TULSA, Okla. (March 9, 2019) – Wyoming redshirt sophomore wrestler Montorie Bridges will make the first Big 12 title match appearance of his career on Sunday evening, going 2-0 on the first day of the Big 12 Championships on Saturday at the BOK Center.
 
As a team, the Cowboys are in fifth place with 50 team points and seven wrestlers still with a chance to place. The Cowboys advanced four wrestlers into the semifinals in their respective weights.
 
Bridges will face off with top-seeded and second-ranked Daton Fix of Oklahoma State on Sunday for the 133-pound Big 12 title. It will be a rematch of the pair's contest during the Cowboys' dual at Oklahoma State in November. Fix won that matchup, 3-0.
 
"That was at the point in the season when I was, as I'd say, going downhill," Bridges said. "I wasn't wrestling well at all, and stepping into Gallagher-Iba Arena with that hostile crowd and being able to wrestle that well and—even though I still lost—boosted my confidence a lot and set the precedent for the rest of the season. Since then, I've been wrestling better and figuring out what I'm doing wrong and right."
 
Bridges had an impressive day, opening the morning's first session with a 16-1 technical fall over Oklahoma's Anthony Madrigal in the championship quarterfinals to advance. In the semis, the Cowboy rebounded from an early, 2-0, deficit to the No. 2 seed and 10th-ranked Austin Gomez of Iowa State with a pair of takedowns in the final two periods of the match for the 6-3 decision. With the win, he qualified for his second career NCAA Championships.
 
"It just affirms to me that I can wrestle with those guys," Bridges said. "I've known that from the get-go…But this does a lot for the confidence. Like I said, it shows you where you're at and it solidifies in my mind that I can do what I know I can do. Our coaches have been preaching the last few weeks about believing in your training. In that last match, I knew I was conditioned and wasn't going to be tired. I just knew I was going to do what I had to do and that I'd be fine."
 
Cowboy senior Branson Ashworth advanced to the semifinals for the second-straight season, dropping Iowa State's Logan Schumacher by way of 7-2 decision, but came up short in his semifinal bout with No. 5 seed Andrew Fogarty of North Dakota State, 3-2. Ashworth will face off with Oklahoma State's Joe Smith in the consolation semifinals on Sunday.
 
Redshirt freshman Hayden Hastings opened the day with a pair of nice wins, majoring South Dakota State's Samuel Grove, 10-1, before a 9-3 upset over No. 4 seed Marcus Coleman of Iowa State. Hastings ran into the top seed Jacobe Smith of Oklahoma State in the semifinals, however, dropping the bout, 18-5. He'll take on North Dakota State's Lorenzo De La Riva in the consolation semis on Sunday.
 
Freshman Tate Samuelson was the fourth Cowboy to advance to the semifinals, as he avenged an earlier season loss to Fresno State's Jackson Hemauer, coming up with the 5-2 decision; however, Samuelson came up short to top-seeded Sam Colbray of Iowa State in the semis. He'll match up with Utah Valley's Will Sumner in the consolation semifinals.
 
At 149 pounds, redshirt sophomore Jaron Jensen will wrestle for seventh on Sunday with a chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships. After a tough loss to second-seeded Max Thomsen in the preliminary round, Jensen bounced back with an impressive, 14-6 major decision over No. 8 seed Jack Van Maanen. The Cowboy, would come up just short, however, in the next round to No. 4 seed Christian Monserrat of West Virginia.
 
Sophomore heavyweight Brian Andrews will compete in the consolation semifinals after a 3-1 day on Saturday. Andrews opened the tournament with a convincing, 14-0 major over Northern Colorado's Robert Winters before a tough loss to Utah Valley's Tate Orndorff in the quarterfinals. The Cowboy took care of business in the wrestlebacks, handling North Dakota State's Brandon Metz and South Dakota State's Blake Wolters. He'll take on Iowa State's Gannon Gremmel in the consolation semis.
 
Sam Turner will wrestle for seventh after going 2-2 on Saturday. Turner started the day with a first-period fall over West Virginia's Caleb Rea before coming up just short in a 3-2 bout with Dom Demas. The Cowboy redshirt sophomore bounced back with a 17-2 technical fall over South Dakota State's Aric Williams before dropping a tough decision to top-seeded Josh Alber of Northern Iowa.
 
