“Hill’s Heroes Shine: A Thrilling Second-Place Triumph at Soldier Salute Wrestling!”

CORALVILLE, Iowa (12/30/24) – The University of Wyoming wrestling squad concluded their participation in the Soldier Salute Tournament on Monday at Xtreme Arena. The Cowboys secured six placings, headed by No. 19 Jared Hill (157), who achieved a second-place finish.

No. 32 Stockton O’Brien (133) and No. 21 Gabe Willochell (149) finished in fourth. Both Sloan Swan (157) and Cooper Voorhees (165) claimed fifth, while Ethan Ducca (174) finished in eighth place.

Hill’s path to the finals featured the squad’s most significant upset of the season, overcoming Minnesota’s No. 6 Tommy Askey in overtime during the semifinals. He narrowly missed the championship title, succumbing to Stanford’s Danile Cardenas by decision in the final match.

O’Brien and Willochell also took to the mat on Monday evening, but both were unable to secure wins in their respective third-place bouts. O’Brien was defeated by decision against South Dakota State’s Logan Swensen, while Willochell lost by technical fall to Northern Iowa’s No. 16 Colin Realbuto.

However, the evening was not entirely disappointing, as Swan and Voorhees both triumphed in their fifth-place matches. Swan clinched victory with a major decision over Northern Iowa’s Cael Rahnavardi, and Voorhees secured a decision win against Navy’s Dyland Elmore.

Ducca’s participation concluded on Monday afternoon during the seventh-place match, where he lost by major decision to Northern Iowa’s Nick Fox.

Two Cowboys emerged victorious in the Silver Bracket – the consolation bracket – capturing titles. Warren Carr (157) and Sam Mitchell (HWT) excelled in the backend of the contest, ending on a positive note, while Tucker Bowen (125), Josh Kyle (133), Aidan Noonan (141), and Riley Davis (174) all fell short in the Silver Bracket championship.

The Wyoming team finished seventh overall with 89.5 points. Iowa claimed the top spot in the tournament, amassing 248 points, while Northern Iowa and Minnesota completed the top three with scores of 126.5 and 125, respectively.

The Cowboys will take the upcoming weekend off before they return to action at the NWCA National Dual Meet Championships. This event will occur from January 10-11 at the UNI-Dome, located on the Northern Iowa campus.

125: Tucker Bowen (3-3)
16th-Finals: Bowen pinned Anthony Lavezzola (Iowa), 1:47
Eighth-Finals: Adrian Meza (Iowa State) defeated Bowen by decision, 12-10
Repechage 2 of 7: Shay Korhorn defeated Bowen by decision, 7-5
Silver Bracket Quarterfinals: Bowen pinned Ostin Blanchard (Bellarmine), 4:55
Silver Bracket Semifinals: Bowen won against Kody Tanimoto (North Dakota State) by decision, 1-0
Silver Bracket Championship: Daniel Guanajuato (South Dakota State) won by major decision over Bowen, 14-3

133: No. 32 Stockton O’Brien (3-2) – 4th
Eighth-Finals: O’Brien pinned Tucker Kazienko (Tarleton State), 1:48
Quarterfinals: O’Brien won against Cale Seaton (South Dakota State) by decision, 9-3
Semifinals: No. 3 Drake Ayala (Iowa) won by technical fall against No. 32 O’Brien, 21-5
Repechage 6 of 7: No. 32 O’Brien won by decision over Julian Farber (Northern Iowa), 8-5
Third-Place Match: Logan Swensen (South Dakota State) won by decision against No. 32 O’Brien, 10-5

133: David Saenz (3-4)
16th-Finals: Trayce Eckman (Bellarmine) defeated Saenz by decision, 11-9
Repechage 2 of 7: Saenz won by decision over Elias Navida (North Carolina), 14-7
Repechage 3 of 7: Saenz defeated Josh Kyle (Wyoming) by decision, 13-10
Repechage 4 of 7: Cale Seaton (South Dakota State) won by major decision against Saenz, 12-4
Silver Bracket Quarterfinals: Saenz won by major decision over Trayce Eckman (Bellarmine), 16-8
Silver Bracket Semifinals: Max Leete (American) won by major decision against Saenz, 16-6
Silver Bracket Third-Place Match: Elias Navida (North Carolina) pinned Saenz, 2:21

