I noticed the recent loss to Fresno generated a few questions regarding the state of the wrestling program. Yes, frustrating to lose to a program that only recently re-started (in fact, the Pokes have dropped a couple of duals to Fresno)...these losses show the massive amount of talent Fresno has at its fingertips.
However and more to point of how the Pokes went from a program on the rise (top 10 dual team for much of last season, high NCAA finish the year before) to a very average program:
Remember this guy? Wrestled for the Cowboys last year and was ranked in the top 20 at the beginning of this season....and poof, he is now with Big Red.
How about Sam Turner? A returning NCAA qualifier? Gone.
But at least Wyoming could bring to bear one of its most productive recruiting classes ever, right? Several of those highly regarded recruits are also now gone.
The program suffered a multiyear setback when multiple wrestlers forced Coach Branch to reconcile apparent character issues resulting in the release of a good portion of the team early in the season. Had that not happened, the program almost certainly would have been cooking with gas again this season. Keep in mind the Pokes are currently 7-8 with losses by 3 points to Fresno, 1 point to SDSU, 6 points to Army, 5 points to North Carolina, 6 points to Michigan State, and 12 points to Mizzou. I am not judging Branch...a fine coach and by all accounts a fine person. But damn, oh what could have been....both this year and in years to come.
Article on this very subject from earlier in the year from Trackwrestling.com:
https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1576856570080&postId=1912734132
Excerpt from that article-
As the NCAA Championships wound down last March in Pittsburgh, Mark Branch and the rest of the Wyoming coaching staff had plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future.
The Cowboys would have six returning NCAA qualifiers back in their room and they’d be joined by one of the program’s strongest recruiting classes in a long time. Much of that positivity evaporated quickly, however.
“Coming off last year, we were like, ‘Gosh, we really know what this team is and what this team’s about and what we’re working with,’” Branch told Trackwrestling.com. “And then all of a sudden, a month into our season, you’re just completely confused going, ‘I was way off.’”
A quick glance at the Wyoming roster is telling.
The Cowboys are without 141-pounder Sam Turner — one of those returning NCAA qualifiers — and have also lost new talents Donny Proffit, Jace Rhodes and Hayden Walker, who had been added to the roster over the summer. Meanwhile, Cale Davidson, Carless Looney and former University of Washington linebacker Tevis Bartlett are also no longer listed on the team’s roster.
While Branch didn’t provide specifics for the departures, he hinted that the shakeups were for disciplinary reasons.
However and more to point of how the Pokes went from a program on the rise (top 10 dual team for much of last season, high NCAA finish the year before) to a very average program:
Remember this guy? Wrestled for the Cowboys last year and was ranked in the top 20 at the beginning of this season....and poof, he is now with Big Red.
How about Sam Turner? A returning NCAA qualifier? Gone.
But at least Wyoming could bring to bear one of its most productive recruiting classes ever, right? Several of those highly regarded recruits are also now gone.
The program suffered a multiyear setback when multiple wrestlers forced Coach Branch to reconcile apparent character issues resulting in the release of a good portion of the team early in the season. Had that not happened, the program almost certainly would have been cooking with gas again this season. Keep in mind the Pokes are currently 7-8 with losses by 3 points to Fresno, 1 point to SDSU, 6 points to Army, 5 points to North Carolina, 6 points to Michigan State, and 12 points to Mizzou. I am not judging Branch...a fine coach and by all accounts a fine person. But damn, oh what could have been....both this year and in years to come.
Article on this very subject from earlier in the year from Trackwrestling.com:
https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1576856570080&postId=1912734132
Excerpt from that article-
As the NCAA Championships wound down last March in Pittsburgh, Mark Branch and the rest of the Wyoming coaching staff had plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future.
The Cowboys would have six returning NCAA qualifiers back in their room and they’d be joined by one of the program’s strongest recruiting classes in a long time. Much of that positivity evaporated quickly, however.
“Coming off last year, we were like, ‘Gosh, we really know what this team is and what this team’s about and what we’re working with,’” Branch told Trackwrestling.com. “And then all of a sudden, a month into our season, you’re just completely confused going, ‘I was way off.’”
A quick glance at the Wyoming roster is telling.
The Cowboys are without 141-pounder Sam Turner — one of those returning NCAA qualifiers — and have also lost new talents Donny Proffit, Jace Rhodes and Hayden Walker, who had been added to the roster over the summer. Meanwhile, Cale Davidson, Carless Looney and former University of Washington linebacker Tevis Bartlett are also no longer listed on the team’s roster.
While Branch didn’t provide specifics for the departures, he hinted that the shakeups were for disciplinary reasons.