Cowboys Cole Verner, Dewey Krueger and Cale Davidson were eliminated from the tournament, and will wait for word about potential at-large NCAA bids next week.
 
The Cowboys will be back in action in sessions two and three on Sunday. Session three will begin at 11 a.m. MT with the final session set for 6 p.m. MT.
 
Big 12 Championships Individual Results – Day One
March 9, 2019  |  BOK Center  |  Tulsa, Okla.
 
Cole Verner – 125 pounds
Quarterfinals: No. 3 Jay Schwarm (UNI) fall No. 6 Cole Verner (WYO) 4:14
First Round Consolation: No. 6 Cole Verner (WYO) TF Devin Brown (WVU) 18-0
Second Round Consolation: No. 7 Christian Moody (OU) dec. No. 6 Cole Verner (WYO) 3-2
 
Montorie Bridges – 133 pounds
Quarterfinals: No. 3 Montorie Bridges (WYO) TF No. 6 Anthony Madrigal (OU) 16-1
Semifinals: No. 3 Montorie Bridges (WYO) dec. No. 2 Austin Gomez (ISU) 6-3
 
Sam Turner – 141 pounds
Preliminary: No. 6 Sam Turner (WYO) fall Caleb Rea (WVU) 2:07
Quarterfinals: No. 3 Dom Demas (OU) dec. No. 6 Sam Turner (WYO) 3-2
First Round Consolation: No. 6 Sam Turner (WYO) TF Aric Williams (SDSU) 17-2
Second Round Consolation: No. 1 Josh Alber (UNI) dec. No. 6 Sam Turner (WYO) 3-2
 
Jaron Jensen – 149 pounds
Preliminary: No. 2 Max Thomsen (UNI) TF Jaron Jensen (WYO) 17-0
First Round Consolation: Jaron Jensen (WYO) MD No. 8 Jaden Van Maanen (NDSU) 14-6
Second Round Consolation: No. 4 Christian Monserrat (WVU) dec. Jaron Jensen (WYO) 6-2
 
Dewey Krueger – 157 pounds
Quarterfinals: No. 3 Chase Straw (ISU) dec. No. 6 Dewey Krueger (WYO) 9-5
First Round Consolation: No. 6 Dewey Krueger (WYO) dec. Kyler Rea (WVU) 4-1
Second Round Consolation: No. 7 Alex Mossing (AF) dec. No. 6 Dewey Krueger (WYO) 10-4
 
Branson Ashworth – 165 pounds
Quarterfinals: No. 1 Branson Ashworth (WYO) dec. Logan Schumacher (ISU) 7-2
Semifinals: No. 5 Andrew Fogarty (NDSU) dec. No. 1 Branson Ashworth (WYO) 3-2
 
Hayden Hastings – 174 pounds
Preliminary: No. 5 Hayden Hastings (WYO) MD Samuel Grove (SDSU) 10-1
Quarterfinals: No. 5 Hayden Hastings (WYO) dec. Marcus Coleman (ISU) 9-3
Semifinals: No. 1 Jacobe Smith (OSU) MD No. 5 Hayden Hastings (WYO) 18-5
 
Tate Samuelson – 184 pounds
Quarterfinals: No. 4 Tate Samuelson (WYO) dec. No. 5 Jackson Hemauer (FS) 5-2
Semifinals: No. 1 Sam Colbray (ISU) dec. No. 4 Tate Samuelson (WYO) 5-2
 
Cale Davidson – 197 pounds
Quarterfinals: No. 1 Preston Weigel (OSU) dec. No. 8 Cale Davidson (WYO) 3-0
First Round Consolation: Anthony McLaughlin (AF) dec. No. 8 Cale Davidson (WYO) 4-3, TB2
 
Brian Andrews - Heavyweight
Preliminary: No. 5 Brian Andrews (WYO) MD Robert Winters (UNC) 14-0
Quarterfinals: No. 4 Tate Orndorff (UVU) dec. No. 5 Brian Andrews (WYO) 4-1
First Round Consolation: No. 5 Brian Andrews (WYO) dec. Brandon Metz (NDSU) 4-0
Second Round Consolation: No. 5 Brian Andrews (WYO) dec. Blake Wolters (SDSU) 1-0