The University of Wyoming wrestling team earned a hard-fought 19-17 victory over Oregon State on Sunday in Corvallis, Oregon, winning three of the final five bouts to secure the dual, Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports.
The win came down to the final moments, with No. 11-ranked 197-pounder Joey Novak delivering a crucial third-period pin to seal the Cowboys’ victory.
Novak pinned Oregon State’s Vaun Halstead in the third period, giving UW a 19-14 lead. Although the Beavers’ 285-pounder Brett Mower earned a 4-3 decision over Sam Mitchell, the Cowboys held on to their lead to finish with the win.
“(Novak’s) pin was the difference,” said Cowboys head coach Mark Branch. “There’s certainly some negatives and some positives from this dual, but overall it was a good team victory.”
The dual started with Oregon State taking a 7-0 lead after winning the first two matches. Wyoming responded with back-to-back wins from Cole Brooks at 141 pounds and Gabe Willochell at 149 pounds. Willochell, who found himself down 9-2 after the first period, staged a comeback to edge Ethan Stiles 11-10 with a decisive third-period takedown.
Cooper Voorhees followed with an 8-3 win over Murphy Menke at 165 pounds, further closing the gap to 15-9. Eddie Neitenbach, returning to action for the first time since early December, sealed a 15-5 major decision over Oregon State’s T.J. McDonnell at 184 pounds, bringing the Cowboys within three points at 15-12.
Neitenbach’s victory was particularly notable as coach Branch praised his resilience, given his time away from competition.
“Hats off to (Neitenbach). His shape wasn’t where it needed to be, but his drive and competitiveness were evident in securing a bonus-point win,” Branch said.
The Beavers were also penalized for unsportsmanlike contact during the dual, which resulted in a point deduction.
With the victory, the Cowboys are now preparing to host Utah Valley on Friday at 6 p.m. and Cal Baptist on Saturday at 6 p.m. Both matches will take place at the UniWyo Sports Complex.
