Utah Valley State will take on #11 (D-II) Adams State on Friday night in Alamosa, Colorado. It will be the third meeting between the two schools, with each team winning once.
"They are a tough match up for us, so we'll have to be sharp," said Utah Valley coach Cody Sanderson. "We are wrestling well though, especially after last weekend, so I think if we come out and fight like we can we'll give ourselves a chance."
Utah Valley State is coming off of two wins at the Cowboy Duals last Saturday. Heavyweight Dallin Norton had the weight of both matches on his shoulders and he came through, winning twice to secure Wolverine victories. Both matches were won by fall, including a big win over Wyoming's Dusty Hoffschneider, a two-time NCAA qualifier.
Star 133 pound wrestler Erkin Tadzhimetov is on a roll having won nine straight matches including the last three by fall. He set a school record against Wyoming's Tyson Shatto, pinning him in just :35 seconds.
The once ranked Tadzhimetov has strangely disappeared from the top 20 rankings, likely due to Utah Valley's inability to compete in the NCAA Tournament at this point in the school's D-I infancy. Overall he sports an 25-7 record and an 11-1 record in duals.
Scouting the Opposition ...
Adams State, ranked 11th, will be the third top 20 Division-II opponent this season for the Wolverines. They are currently 0-2 in those matches, losing to now #3 Central Oklahoma at the Lone Star Duals and #14 Western State in a close match in Orem.
The Grizzlies feature four wrestlers ranked #7 or higher individually, including #2 Raymond Dunning at 133 pounds, making the matchup between Dunning and Tadzhimetov the most highly anticipated match of the night.
Up Next ...
Utah Valley State will have three straight home duals to wrap up their home schedule beginning Saturday, February 4th at 7:00pm against South Dakota State. They will take on North Dakota State on Tuesday, February 7th at 7:00pm before the final home match on Saturday, February 11th against Portland State at 2:00pm.
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