UVU wrestling fares well in Oregon

Upsets 18th-ranked Oregon State, lose to 15th-ranked Rutgers

Corvallis, OR — When Utah Valley University heavyweight wrestler Dustin Dennison stepped onto the mat in the final match of a dual meet with 18th-ranked Oregon State, all he had to do was win or not lose via pin or technical fall. 5th-ranked Amarveer Dhesi did all he could to win the match for the Beavers but Dennison held him off just enough and the Wolverines pulled off the 20-19 upset over the Beavers on Saturday afternoon.

“It was a fun match that was competitive and I was happy with how our guys fought throughout,” UVU head coach Greg Williams said in a statement to wolverinegree.com. “It was a big win for our program, as well as individually for Chasen, Derek and Ross as they helped seal the victory for us. Overall, I was very pleased with how our guys competed.

Chasen Tolbert continued his impressive start with a 4-3 victory over 10th-ranked Ronnie Bresser at 125 pounds. Derek Thomas also remained unbeaten on the season with a 10-1 major decision at 189 pounds. The biggest win for the Wolverines came in the 174 pound match. Ross Taylor was able to put Tyler Chay on his back in the second period to win by fall.  It put the Wolverines on top of the match 16-11 and they never looked back.  Raider Lofthouse won by major decision in the 157 pound match and Jarod Maynes won by decision at 141 pounds.

Three-time national Jade Rauser lost a 6-2 decision at 133 pounds.  It is the second loss of the season for the senior Montana who is looking to become the first wrestler in UVU history to qualify for nationals four times.

No. 15 Rutgers defeats UVU 30-9 in final dual of the day

Despite Chasen Tolbert, Ross Taylor, and Derek Thomas picking up wins for the Wolverines, Rutgers dominated the rest of the matches to earn the win in the final dual of the day in Corvallis.

Four out of the seven victories by Rutgers in the match came by way of major decisions.  One was by a technical fall and the other victory was by forfeit at 133-pounds.

Tolbert, Taylor, and Thomas all finished the day 2-0 for the Wolverines. Tolbert and Thomas are also still undefeated on the season with perfect 5-0 records. 

“Our team is showing that we are fighters,” said head coach Greg Williams in a statement to wolverinegreen.com. “Rutgers showed that they were much tougher on the mat, so we have some things to work on. It was good to have this match, however, to show us what we need to get better at for the future.”

UVU returns back to Orem for their home opener on November 28 against rival Boise State.  The match is set to begin at 4 p.m. MT in the PE Building.