Wolverines Head to Big 12 Championships

OREM, Utah - The Utah Valley University wrestling team will head to Tulsa, Oklahoma, this weekend to compete at the 2021 Big 12 Wrestling Championship that will run Saturday to Sunday, March 6-7, at the BOK Center.

Auto qualifying bids to the NCAA Championships will be on the line, as the Wolverines will send 10 grapplers to vie for those spots as well as Big 12 titles. Two year's ago, UVU crowned its first Big 12 champion in program history in Demetrius Romero and sent a program-best six qualifiers to nationals. Last season, the Wolverines then had five grapplers earn podium finishes at the 2020 Big 12s and trio of wrestlers punch tickets to nationals before seeing the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships canceled due to COVID-19.

The 2021 Big 12 Championship begins Saturday at 10 a.m. MT/11 a.m. CT with preliminary and quarterfinal matches, while the Saturday night session starting at 4 p.m. MT/5 p.m. CT features semifinal and consolation quarterfinal matches. Sunday's consolation semis, third and fifth-place matches start at 9 a.m. MT/10 a.m. CT with the finals culminating at 4 p.m. MT/5 p.m. CT.

Each match of the first three sessions will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ (subscription required), while the championship round will air live on ESPN2 beginning at 4 p.m. MT/5 p.m. CT. Live results will also be available throughout the event by visiting TrackWrestling.com.

UVU posted a 2-4 overall dual meet record during the condensed 2020-21 season and an 0-3 mark in Big 12 Conference action. Two-time NCAA qualifiers Romero (174 pounds) and Taylor LaMont (125) lead the way for the Wolverines, as they will both enter this weekend's Big 12 Championship undefeated on the year with respective 12-0 and 6-0 records and ranked in the top-five nationally in their weight classes. Romero has also earned the No. 1 pre-seed in his weight class while LaMont will enter as the No. 2 seed. The former Big 12 champion Romero is currently ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation, while LaMont is ranked fourth (both by InterMat).

UVU has a total of five grapplers pre-seeded in the top-eight at this year's Big 12 Championship, as sophomore 149-pounder and freshman 157-pounder will both enter pre-seeded seventh, while redshirt freshman Ty Smith is seeded eighth at 133 pounds. Smith tops that group by holding a 7-2 record on the year and being ranked as high as 15th nationally (by FloWrestling), while Hunsaker is 7-5 and currently ranked No. 27 (by TrackWrestling), and the freshman Snediker holds a 7-4 record and unranked. In the latest NCAA Coaches Panel Ranking four Wolverines are ranked in Romero (fourth), LaMont (sixth), Smith (18th) and Hunsaker (29th). Romero's No. 4 NCAA Coaches ranking marks the highest NCAA Coaches ranking in program history while his No. 3 ranking by InterMat ties for the highest national ranking by a UVU wrestler on one of the different national polls.

Freshman Stockton O'Brien (141), senior Koy Wilkinson (165), sophomore Jacob Armstrong (184), freshman Hunter Morse (197) and sophomore Chase Trussell (heavyweight) will all also wrestle for the Wolverines at the event.

As a team, UVU will enter the Big 12s ranked 16th nationally on the latest TrackWrestling Tournament Ranking, 20th on the most recent TrackWrestling Tournament poll, and 29th by WIN Magazine.

First Round Matches

Utah Valley redshirt senior 174-pounder Demetrius Romero (12-0 on the season)-UVU's inaugural Big 12 champion after winning 165 pounds in 2019 and a two-time NCAA qualifier for the Wolverines-has earned the No. 1 seed and will open with a preliminary match against Zach Gonzalez of Fresno State. The winner of that will then advance on to face the No. 8 seed from Oklahoma Anthony Mantanona in the quarterfinals. Fellow two-time UVU NCAA qualifier and redshirt junior Taylor LaMont (6-0) has earned the No. 2 seed at 125 pounds and will open this weekend's conference tournament against Northern Colorado's Jace Koelzer. The winner will then move on to face the No. 7 seed Kysen Terukina of Iowa State in the quarterfinals.

The seventh-seeded sophomore 149-pounder Cameron Hunsaker (7-5) will open with a preliminary-round bye and will face the winner of the No. 2 seed from Northern Colorado Andrew Alirez or Jared Jensen of Wyoming in the quarters. Fellow seventh-seeded Wolverine freshman 157-pounder Danny Snediker (7-4) will open his first Big 12 Championships in the prelims against Northern Iowa's Cayd Lara. The winner will then advance on to the quarterfinals to face the two-seed from Oklahoma Justin Thomas. The eighth-seeded 133-pound redshirt freshman Ty Smith (7-2) will open with the top-seed from Oklahoma State Daton Fix or North Dakota State's Kellyn March in the quarters after receiving a preliminary-round bye.

Five other Wolverine grapplers will enter this weekend's Big 12 Championships unseeded. Freshman 141-pounder Stockton O'Brien (3-4) will enter his first trip to the Big 12s with a preliminary match against the No. 7 seed Dylan Droegemuller of NDSU. The winner of that match will then advance on to face the No. 2 seed from Oklahoma Dom Demas in the quarters. At 165 pounds, UVU redshirt senior Koy Wilkinson (4-5) will open with a preliminary match against the No. 2 seed in Peyton Hall of West Virginia with the winner set to move on to face the No. 7 seed from UNI in Austin Yant the quarters. In his first match of the season down a weight class at 184 pounds, sophomore Jacob Armstrong (3-7) will open with a preliminary match against the top-seed from UNI Parker Keckeisen. The winner of that match will then advance on to face the No. 8 seed from Fresno State Hunter Cruz in the quarterfinals.

At 197 pounds, UVU freshman Hunter Morse (2-7) will take on the No. 8 seed from Air Force Kayne Hutchinson in a preliminary round contest. The winner will then move on to face the top-seed Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State. And at heavyweight, Utah Valley sophomore Chase Trussell (4-7) will open his first Big 12 Championship run against the No. 1 seed and two-time NCAA qualifier Gannon Gremmel of Iowa State in the prelims. The winner will then advance on to face the No. 8 seed Blake Wolters of SDSU.

Full brackets can be viewed here (subject to change).