The NMHU Cowboy Wrestling team began their season at the Cowboy Open hosted by the University of Wyoming on 11/14. The Cowboys fared well at the tournament facing many RMAC and Division I opponents.
Leading the way for the Cowboys was Senior Heavyweight
Jesse Boggs. Boggs, who went to the National Division II Tournament last year, finished a respectable fourth place in the elite division of the tournament. He finished the day with a record of 3-2. He opened the tourney with a 4-3 decision over Steve Larson of the Air Force Academy and a 6-4 win over Patrick Carey, unattached. Boggs’ first loss came to him from RMAC foe Charlie Alexander, of Western State College, who would eventually become the champion of the tournament. Boggs lost by a mere one point as the score was 3-2. Wrestling his way through the consolation bracket, Boggs took on another RMAC competitor, Nebraska- Kearney’s Ben Hohensee with a score of 3-2. He then took on Justin Tuell of the University of Northern Colorado, a Division I school, and lost getting pinned in 2:22.
Other standouts for the Cowboys included
Jarrod Purvis in the elite 165 bracket, who went 2-2. Purvis lost to the Air Force Academy’s Joe Stafford with a decision of 6-2 in the first round. He then came back to beat Montana State- Northern’s Jim Smith with a pin at 2:50. Purvis then went on to beat RMAC foe Justin Dekok of Chadron State College with a score of 5-3. Purvis’ final loss came to him from Tanner Weiks of the University of Northern Colorado by means of a pin at the 4:45 mark.
Head Coach
Doug Moses said, “Losing those close matches shows us that we are right there and need to work harder to turn the corner and win those matches against conference competitors. Wrestling against tough competition will only make us better in the end for the regional and national tournament. It was a positive trip and it showed the team what we have to do to get better.”
The Cowboys did well as a team but look to have more tournament placings at the University of Northern Colorado Open tournament on 11/22.
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