The Wyoming Cowboys faced off against the top ranked South Dakota State(SDSU) Jackrabbits on Thursday, only picking up one match win on the night, dropping the contest 33-3.
The evening began with a high powered matchup between Wyoming’s Jore Volk and SDSU’s Tanner Jordan. It was a close battle until the very end, but Jordan picked up a clutch reversal to win the match 2-1, putting the Jackrabbits up early.
Cooper Birdwell put up a fight against the top ranked Derrick Cardinal of SDSU in the 133 pound contest, but Cardinal earned enough points to win 5-3, despite a last minute takedown by Birdwell. South Dakota was up 6-0 early, but Cole Brooks started his match strong and went on to win the bout 9-4 to make it 6-3 and keep Wyoming in the dual.
From that point on however, it would be all Jackrabbits. South Dakota controlled the mat, stacking up wins in dominating fashion. Top wrestlers Willochell and Voorhees went down in key faceoffs which helped the Jackrabbits get up big and gain confidence as the contest went on.
Wyoming couldn’t pick up crucial points in the biggest moments of the night, and began to fall behind quickly. Despite facing such a highly touted program, some matchups seemed to be in Wyoming’s favor before the night, but SDSU walked away showing why they are at the top.
Wyoming will have a quick turnaround before hosting North Dakota State this Sunday at 1 p.m. in the UniWyo Sports Complex.
