LAS VEGAS, Nevada (12/6/25) – The University of Wyoming wrestling team wrapped up competition at the Cliff Keen Invite on Saturday inside the Westgate Resort & Event Center. The Pokes had a pair of finalists, four total on the podium, and placed seventh as a team with 70.5 points.

"I think we made a lot of progress," head coach Mark Branch said. "In the finals, you're hitting two No. 1 guys in the country, and we were right there in dogfights in both those matches. It was just a great experience. That's an NCAA Tournament type feel that those guys got. We helped ourselves out quite a bit this week, and I think we learned a lot."

No. 4 Joey Novak (197) and No. 24 Christian Carroll (HWT) both competed in the finals of their respective brackets. Novak fell to No. 2 Rocky Elam (Iowa State) via decision, 6-3, while Carroll lost to No. 1 Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) via decision, 5-3.

Novak's Saturday began with a 6-2 decision win over No. 16 Rune Lawrence (West Virginia) in the semifinals. Carroll logged his second top-10 upset in as many days with an 8-5 sudden victory over No. 9 Spencer Lanosga (Navy).

No. 11 Eddie Neitenbach (184) and Luke Willochell (133) also competed on Saturday. Neitenbach registered a pair of ranked wins en route to a fourth-place finish, and Willochell dropped a couple of matches and took sixth.

Wyoming closes out the 2025 portion of its dual schedule against No. 1 Penn State. That dual is Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. inside the Arena-Auditorium.

125: Sefton Douglass (1-2)
First Round: No. 9 Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia) technical fall Douglass, 17-0
Consolation Second Round: Douglass decision Damian Moreno (Arizona State), 3-1
Consolation Round of 8 (1): No. 12 Blake West (Northern Illinois) fall Douglass, 2:34

133: Luke Willochell (2-3) – 6th
Second Round: Willochell decision No. 15 Derrick Cardinal (South Dakota State), 9-3
Quarterfinals: Willochell decision No. 13 Sean Spidle (Northwester), 9-3
Semifinals: No. 3 Evan Frost (Iowa State) decision Willochell, 13-7
Consolation Semifinals: No. 18 Tyler Ferrara (Cornell) major decision Willochell, 14-2
Fifth-Place Match: Gunner Andrick (West Virginia) decision Willochell, 6-4

141: John Alden (0-2)
First Round: No. 20 Eli Griffin (Rider) major decision Alden, 17-4
Consolation Second Round: Billy DeKraker (Northwestern) major decision Alden, 11-3

149: No. 24 Gabe Willochell (2-2)
First Round: Willochell decision Hunter Hollingsworth (Oklahoma), 4-0
Second Round: No. 24 Alek Martin (South Dakota State) decision Willochell, 15-10
Consolation Round of 16 (2): Willochell decision No. 28 Willie McDougald (West Virginia), 8-4
Consolation Round of 8 (1): Noah Tolentino (Oregon State) fall Willochell, 1:54

157: Antonio Avila (0-2)
Second Round: No. 3 Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) technical fall Avila, 19-4
Consolation Round of 16 (2): Derek Raike (Ohio) major decision, Avila, 13-3

165: Sloan Swan (1-2)
First Round: Swan major decision Josh Palmucci (Franklin & Marshall), 12-0
Second Round: Aiden Riggins (Iowa State) decision Swan, 10-6
Consolation of 16 (2): Jacob Bostelman (Northwestern) decision Swan, 7-3

174: No. 29 Riley Davis (1-2)
Second Round: Davis decision No. 29 Nick Fine (Columbia), 7-6
Quarterfinals: No. 4 Danny Wask (Navy) major decision Davis, 12-4
Consolation Round of 8 (2): Eddie Enright (Northwestern) technical fall Davis, 19-4

184: No. 11 Eddie Neitenbach (5-1) – 4th
First Round: Neitenbach decision J.D. Perez (Northwestern), 11-10
Second Round: Neitenbach decision No. 30 TJ McDonnell (Oregon State), 4-2
Quarterfinals: No. 11 Brian Soldano (Oklahoma) fall Neitenbach, :20
Consolation Round of 8 (2): Neitenbach decision No. 15 Ian Bush (West Virginia), 7-4
Consolation Round of 4: Neitenbach major decision No. 21 Ceasar Garza (Cal Poly), 14-4
Consolation Semifinals: Neitenbach fall No. 7 Isaac Dean (Iowa State), 2:35
Third-Place Match: No. 11 Brian Soldano (Oklahoma) medical forfeit Neitenbach

197: No. 4 Joey Novak (4-1) – 2nd
First Round: Novak technical fall Spencer Mooberry (Northern Illinois), 18-2
Second Round: Novak major decision Kael Bennie (Utah Valley), 9-0
Quarterfinals: Novak major decision No. 26 Zayne Lehman (Ohio), 11-1
Semifinals: Novak decision No. 16 Rune Lawrence (West Virginia), 6-2
Championship: No. 2 Rocky Elam (Iowa State) decision Novak, 6-3

HWT: No. 24 Christian Carroll (4-1) – 2nd
First Round: Carroll technical fall Aden Roe (Edinboro), 19-4
Second Round: Carroll technical fall No. 28 Hayden Filipovich (Purdue), 22-5
Quarterfinals: Carroll major decision No. 4 Taye Ghadiali (Michigan), 11-2
Semifinals: Carroll sudden victory No. 9 Spencer Lanosga (Navy), 8-5
Championship: No. 1 Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) decision Carroll, 5-3