Freshman Nerves Vanish as Pokes Blank Mustangs 51-0 in Laramie
Three first-year wrestlers secured home debuts with bonus wins, setting the tone for a sweep that included a 56-second pin at heavyweight.
By Chinedu Schneider ·
The atmosphere inside the UniWyo Sports Complex on Saturday carried an undercurrent of anxiety for the University of Wyoming wrestling team, but the anxiety vanished quickly once the first whistle blew. The Pokes dismantled Western Wyoming, 51-0, to open their 2026-27 season. Every one of the ten bouts concluded with a bonus point victory, a statistical clean sheet that left the visiting Mustangs without a single point on the board.
The uncertainty centered on the three freshmen making their first career home starts: Isaiah Harrison at 125 pounds, Derek Barrows at 141, and Austin Collins at 149. Head coach Mark Branch admitted beforehand that he did not know how the young athletes would handle the pressure. "You don't know what to expect with those freshmen, and if they're going to get out there and tighten up and let the nerves overcome them," Branch said. The result dispelled those fears. Each of the three secured a decisive win, proving they could compete in a high-stakes environment immediately.
Harrison opened the card with a pin at 4:06 in the second period, dropping Wylee Wilson to set a rapid pace for the rest of the lineup. His performance mirrored that of Barrows, who pinned Dalton Compton in 3:37. Collins, wrestling at 149, took a more methodical approach, recording a 20-4 technical fall over Logan Crowther in 6:16. The consistency continued at 133, where No. 17 Luke Willochell dominated Luke Schroeder with a 15-0 technical fall in just under four minutes.
The middleweights maintained the scoring momentum. Antonio Avila recorded his second consecutive technical fall of the season, beating Treyson Hunt 16-1. At 165, Manny Rojas secured a 10-2 major decision against Dominic Blue. Riley Davis, ranked No. 32, delivered a 20-5 technical fall over Kelten Crow at 174, finishing the match in seven minutes. These wins ensured that the score gap widened steadily before the final two bouts began.
The heavyweights closed out the dual with speed. No. 6 Eddie Neitenbach needed only 2:44 to secure a 21-6 technical fall against Isaac McGee. The quick finish came from No. 4 Joey Novak at 197, who pinned Trevyn Gates in 56 seconds. The contest concluded at heavyweight, where Winston McBride, also making a career home debut, delivered an 18-5 major decision over Morgan Hatch to finalize the 51-0 tally.
The Pokes will face a tougher test next week. They travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, on November 8 for a 2 p.m. dual against No. 3 Nebraska at the Devaney Center. That matchup offers the first real gauge of the team's depth beyond the non-conference opener.
