Wyoming upsets No. 16 Oklahoma 24-10 in Laramie
No. 9 Eddie Neitenbach’s technical fall and No. 5 Joey Novak’s major decision provided the bonus points that put the dual out of reach on Senior Day.
LARAMIE, Wyo. — Wyoming defeated No. 16 Oklahoma 24-10 on Sunday, using late bonus-point wins from its ranked heavyweights to secure the upset on Senior Day.
The dual remained close through the middle weights before Wyoming’s top-ranked wrestlers turned the tide. No. 9 Eddie Neitenbach ended his 184-pound bout by technical fall, 20-4, delivering a string of takedowns in the third period that moved the Cowboys into command. No. 5 Joey Novak followed with an 11-0 major decision at 197, adding three takedowns, an escape and a riding-time point that widened the margin.
Wyoming’s victory also featured a decisive performance from No. 7 Christian Carroll at heavyweight. Carroll built a 5-1 second-period lead on a reversal and a takedown and held on for a 5-3 decision, preserving the advantage after Oklahoma’s late attempts to close the gap.
The dual opened with a tight stretch of matches that traded points and momentum. Jared Hill scored a 5-2 overtime victory at 157 after a third-period reversal tied the bout 2-2; Hill finished the match with a 3-point takedown in the first sudden-death period. The Hill win supplied an early spark for the home team.
Oklahoma answered in the lower weights. Sebastian Degennaro scored an 11-0 major decision at 125, recording a first-period 3-point takedown, nearfalls in the second and third periods and a riding-time point. Tyler Wells, listed among the Sooners’ ranked entrants at 141, kept Oklahoma on the board with a 7-4 decision at that weight. Bryce Burkett’s late escape produced a 9-8 victory at 165 for Oklahoma as well.
Momentum shifted back to Wyoming in the middle to upper weights. Luke Willochell and Gabe Willochell each recorded decision wins for the Cowboys at 133 and 149, respectively, and No. 28 Riley Davis posted a 4-2 decision at 174 to extend Wyoming’s lead heading into the final sessions.
The result also carried season implications for Wyoming. The university’s recap noted the victory came on Senior Day and called it an upset of No. 16 Oklahoma; the team will move on toward the conference postseason. Oklahoma had entered the dual ranked No. 16 in preseason material and lineup notes distributed before the meet.
Wyoming’s trio of top-10 and top-7 performances provided the bonus margin that decided the dual, while Oklahoma’s wins in the lower weights kept the Sooners competitive through the first half of the lineup. The Cowboys’ heavyweights — Neitenbach, Novak and Carroll — supplied the decisive points that closed the regular season dual slate in Laramie.