LARAMIE, Wyo. (11/29/23) – The University of Wyoming wrestling team is set to participate in its biggest invitational of the regular season. The Cowboys travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Cliff Keen Invitational from Dec. 1-2 inside the Westgate Paradise Event Center.
"This tournament is the toughest one I can remember, and the opportunity for all 10 of our guys is immeasurable," head coach
Mark Branch said. "As a competitor, you really have to be excited. This is what you train for, and this is what it's all about. There is no reason not to shoot your shot this weekend."
Pre-seeds were announced Tuesday, and two Cowboys earned one.
Jore Volk garnered a No. 5 seed in the 125-pound bracket, while
Gabe Willochell checked in at No. 12 in the 149-pound bracket.
Both Volk and Willochell are unbeaten on the year. Volk – who's ranked at high as No. 11 nationally – is 2-0, and Willochell, who's ranked as high as No. 32, is 3-0 having wrestled at both 141 and 149 pounds.
It's not only the biggest invitational of the season, but it's also the first invite Wyoming has taken part in this season. The Cowboys have competed in four duals and shown well in that small sample size.
They sit at 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12. The wins occurred over Western Wyoming at home and CSU Bakersfield and Cal Baptist on the road. The lone loss was to Campbell in a match that featured three bouts going in favor of Campbell by two points or less.
A number of young Pokes have been put into starting roles this season and acquitted themselves well. Freshman
Cole Brooks (141) has still yet to lose, owning a 3-0 record, while fellow freshmen
Riley Davis (174) and
Joey Novak (197) possess a pair of 2-1 records with their losses coming by one and two points, respectively.
Copper Birdwell (133) at 1-3,
Cooper Voorhees (157) at 0-2,
Brett McIntosh (165) at 3-1,
Quayin Short (184) at 0-0 and
Kevin Zimmer (HWT) at 3-1 round out the Wyoming student-athletes that are making the trip to Las Vegas.
Wrestling begins Friday at 10 a.m. with two sessions on tap, as the nightcap begins at 7 p.m. Saturday gets underway at 11 a.m., and the championships session commences at 4 p.m.
Following the trip to southern Nevada, Wyoming remains on the road and returns to dual action. The Cowboys battle Missouri on Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. inside the Hearnes Center.
