Utah Valley @ Air Force

Air Force edged Utah Valley 23-18 in Colorado on Feb. 9, 2024, in a Big 12 dual that came down to bonus-point wrestling.

Utah Valley picked up a big boost when Kase Mauger produced a 19-1 technical fall at 133 for five team points, and Evan Bockman answered later with an 11-1 major decision at 197 to add four. Those bonus scores kept the Wolverines well in contention throughout the match. Air Force, however, countered with its own run of bonus results. Giano Petrucelli rolled to a 20-4 technical fall at 165 for five points, and Noah Blake followed with a fall over Caleb Uhlenhopp worth six team points.

The deciding blow came when Wyatt Hendrickson closed at 285 with a pin that added six more points for Air Force and put the dual out of reach. Between Petrucelli’s technical fall, Blake’s fall, and Hendrickson’s late pin, Air Force accumulated the extra bonus scoring that separated the teams despite Utah Valley’s strong performances at 133 and 197. The final five-point margin reflected a meeting defined by a handful of high-value results rather than a string of close decisions.