Four Wolverines Champs at Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open

GOLDEN, Colo. — Utah Valley University wrestling sent a contingent of grapplers to the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open in Golden, Colorado on Sunday and four Wolverines won titles while a total of 12 UVU grapplers placed.

With 14 Wolverines in all taking part in the open tournament, sophomore 133-pounder Kobe Nelms and second-year freshman 174-pounder Hunter Morse each won titles while competing for UVU while junior 141-pounder Isaiah Delgado and second-year freshman 149-pounder Stockton O'Brien both won while wrestling unattached.

Nelms, Morse, Delgado and O'Brien combined to go 16-0 en route to all claiming tournament gold, as each Wolverine grappler went a perfect 4-0 at the tournament.

The sophomore 133-pounder Nelms fronted the group by winning three of his four bouts by bonus points as he picked up a pair of major decisions, a fall, and a 3-2 decision in the title match over teammate Kainalu Estrella. Nelms improves to 13-8 on the season with the four victories.

The tournament title for Delgado marked his third of the season, as he ups his record to 16-1 on the year while wrestling unattached. Morse also improves to 11-6 on the year after going a perfect 4-0, while O'Brien is now 9-4 while competing unattached on the season.

Eight other Wolverines placed at the tournament on Sunday, as Estrella (133) and Tyson Humpherys (141 unattached) both took second, while Jack Forbes (197 unattached) took third, Yusief Lillie (125) and Sam Edelblute (149) fourth, Kase Mauger (125 unattached) and Mahonri Rushton (184 unattached) fifth, and Levi Kovacs (197 unattached) sixth. Brigg Hoopes (165) and Merrell Morley (174 unattached) also competed at the event, and each finished with 2-2 outings.

The rest of the Wolverines were in Morgantown, West Virginia on Saturday, as UVU took on Big 12 foe West Virginia in dual action on Saturday and split the contest at five bouts apiece. But in the end bonus points proved costly as WVU defeated UVU by a score of 21-16.

The Wolverines will now return to Orem to prepare for the postseason that will begin on March 5-6 in Tulsa, Oklahoma with the 2022 Big 12 Wrestling Championships. A season ago, UVU had a program-high two grapplers reach the finals and senior Demetrius Romero went on to win the second Big 12 title of his career. The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will then cap the season on March 17-19 in Detroit, Michigan. Last season, UVU sent four wrestlers to nationals and both Romero and LaMont went on to earn All-American finishes.

Results
125 - Yusief Lillie (3-2) - 4th Place
Dominick Castro (CSU Pueblo) DEC Yusief Lillie (UVU), 4-3
Yusief Lillie (UVU) DEC Eric Griego (CSU Pueblo), 5-2
Yusief Lillie (UVU) DEC Yusef Nelson (Chadron St), 5-3
Yusief Lillie (UVU) DEC Noah Kasprowics (Western Colo.), 3-1
3rd Place: Cian Apple (Colo. Mesa) DEC Yusief Lillie (UVU), 4-2

133 - Kobe Nelms (4-0) - 1st Place
Kobe Nelms (UVU) FALL Colter Julian (Chadron St), 4:37
Kobe Nelms (UVU) MD Paul Ruff (Oklahoma), 11-0
Kobe Nelms (UVU) MD Devin Lueck (CSU Pueblo), 8-0
1st Place: Kobe Nelms (UVU) DEC Kainalu Estrella (UVU), 3-2

133 - Kainalu Estrella (3-1) - 2nd Place
Kainalu Estrella (UVU) FALL Miguel Sanchez (Adams St), 5:23
Kainalu Estrella (UVU) DEC Brenden Barnes (Air Force Prep), 3-2
Kainalu Estrella (UVU) DEC Oran Huff (Colo. Mesa), 3-2
1st Place: Kobe Nelms (UVU) DEC Kainalu Estrella (UVU), 3-2

149 - Sam Edelblute (4-2) - 4th Place
Sam Edelblute (UVU) TF Travis Vialpando (Adams St), 16-0
Sam Edelblute (UVU) TF Alec Viduya (Air Force), 18-2
Sam Edelblute (UVU) DEC Analu Benabise (Wyoming), 7-4
Warren Carr (Wyoming) DEC Sam Edelblute (UVU), 8-3
Sam Edelblute (UVU) No Contest Giovanni Cassioppi (Western Colo.)
3rd Place: Robert Woodcock (Air Force) DEC Sam Edelblute (UVU), 4-2

