UVU Heads to SoCal for Duals, Roadrunner Open

OREM, Utah — The Utah Valley University wrestling team will head to Southern California this weekend to take part in a pair of duals on Friday followed by an open tournament on Sunday. The Wolverines will start the trip with duals against CSU Bakersfield and host California Baptist in Riverside on Friday followed by competing at the Roadrunner Open in Bakersfield on Sunday.

Friday's duals will be held at CBU's Van Dyne Gym and will open with the Wolverines taking on Pac-12 foe CSU Bakersfield at 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT. UVU will then cap the evening by facing future Big 12 opponent California Baptist at 7:30 p.m. MT/6:30 p.m. PT. Friday's neutral-site dual between UVU and CSUB will be streamed on Instagram Live @UVUwre, while Friday's nightcap against the Lancers can be watched live on YouTube. Live results for both duals will also be available by visiting TrackWrestling.com. On Sunday, the Roadrunner Open will take place at CSUB's Icardo Center in Bakersfield and will begin at 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT. The Roadrunner Open will be streamed live on FloWrestling (subscription required) and live results can be followed via TrackWrestling.

Utah Valley will enter the weekend with a 3-1 overall record and an 0-1 start in Big 12 Conference action after winning three of four dual meets at the season-opening UNC Duals on Nov. 7 in Greeley, Colorado. The Wolverines first dominated a trio of non-Division I foes before falling in a tightly contested Big 12 contest, 19-15, to the Northern Colorado Bears. In the first three duals that day, UVU combined to outscore Doane University, North Idaho College and Northwest Kansas Tech 125-12. The Wolverines won nine out of the 10 bouts in each of the three contests, as they defeated Doane 38-3, NIC 37-3, and Northwest Tech 50-6.

In the nightcap against the Bears, UNC jumped out to a quick start by winning each of the first four bouts to take a 13-0 lead. UVU then looked to stage a comeback by claiming four of the final six matches-including two by bonus points-but it wasn't enough as Northern Colorado managed to hold on to win 19-15. Two-time Big 12 champion and 2021 All-American Demetrius Romero (165 pounds) and redshirt sophomore Jacob Armstrong (184) led the Wolverines by each winning by bonus points while freshman 157-pounder Jaxon Garoutte and sophomore heavyweight Jayden Woodruff both won by decision.

Armstrong on Garoutte led UVU at the UNC Duals by each going a perfect 4-0 at the opening-season event. Second-year freshman Tanner Lofthouse (165) and sophomore heavyweight Woodruff were next by going 3-0, while Fresno State transfer and fellow second-year freshman and 28th-ranked Haiden Drury went 3-1 at 133. Romero also holds a perfect 1-0 record on the young season while California Baptist transfer and sophomore 197-pounder Evan Bockman is 2-1.

Ranked Wolverines
As a team, UVU will enter this weekend's action ranked 25th on the latest WIN Magazine Tournament Power Index and 27th on the most recent FloWrestling Team Tournament poll. A trio of Wolverines are currently nationally ranked, and another is receiving honorable mention ranking consideration. Three-time NCAA qualifiers and 2021 All-Americans Taylor LaMont (125) and Romero (165) lead the way by checking in at sixth and eighth, respectively, while Drury is 28th at 133, and 2021 NCAA qualifier Ty Smith is an honorable mention at 141. After missing the UNC Duals as he was competing at the U23 World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia that week in Greco-Roman competition, LaMont is slated to make his 2021-22 season debut on Friday.

The Opposition
CSU Bakersfield is off to an 0-1 start in 2021-22 after falling at No. 4 Michigan last Sunday, 39-3. The Roadrunners are an affiliate member of the Pac-12 Conference in wrestling and sent three NCAA qualifiers to the 2021 NCAA Championships last March. CSUB returns two of those three qualifiers this season in Chance Rich at 133 and Angelo Martinoni at 141. Both grapplers are currently ranked this season as Rich is ranked as high as 11th while Martinoni is ranked 20th. Martinoni was the lone Roadrunner to record a win at Michigan, as he holds a 1-0 record on the year. As a team, the 'Runners are ranked 40th on the most recent FloWrestling Team Tournament poll and 48th on the WIN Magazine Tournament Power Index.

Friday's contest will mark the seventh all-time meeting between the Wolverines and 'Runners on the mat. UVU will enter with a 4-2 series advantage and having won three straight and four of the last five meetings. CSUB's last win came on Jan. 16, 2016 in a 27-19 victory in Bakersfield.

California Baptist too is 0-1 this season after falling at North Dakota State on Nov. 6. The Lancers are an NCAA Division I Independent but are set to join the Big 12 Conference as a wrestling affiliate next year (2022-23). In their final year of reclassifying from NCAA Division II to Division I, the Lancers haven't been eligible for postseason competition since moving to Division I in 2018-19 but will be beginning next season. CBU doesn't currently have any ranked wrestlers on its squad but returns seven of its 10 starters from last year, including Caden Gerlach (174) who is 1-0 on the year and was the lone Lancer to record a win against NDSU on Nov. 6.

Friday's nightcap against CBU will mark just the second all-time meeting between UVU and the Lancers and the first in Riverside. Last season, Utah Valley won the first meeting, 25-16 on Jan. 8 in Orem thanks to four bonus-point victories.

Roadrunner Open
Sunday's open tournament will feature competitors from UVU, the host CSUB 'Runners, CBU, No. 7 Arizona State, No. 23 Stanford, Cal Poly, and non-Division I foes Embry Riddle, Menlo and San Francisco State. UVU last took part in the Roadrunner Open in 2016 when former Wolverines Durbin Lloren (133) and Gary Jantzer (184) placed second and third, respectively, at the event. Sunday's Roadrunner Open will get underway at 9 a.m. PT and will be streamed live on FloWrestling.