CORALVILLE, Iowa (Dec. 29, 2022) – The Wyoming Cowboy wrestling squad opened up competition at the Soldier Salute tournament in Coralville, Iowa on Thursday inside of Xtream Arena. Along with putting five wrestlers in the semifinals, the day was highlighted by Wyoming Native Hayden Hastings picking up his 100^th career win in the Brown and Gold cracking the UW all-time top 20 in career wins. 
 
"With 18 guys, here we saw a lot today. We had some really gutsy performances but we also had guys with opportunities standing in front of them and we didn't answer the bell." Head Wrestling Coach Mark Branch said, "We still have a lot of room to grow and luckily all of our guys get that chance tomorrow. We need to Cowboy up and be gritty tomorrow."  
 
Hastings, who is currently ranked 14^th at 174 pounds, reached the semifinals behind two controlling wins on the day outscoring his two opponents 11-3 including a 3-0 shutout victory over Jon Hoover (VMI) in the quarterfinals. With the two wins Hastings becomes the first Cowboy to eclipse 100 career wins since Branson Ashworth did so during the 2018-19 season.
 
At 125 pounds, Jore Volk rolled into the semifinals opening the day with a 16-0 tech. fall over Charles Matthews (IOWA) and then followed that up with a controlling 6-1 win over Nick Babin (COL). Volk will be in for a tough test in the semifinals as he is set to go up against a three-time NCAA Champion in No. 1 ranked Spencer Lee (IOWA).
 
No. 11 Jacob Wright opened his day in impressive fashion in the 157 pound bracket pinning Bellarmine's Grant Odell. In the quarterfinals, Wright showed off his defense shutting out Andrew Garr (COL) 4-0 to earn a spot in the semifinals. Wright is no 8-0 on the day as he chases his second straight tournament win of the season. Wright also moved his career win total to 92 as he chases the century mark as well. 
 
In the 165-pound bracket Cole Moody punched his ticket to the semifinals in thrilling fashion against Northern Iowa's Christian Minto. After giving up a five-point lead, Moody mounted an impressive comeback flipping the script and scoring six straight points to seal a 6-5 win and a spot in the semifinals.
 
Rounding out the Cowboy semifinalists is Quayin Short who went 2-0 on the day picking a pin in the first round and following that up with a hard fought 4-3 win over Mickey Griffith (IOWA) to advance to the semifinals.
 
Darren Green (141), Chase Zollmann (149), Bryce Dauphin (157), Guillermo Escobedo (184) and Terren Swartz (285) are all still in contention on the consolation side of their brackets with each of them having a chance to wrestle back for a top four finish tomorrow.

As a team, the Cowboys sit in second after the first day of competition with 68.5 points sitting behind only No. 2 ranked Iowa who sits in first with 114.5 points. The Pokes are one point ahead of third place Army while Columbia and South Dakota State round out the top five sitting in fourth and fifth with 52.5 and 51 points respectively. 
 
 
The final two sessions of the Soldier Salute will be contested tomorrow with the action set to begin at 11 a.m. MT. 
 
 
 
DAY ONE RESULTS -
 
125 – Jore Volk 
Volk (WYO) tech. fall Charles Mathews (IOWA) 16-0 
Volk (WYO) dec. Nick Babin (COL) 6-1
 
125 – Garrett Ricks 
Ethan Berginc (ARMY) dec. Ricks (WYO) 7-4
Nick Babin (COL) major dec. Ricks (WYO) 11-2 
Ricks (WYO) major dec. Tony Burke (VMI) 9-1
 
133 – Aidan Noonan
Jace Rhodes (IOWA) dec. Noonan (WYO) 6-3
Noonan (WYO) major dec. Boris Whitmer (COL) 8-0 
Rich Treanor (ARMY) major dec. Noonan (WYO) 11-2
Brayton Killiri (CIT) dec. Noonan (WYO) 9-7
 
141 – Darren Green
Green (WYO) dec. Luke Lucerne (NAVY) 4-1
Matt Kazimir (COL) dec. Green (WYO) 4-0
Green (WYO) major dec. Dillon Roman (CIT) 12-4
 
149 – Chase Zollmann 
Zollmann (WYO) major dec. Aiden Medora (WISC) 10-1
Caleb Rathjen (IOWA) dec. Zollmann (WYO) 4-0
Zollmann (WYO) fall (3:34) Leif Schroeder (IOWA)
 
149 – Warren Carr
Warren (WYO) dec. Trae McDaniel (ARMY) 7-3
Danny Fongaro (COL) dec. Carr (WYO) 5-3
Gable Fox (UNI) dec. Carr (WYO)  7-3
Logan Brown (ARMY) dec. Noonan (WYO) 6-5
 
157 – Jacob Wright
Wright (WYO) fall (5:52) Grant Odell (BELL)
Wright (WYO) dec. Andrew Garr (COL) 3-0
 
157 – Bryce Dauphin 
RJ Weston (UNI) dec. Dauphin (WYO) 8-4
Dauphin (WYO) fall (4:56) Andrew Cerniglia (ARMY) 
Dauphin (WYO) dec. Andrew Garr (COL) 2-1
 
157 – Cooper Voorhees (UNAT)
Voorhees (WYO-UNAT) dec. Wade Mitchell (UNI) 8-5
Cael Swensen (SDSU) major dec. Voorhees (WYO-UNAT) 11-2
Voorhees (WYO) dec. Nate Wheeler (INDT) 3-2
 
165 – Cole Moody
Moody (WYO) major dec. Aidan Lenz (CIT) 10-1
Moody (WYO) dec. Christian Minto (UNI) 6-5
 
174 – Hayden Hastings 
Hastings (WYO) dec. Dillon Sheehy (ARMY) 7-3
Hastings (WYO) dec. Jon Hoover (VMI) 4-0
 
174 –Brett McIntosh
Nick Fine (COL) fall (2:42) McIntosh (WYO) 
Devan Hendricks (BELL) dec. McIntosh (WYO) 8-3
Cade Tenold (UNAT) dec. McIntosh (WYO) 7-5 (SV-1)
 
184 – Quayin Short 
Short (WYO) fall (2:39) Jai Sodhi (UNAT)
Short (WYO) dec. Mikey Griffith (IOWA) 4-3
 
184 – Guillermo Escobedo
Abe Assad (IOWA) major dec. Escobedo (WYO) 14-4
Escobedo (WYO) major dec. Jaxon Bowes (SDSU) 10-1
Escobedo (WYO) dec. Mickey Griffith (IOWA) 5-3
 
197 – Tyce Raddon
Jacob Warner (IOWA) fall (1:15) Raddon (WYO)
Raddon (WYO) dec. Royce Hall (BELL)
 
285 – Terren Swartz 
Gannon Rosenfeld (WIS) dec. Swartz (WYO) 8-1
Swartz (WYO) dec. Easton Fleshman (UNAT) 9-2
Swartz (WYO) fall (4:32) Dan Conley (COL)
Swartz (WYO) fall (1:11) Brooks Empey (WIS)
 
285 – Mason Ding
Ding (WYO) major dec. Easton Fleshman (IOWA) 10-0
Luke Rasmussen (SDSU) dec. Ding (WYO) 4-2
Ding (WYO) dec. Gage Marty (IOWA) 6-0
Jonathan Chesser (CIT) fall (5:56) Ding (WYO) 
 
285 – Kevin Zimmer (UNAT)
Jonathan Chesser (CIT) dec. Zimmer (UNAT-WYO) 4-3