Branson Ashworth (Photo/Kyle Spradley)The Wyoming Wrestling Regional Training Center (WWRTC) bolstered its roster this week by adding former University of Wyoming wrestling standout Branson Ashworth.
Ashworth will begin his journey in senior freestyle competition under the WWRTC banner this fall. In addition to competing, he will serve as a volunteer coach for the UW wrestling program.
Ashworth will be the first full-time resident of the center since former WWRTC athlete Bryce Meredith competed from 2018-19. Meredith joined the New Jersey Regional Training Center in summer 2019.
"I can't tell you how fortunate we are to have Branson with us," UW Coach and WWRTC Director Mark Branch says.
"Having him in the room will be a blessing. With (former WWRTC athlete) Tanner Harms leaving to work on his doctorate of engineering, Branson's presence in our room will have an enormous impact on our middle and upper weights. I am also very excited to see what he can do on the senior circuit."
"In my opinion, his style bodes very well with freestyle, and although his experience in freestyle is limited, I think we will see him be very competitive," continued Branch.
In 2019, Ashworth finished his senior year for the Pokes with a 33-5 overall record with three falls, 11 technical falls and four major decisions. He was flawless in dual competition, going 20-0 to help UW to a 16-4 overall record. He beat 11 ranked opponents and qualified for his third NCAA Championships as the No. 10 seed at 165 pounds.
"The opportunity to come back to Wyoming and compete and train in freestyle was too great to pass up," Ashworth says. "I loved wrestling here. I'll always be a Cowboy, so when I was offered a spot, I said yes immediately. I'm looking forward to learning and growing and going against some of the best in the world, and I hope to bring some medals back to Laramie."
The Spanish Fork, Utah, native twice was named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week and wrapped up his career with 121 wins to rank sixth on the program's all-time list. He also was named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team.
The WWRTC is a non-profit organization designed to support world-class athletes and coaches in their quest to win World and Olympic medals at every level.
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