133: Josh Kyle (1-3)
Eighth-Finals: Kale Petersen (Iowa) won by major decision against Kyle, 13-4
Repechage 3 of 7: David Saenz (Wyoming) won by decision over Kyle, 13-10
Silver Bracket Semifinals: Kyle won by decision against Elias Navida (North Carolina), 7-6
Silver Bracket Championship: Max Leete (American) pinned Kyle, 2:00

133: Tyson Charmoli (1-2)
Eighth-Finals: Julian Farber (Northern Iowa) won by major decision against Charmoli, 17-3
Repechage 3 of 7: Charmoli achieved a technical fall over Micha Medina (Bellarmine), 20-1
Repechage 4 of 7: Garrett Grice (Iowa State) defeated Charmoli by decision, 7-0

141: No. 25 Cole Brooks (3-3)
16th-Finals: No. 25 Brooks won by major decision against Caleb Gross (South Dakota State), 11-3
Eighth-Finals: No. 4 Vance VomBaur (Minnesota) won by major decision against Brooks, 19-6
Repechage 2 of 7: No. 25 Brooks won by decision over Chase Hall (Bellarmine), 9-2
Repechage 3 of 7: No. 25 Brooks won by major decision against Drew Stanfield (Missouri), 12-3
Repechage 4 of 7: Owen Uhls (Missouri) won by decision against No. 25 Brooks, 5-1
Silver Bracket Quarterfinals: Nikolaus O’Neil (North Carolina) pinned No. 25 Brooks, :55
Silver Bracket Consolation: No. 25 Brooks had a medical forfeit against Drew Stanfield

141: John Alden (2-2)
16th-Finals: Tyson Peach (South Dakota State) won by decision against Alden, 10-6
Repechage 2 of 7: Alden won by decision over Jesse Ybarra (Iowa), 5-4
Repechage 3 of 7: Alden won by decision against Black Max (Unattached), 8-3
Repechage 4 of 7: Jace Rhoes (Iowa State) won by decision against Alden, 8-3
Silver Bracket Semifinals: Nikolaus O’Neil (North Carolina) pinned Alden, 1:29
Silver Bracket Third-Place Match: Alden won by decision against Sam Sutton (Tarleton State), 18-11

141: Aidan Noonan (2-3)
16th-Finals: Jesse Ybarra (Iowa) defeated Noonan by decision, 6-2
Repechage 2 of 7: Michael Olson (North Dakota State) won by decision over Noonan, 3-1
Silver Bracket Quarterfinals: Noonan achieved a technical fall victory over Drew Stanfield (Missouri), 16-0
Silver Bracket Semifinals: Noonan won by major decision against Sam Sutton (Tarleton State), 11-2
Silver Bracket Championship: Nikolaus O’Neil (North Carolina) won by decision over Noonan, 3-0

149: Antonio Avila (0-3)
16th-Finals: Nate Pulliam (Missouri) won by decision against Avila, 9-7
Repechage 2 of 7: Avila had a medical forfeit against Garrett Funk (Northern Iowa)
Repechage 3 of 7: Avery Allen (South Dakota State) won by decision against Avila, 4-1
Silver Bracket Quarterfinals: Collin Dupill (South Dakota State) won by decision against Avila, 5-4
Silver Bracket Consolation: Cutter Sheets (Oklahoma State) defeated Avila by decision, 4-1

149: No. 21 Gabe Willochell (3-2) – 4th
Eighth-Finals: No. 21 Willochell won by decision over Kael Vionovich (Iowa), 5-4
Quarterfinals: No. 21 Willochell won by decision against Adam Allard (Northern Iowa), 3-0
Semifinals: No. 4 Kyle Parco (Iowa) won by decision against No. 21 Willochell, 12-6
Repechage 6 of 7: No. 21 Willochell pinned Avery Allen (South Dakota State), 3:39
Third-Place Match: No. 16 Colin Realbuto (Northern Iowa) won by technical fall against No. 21 Willochell, 21-6

157: Warren Carr (2-2)
16th-Finals: Joey Showalter (North Carolina) won by major decision against Carr, 11-3
Repechage2 of 7: Moses Espinoza-Owens significant decision Carr, 10-1

Silver Bracket Match 1: Carr decision Jeb Prechtel (Bellarmine), 7-5

Silver Bracket Championship: Carr decision Joey Showalter (North Carolina), 11-4

157: No. 19 Jared Hill (3-1) – 2nd

Eighth-Finals: No. 19 Hill significant decision Charlie Evans (Navy), 12-3

Quarterfinals: No. 19 Hill decision Laird Root (North Carolina), 5-1

Semifinals: No. 19 Hill tiebreaker-1 No. 6 Tommy Askey (Minnesota), 2-2

Championship: Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) decision No. 19 Hill, 5-1