165 - Brigg Hoopes (2-2)
Jack Ganos (Air Force) DEC Brigg Hoopes (UVU), 6-4
Brigg Hoopes (UVU) DEC Stone Durham (Chadron St), 8-1
Brigg Hoopes (UVU) DEC Tytus Coombs (CSU Pueblo), 5-4
Augustus Dalton (Colo. Mesa) FALL Brigg Hoopes (UVU), 6:47

174 - Hunter Morse (4-0) - 1st Place
Hunter Morse (UVU) DEC Caleb Harrold (Air Force), 2-1
Hunter Morse (UVU) DEC Tanner Baumgartner (Colo. Mesa), 8-3
Hunter Morse (UVU) DEC Braeson Lewis (Colo. Mesa), 8-5
1st Place: Hunter Morse (UVU) DEC Aidan Funk (Colo. School of Mines), 3-2

Unattached Wolverines
125 - Kase Mauger (2-2) - 5th Place
Kase Mauger (UVU-UN) FALL Eric Griego (CSU Pueblo), 2:15
Tucker Owens (Air Force Prep) MD Kase Mauger (UVU-UN), 11-3
Cian Apple (Colo. Mesa) FALL Kase Mauger (UVU-UN), 6:43
5th Place: Kase Mauger (UVU-UN) MD Noah Kasprowics (Western Colo.), 11-3

141 - Isaiah Delgado (4-0) - 1st Place
Isaiah Delgado (UVU-UN) FALL John Masopust (Colo. Mesa), 2:44
Isaiah Delgado (UVU-UN) DEC Wesley Rayburn (Colo. School of Mines), 2-0
Isaiah Delgado (UVU-UN) DEC Sean Yamasaki (SF State), 9-3
1st Place: Isaiah Delgado (UVU-UN) DEC Tyson Humphreys (UVU-UN), 6-1

141 - Tyson Humpherys (3-1) - 2nd Place
Tyson Humpherys (UVU-UN) MD Bryce Shelton (Air Force Prep), 13-2
Tyson Humpherys (UVU-UN) MD Teague Dilbeck (Colo. School of Mines), 14-3
Tyson Humpherys (UVU-UN) DEC Garrett Kuchan (Air Force), 6-5
1st Place: Isaiah Delgado (UVU-UN) DEC Tyson Humphreys (UVU-UN), 6-1

149 - Stockton O'Brien (4-0) - 1st Place
Stockton O'Brien (UVU-UN) DEC Branden Pagurayan (Wyoming), 8-2
Stockton O'Brien (UVU-UN) FALL Niko Mayo (Colo. School of Mines), 1:20
Stockton O'Brien (UVU-UN) DEC Josh Miller (Air Force), 7-5
1st Place: Stockton O'Brien (UVU-UN) DEC Warren Carr (Wyoming), 4-1

174 - Merrell Morley (2-2)
Javen Palmer (Chadron St) DEC Merrell Morley (UVU-UN), 4-3
Merrell Morley (UVU-UN) FALL Diego Duarte (Adams St), 4:27
Merrell Morley (UVU-UN) DEC Tanner Baumgartner (Colo. Mesa), 10-4
Remington Winmill (CSU Pueblo) FALL Merrell Morley (UVU-UN), 3:56

184 - Mahonri Rushton (4-2) - 5th Place
Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) MD Mahonri Rushton (UVU-UN), 21-9]
Mahonri Rushton (UVU-UN) FALL Jacob Lorenz (Western Colo.), 2:51
Mahonri Rushton (UVU-UN) FALL Dany Tanefeu (Air Force Prep), 6:26
Mahonri Rushton (UVU-UN) TF Parker Gasser (Western Colo.), 20-3
Guillermo Escobedo (Wyoming) DEC Mahonri Rushton (UVU-UN), 7-3
5th Place: Mahonri Rushton (UVU-UN) DEC Gage Musser (Air Force), 6-5

197 - Jack Forbes (3-1) - 3rd Place
Jack Forbes (UVU-UN) FALL Jody VanDunk (Air Force Prep), 0:52
Ryan Cody (Colo. School of Mines) FALL Jack Forbes (UVU-UN), 6:18
Jack Forbes (UVU-UN) MD Jairo Rivera (SF State), 13-1
3rd Place: Jack Forbes (UVU-UN) FALL Sage Harrison (Western Colo.), 6:09

197 - Levi Kovacs (1-3) - 6th Place
Levi Kovacs (UVU-UN) DEC Braden Baumgartner (Colo. Mesa), 9-4
Garrett Henigin (Air Force) DEC Levi Kovacs (UVU-UN), 6-5
Sage Harrison (Western Colo.) DEC Levi Kovacs (UVU-UN), 7-5
5th Place: Jairo Rivera (SF State) DEC Levi Kovacs (UVU-UN), 4-2