Grapplers anticipate December success

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The University of Wyoming wrestling team will close out the 2008 calendar with tournaments in the Sagebrush State. Wyoming will travel to Las Vegas, Nev. today and tomorrow for the Las Vegas Invitational Wrestling Tournament. The Cowboys will return to Nevada, but this time in Reno on Dec. 18 to compete in the Reno Tournament of Champions.

The Cowboy wrestlers are racking up some impressive statistics early in the season. Wyoming has 236 total wins and only 132 losses, for a winning percentage of .641. Of the 236 wins, 111 of those came in dramatic fashion. The Cowboys have 65 wins by pin, six by technical fall and 40 by major decision.

Wyoming also boasts eight wrestlers with 12 wins or more. Shane Onufer (16-2), Joe LeBlanc (15-2), Michael Martinez (13-2), Eric Jones (13-4), Chase Smith (13-5), Tyler Davis (13-7), Alex Reider (12-5) and Kasey Garnhart (12-6).

Today, the Cowboys will look to continue their early season success at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Sin City. This is the sight of the 27th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational.

The invite will include wrestlers from 48 college wrestling programs, including powerhouses in No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Cornell, No. 8 Illinois and No. 9 Michigan, as well as six other top-25 teams.

The Pokes will look to improve on last year’s result of 37 out of 50 in the tournament. Two Cowboys garner national rankings coming into the tournament. www.wrestlingreport.com recently ranked redshirt freshman Michael Martinez as the 23rd best wrestler in the 125-pound division, while redshirt freshman Shane Onufer has nabbed a No. 27 ranking at 174 pounds.

The Pokes’ final event of the year will take place in the “Biggest Little City in the World,” at the Reno Events Center. Here the Cowboys will again face national competition. The tournament will play host to 27 college wrestling teams, including No. 7 ranked Oklahoma State and No. 14 ranked Boise State.

The Cowboys placed 15 out of 26 teams last year with 24.5 team points in the tournament.

The tournament in Reno will finish December and the 2008 year for the Pokes. Wyoming will take a break before starting up again in January 2009.

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