CORALVILLE, Iowa (1/3/26) – The University of Wyoming wrestling team completed Day 1 of the Soldier Salute Tournament on Saturday inside Xtreme Arena. The Cowboys – who have three advancing to Sunday's semifinals – are currently second with 94.5 points. Missouri leads having accumulated 99 points.

"Closing is the important part, and it's the part we feel best about because we started slow," head coach Mark Branch said. "It has been a sluggish week mentally. There's a hangover from being with your family for a week and having to leave, and it showed in that first session. Our energy level was not good. We were emotionally flat."

No. 4 Joey Novak (197), No. 8 Christian Carroll (HWT) and No. 27 Gabe Willochell (149) represent the Pokes' semifinalists. Willochell earned three wins Saturday, while Novak and Carroll each logged a pair of victories.

All of the 14 remaining Wyoming student-athletes will compete on Sunday, as well. And many of them made deep runs on the consolation side Saturday.

Sefton Douglass (125), No. 16 Luke Willochell (133), Antonio Avila (149), No. 16 Jared Hill (157), Sloan Swan (165) and Lane Foard (174) all rallied on the back side and are in the consolation semifinals.

"We talked to them after the first session, and I felt like, for the most part, they responded well," Branch said. "I don't think we wrestled as good as we could wrestle, but we certainly showed a lot of grit. We won some really tough matches, and we had some really important wins."

David Saenz (141), John Alden (141), Cole Brooks (149), Gunner Henry (197) and No. 12 Eddie Neitenbach (184) – who medically forfeited his last two bouts due to sickness – all earned wins Saturday. Isaiah Harrison (125) and Tucker Bowen (133) will look for their first wins of the tournament Sunday.  

The third and final sessions take place Sunday. The third commences at 10 a.m. while the placing matches start at 3 p.m.

125: Sefton Douglass (3-1)
Second Round: Keyan Hernandez (Iowa) tiebreaker-1 Douglass, 9-6
Consolation Third Round: Douglass decision Abdi Unie (Nebraska), 6-3
Consolation Fourth Round: Douglass fall Joe Calvin (Bellarmine), 3:42
Consolation Fifth Round: Douglass decision Joey Cruz (Iowa), 5-4

125: Isaiah Harrison (0-2)
First Round: Daniel Guanajuato (South Dakota State) decision Harrison, 4-1
Consolation Second Round: Logan Graf (South Dakota State) decision Harrison, 4-3

133: No. 16 Luke Willochell (4-1)
First Round: Willochell fall Shay Korhorn (Bellarmine), 1:18
Second Round: Willochell technical fall Anthony Lavezzolla (Iowa), 15-0
Quarterfinals: Gage Walker (Missouri) decision Willochell, 8-4
Consolation Fourth Round: Willochell major decision Kenton Cooke (South Dakota State), 15-4
Consolation Fifth Round: Willochell fall Carter Pearson (Iowa State), 4:46

133: Tucker Bowen (0-2)
Second Round: Isaak Arevalo (Army Prep) decision Bowen, 5-2
Consolation Third Round: Garrett Rinken (Northern Iowa) decision Bowen, 2-0

141: John Alden (1-2)
Second Round: Kale Petersen (Iowa) decision Alden, 8-2
Consolation Second Round: Alden decision Logan Swensen (South Dakota State), 4-0
Consolation Third Round: Dyson Dunham (VMI) decision Alden, 10-4

141: David Saenz (2-2)
Second Round: No. 7 Nasir Bailey (Iowa) technical fall Saenz, 18-3
Consolation Second Round: Saenz decision Jace Rhodes (Iowa), 9-7
Consolation Third Round: Saenz decision Peyton Moore (North Dakota State), 9-3
Consolation Fourth Round: Kale Petersen (Iowa) major decision Saenz, 13-2

149: No. 27 Gabe Willochell (3-0)
First Round: Willochell major decision Anthony Dicks (Tarleton State), 13-4
Second Round: Willochell fall Wyatt DeChateau (Minnesota), 3:21
Quarterfinals: Willochell decision Logan Paradice (Northern Iowa), 6-4

149: Antonio Avila (4-1)
First Round: Nikade Zinkin (Nebraska) tiebreaker-1 Avila, 6-3
Consolation Second Round: Avile decision Jager Eisch (Minnesota), 4-2
Consolation Third Round: Avila decision Scott Robertson (Nebraska), 4-1
Consolation Fourth Round: Avila decision James Latona (Navy), 5-2
Consolation Fifth Round: Avila major decision Easton Broxterman (Army Prep), 14-4

149: Cole Brooks (2-2)
Second Round: James Latona (Navy) decision Brooks, 7-3
Consolation Third Round: Brooks fall Charles Vanier (Unattached), 1:20
Consolation Fourth Round: Brooks decision Colin Dupill (South Dakota State), 8-7
Consolation Fifth Round: Kael Voinovich (Iowa) sudden victory Brooks, 13-10

157: No. 18 Jared Hill (4-1)
First Round: Joey Showalter (North Carolina) major decision Hill, 12-3
Consolation Second Round: Hill decision Charlie Evans (Navy), 8-2
Consolation Third Round: Hill major decision Peyton Park (Unattached), 12-1
Consolation Fourth Round: Hill decision Cael Rahnavardi (Northern Iowa), 12-6
Consolation Fifth Round: Hill fall Steven Villalobos (Bellarmine), 1:21

165: Sloan Swan (4-1)
First Round: Swan decision Bryce Burkett (Oklahoma), 4-1
Second Round: Swan decision Charlie Darracott (North Carolina), 7-3
Quarterfinals: Jack Thomsen (Northern Iowa) decision Swan, 4-1
Consolation Fourth Round: Swan fall Kyler Knaak (Northern Iowa), 5:45
Consolation Fifth Round: Swan major decision Finn Shepard (Tarleton State), 13-1

174: Lane Foard (3-1)
Second Round: Foard fall Cade Tenold (North Carolina), :55
Quarterfinals: Gabe Arnold (Iowa) decision Foard, 5-1
Consolation Fourth Round: Foard decision Leister Bowling (Iowa), 4-1
Consolation Fifth Round: Foard decision Clayton Whiting (Minnesota), 4-2

184: No. 12 Eddie Neitenbach (1-2)
Second Round: Neitenbach technical fall Connor Gaynor (South Dakota State), 19-3
Quarterfinals: Logan Cole (Missouri) medical forfeit Neitenbach
Consolation Fourth Round: Jarrett Wadsen (Unattached) medical forfeit Neitenbach

197: No. 4 Joey Novak (2-0)
Second Round: Novak fall Rowan Udell (Iowa State), 2:24
Quarterfinals: Novak decision Mikey Calcagno (North Carolina), 7-2

197: Gunner Henry (2-2)
Second Round: Henry decision Silas Dailey (Minnesota), 3-2
Quarterfinals: No. 11 Evan Bates (Missouri) technical fall Henry, 19-3
Consolation Fourth Round: Henry decision Adam Cherne (North Dakota State), 2-1
Consolation Fifth Round: No. 32 Robert Platt (North Carolina) major decision Henry, 14-3

HWT: No. 8 Christian Carroll (2-0)
Second Round: Carroll decision Grant Stromberg (Northern Iowa), 6-3
Quarterfinals: Carroll tiebreaker-1 Coby Merrill (Unattached), 2-1