157: Sloan Swan (4-2) – 5th

Eighth-Finals: Swan tiebreaker-1 Logan Gioffre (Missouri), 4-1

Quarterfinals: Jonathan Ley (Navy) decision Swan, 8-2

Repechage 4 of 7: Swan fall Logan Swaw (Illinois), :46

Repechage 5 of 7: Swan fall Charlie Evans (Navy), 5:31

Repechage 6 of 7: No. 6 Tommy Askey (Minnesota) decision Swan, 7-2

Fifth-Place Match: Swan significant decision Cael Rahnavardi (Northern Iowa), 17-5

165: Cooper Voorhees (4-2) – 5th

Eighth-Finals: Voorhees decision Tyler Sagi (Navy), 8-2

Quarterfinals: No. 7 Andrew Sparks (Minnesota) fall Voorhees, 1:14

Repechage 4 of 7: Voorhees technical fall Zeke Liescheski (Tarleton State) Voorhees, 20-4

Repechage 5 of 7: Voorhees decision Collin Carrigan (North Carolina), 10-3

Repechage 6 of 7: Blaine Brenner (Minnesota) significant decision Voorhees, 11-0

Fifth-Place Match: Voorhees decision Dylan Elmore (Navy), 8-5

174: Riley Davis (4-3)

16th-Finals: Davis significant decision Kaden Schmidt (Iowa State), 11-3

Eighth-Finals: No. 11 Jared Simma (Northern Iowa) decision Davis, 14-10

Repechage 2 of 7: Davis decision Avery Gambrall (Oregon State), 7-4

Repechage 3 of 7: Grant O’Dell (Bellarmine) decision Davis, 5-1

Silver Bracket Quarterfinals: Davis fall Lucas Estes (Tarleton State), 1:39

Silver Bracket Semifinals: Davis fall Owen Helgeson (Iowa State), :56

Silver Bracket Championship: Daniel Magayna (North Dakota State) decision Davis, 2-1

174: Quayin Short (3-3)

16th-Finals: Short technical fall Owen Helgeson (Iowa State), 17-2

Eighth-Finals: Ethan Ducca (Wyoming) decision Short, 7-2

Repechage 2 of 7: Short medical forfeit Wade Mitchell (Northern Iowa), 6-6

Repechage 3 of 7: Silas Dailey (Minnesota) decision Short, 2-0

Silver Bracket Semifinals: Daniel Magayna (North Dakota State) significant decision Short, 8-0

Silver Bracket Third-Place Match: Short technical fall Owen Helgeson (Iowa State), 19-3

174: Ethan Ducca (2-3) – 8th

Eighth-Finals: Ducca decision Quayin Short (Wyoming), 7-2

Quarterfinals: Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) technical fall Ducca, 20-5

Repechage 4 of 7: Ducca sudden victory Grant O’Dell (Bellarmine), 5-2

Repechage 5 of 7: No. 19 Clayton Whiting (Minnesota) decision Ducca, 6-4

Seventh-Place Match: Nick Fox (Northern Iowa) significant decision Ducca, 10-2

HWT: No. 31 Sam Mitchell (2-2)

Eighth-Finals: No. 31 Mitchell decision Grant Stromberg (Northern Iowa), 2-1

Quarterfinals: Daulton Mayer (Bellarmine) decision No. 31 Mitchell, 6-3

Repechage 4 of 7: Adam Ahrendsen (Northern Iowa) sudden victory No. 31 Mitchell, 9-6

Silver Bracket Quarterfinals: No. 31 Mitchell decision Hayden Simpson (Oklahoma State), 4-1

Silver Bracket Semifinals: No. 31 Mitchell wins via medical forfeit Gage Marty (Iowa)

Silver Bracket Championship: No. 31 Mitchell medical forfeit CJ Carter (Iowa State)

HWT: Lane Catlin (1-3)

16th-Finals: Thad Huff (Bellarmine) significant decision Catlin, 15-2

Repechage 2 of 7: Hayden Simpson (Oklahoma State) fall Catlin, :44

Silver Bracket Quarterfinals: Catlin decision Will Muckler (Bellarmine), 4-3

Silver Bracket Semifinals: CJ Carter (Iowa State) significant decision Catlin, 11-2

Silver Bracket Third-Place Match: Catlin medical forfeit Gage Marty (Iowa)