Sean Fausz this season.
 
Redshirt sophomore Sam Turner comes in at No. 17 at 141 pounds. Looking to make his second appearance at the NCAA Championships after qualifying as a freshman in 2018, Turner is on the verge of another 20-win season with a 19-10 overall record so far this year. Boasting seven dual wins, Turner has also racked up four ranked wins on the year, including a big win over ninth-ranked Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State in the semifinals of the Reno Tournament of Champions, where he was named Outstanding Wrestler.
 
Hayden Hastings makes his first career appearance in the coaches' rankings, slotted at No. 24 at 174 pounds. Hastings has put together an impressive, 19-10 overall record that includes seven duals victories. Wrestling in his first true collegiate season after redshirting in 2018, the Sheridan, Wyo., native has beaten a pair of ranked opponents on the year in No. 10 Dylan Lydy of Purdue and No. 12 Ben Harvey of Army.
 
After wrestling in his first collegiate dual earlier this month, true freshman Tate Samuelson earns a No. 20 ranking at 184. Samuelson is a perfect 4-0 in duals this season and 17-3 overall. In his first dual start, the Cowboy knocked off No. 18 Noah Stewart of Army in a 7-1 decision. He also finished third at the Reno Tournament of Champions in December, and took first at the Cowboy Open.
 
At 197 pounds, Cale Davidson also earns a top-20 ranking at No. 20. Davidson has racked up a 22-9 overall record as a redshirt freshman, along with a 10-4 dual mark. Davidson has knocked off two of the last three ranked foes he's matched up against, defeating No. 20 Cordell Eaton of North Dakota State and No. 16 Malik McDonald of NC State while coming up just short of an upset over No. 4 Rocco Caywood of Army.
 
Finally, sophomore heavyweight Brian Andrews wraps up the list of ranked Cowboys, coming in at No. 21. Andrews is 24-7 on the year and a winner of six of his last seven. With an 11-3 record in dual starts, the Grapevine, Texas, native has ranked wins over No. 11 Jeramy Sweany of Cornell and No. 13 Cory Daniel of North Carolina.
 
The Cowboys will be back in action this Sunday at 2 p.m. as they host Big 12 rival West Virginia in the UniWyo Sports Complex.