The Cowboys’ wrestling team sent their sole senior Kyle Komata out with a bang during Saturday night’s home finale, which ended in a 32-6 defeat over the Utah Valley Wolverines.
Komata was recognized for his accomplishments during his career as a Cowboy before the dual started.
Originally from Washington, Komata had his first career-start his junior year and frequented the starting lineup throughout the 2012-2013 season. He holds a 32-30 record at Wyoming.
All but two wrestlers won their bouts, adding the fourth consecutive dual victory to the Cowboys record this season. Of the ten performances, there was one that stood out in particular.
“We definitely wrestled a little more conservatively than I like to think,” said head coach Mark Branch. “But Cole Mendenhall was an example of just the opposite. He didn’t wait for the kid to take him down, he went out there and got the shot.”
The 141-pound redshirt freshman took down Utah Valley’s Avery Garner by decision after three periods. Mendenhall’s win over the 33rd ranked Garner propelled the Cowboy’s team score to 18-4 and marked his fourth-straight bout win.
“You have to treat it like it’s a national championship,” Mendehall explained. “Just go out there and wrestle hard for seven minutes.”
During the last few matches, it seems as though Mendenhall has found a groove, both achieving takedowns and figuring out his offensive strategy early on in his matches.
“My coaches say to wrestle my pace and no one can keep up,” said Mendehall. “So, I really just try to wrestle at my pace the whole time.”
In addition to Mendenhall’s success, there were several other Cowboys who had big wins in the UniWyo Sports Complex Saturday night.
Sophomore Tanner Harms racked up his 10th victory this year after defeating his conference rival Richard Larsen.
The heavyweight pinned Larsen a little over one minute into the bout’s first period.
Following Harms dramatic pin, junior Dakota Friesth overcame Logan Addis by a technical fall.
The 165-pound match end after Friesth achieved an 18-point lead over his opponent, concluding the bout 21-3.
“Tanner looked good. He hit a nice shot. We’ve been emphasizing blowing through our shots and he did that,” said Branch.
“I liked what I saw out of Tanner and Cole. I liked what I saw out of Dakota Friesth, too. He showed a little attitude at the end.”
Even with Friesth’s attitude, Branch left the dual still wanting more from his team. The Cowboys have been working on their aggressiveness and consistency throughout their season, but in spite of the five decision wins, Branch hopes they will leave some of their conservative styles behind as they head into their next competition.
“It was a dominating team score, that was good,” Branch said, “But I really felt like we had several guys that were too conservative. I’m not ecstatic, but it was a good win. We have our work cutout for us.”
The Cowboys will head to their final regular season dual this Saturday against North Dakota State. Matches are set to begin at 6 p.m. in the Bison Sports Arena.
