The Wyoming wrestling team earned its eighth dual win of the season
with a narrow victory over the Cal State Fullerton Titans Sunday afternoon
in MultiPurpose Gym in Laramie. After the dust settled the scoreboard
read 21-21 but the Pokes earned the victory by criteria, winning six of
ten matches on the day.
Wyoming was once again without two of its regular starters --sophomores
Bryce Leonhardt (125 pounds) and Patrick Shuler (149 pounds). The Cowboys
trailed early 6-0 after a Wyoming forfeit in the first match at 149 pounds.
Senior Andrew Shuler, ranked 17th in the nation, won his 23rd match of
the year on Sunday with a 3-1 victory in his 157 pound match against Dustin
Vance. Shuler's win cut the Titan lead to 6-3.
In the 165 pound match, senior Levi Prevost defeated Risto Marttinen of
Cal State Fullerton by a score of 6-1.
After a Titan major decision at 174 pounds by Leonel Sanchez over Trevor
Murray, UW sophomore Sam Wendland earned a hard-fought victory for the
Pokes in the 184-pound bout. over Ian Murphy. Wendland scored on an escape
and a takedown in the second period to clinch a 3-1 decision.
The Cowboys took their first lead of the day with a victory in the 197
pound match. Senior Kevin Kessner, down 3-1 in the third period, sent
the match into overtime with a takedown as time expired, tieing the match
at 3-3 with Landon Seefeldt. In the extra frame, Kessner scored the deciding
points on a takedown at 7:54 for the 5-3 win. The victory put the Pokes
on top 12-10.
Sophomore Dusty Hoffschneider increased Wyoming's lead to 18-10 with a
victory by fall in the heavyweight match. Hoffschneider, currently ranked
16th in the country, had a 8-1 advantage over Matthew Fitu before ending
the match by pin at 6:39.
The Titans won two of the final three matches. At 125, Jesse Miramontes
pinned Barrett Duell at 3:56. Wyoming's win came in the 133-pound match
as Tyson Shatto defeated Chris Sanchez by an 11-8 decision. Shatto won
the bout with an escape and takedown in the final 15 seconds for his 11th
win this season and gave the Pokes a 21-16 lead.
Fullerton's Juan Mora tied the score at 21-21 with a 21-4 technical fall
victory over UW's Blake Gunter in the final bout of 141 pounds. However,
UW took six of ten matches for the tie-breaker criteria.
Fullerton wrestles again Sunday night in Greeley against Northern Colorado.
