YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Utah Valley University wrestling team opened its 2015-16 season by going 1-2 at the Eastern Michigan Duals in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with a 30-6 rout over Big Ten foe Michigan State and a 20-12 setback to Rider (currently receiving votes for the top-25) and a 32-6 defeat to No. 11 Illinois.
 
Thirteenth-ranked senior 125-pounder Chasen Tolbert and fellow senior Derek Thomas (197 pounds) led the way for the Wolverines by each going a perfect 3-0 the day. Senior Jade Rauser (133) and redshirt sophomore Dustin Dennison(heavyweight) were next by both finishing with identical 2-1 records.

"We wrestled some tough matches today. There were several positives to take away from this experience," head coach Greg Williams said. "Our guys are fighters. Whether we were ahead or behind, they kept wrestling hard. It is early in the season and we have some things to work on. Overall, I was pleased with their performance."
 
In the opening dual against Michigan State (0-3), the Wolverines won the first four matches of the contest, including three by bonus points, to jump out to a 17-0 lead. MSU then bounced back with back-to-back wins at 157 and 165, but the Big 12 Wolverines answered by winning the final four bouts of the match to record the impressive victory over MSU.
 
Rauser as well as sophomores Jarod Maynes (141), Brayden Humpherys (149) and Dennison all won their bouts by bonus points against the Spartans, while seniors Tolbert, Thomas and Ross Taylor (174) along with redshirt freshman Will Sumner (184) all won via decision. 
 
The 30-6 victory over the Spartans marks Utah Valley's first win in program history over a Big Ten Conference foe.
 
In the eight-point setback to Rider (2-1) of the Eastern Wrestling League, Tolbert and Rauser once again got UVU going with consecutive decisions to give the Wolverines an early 6-0 lead. Tolbert recorded his win over RU's Brenden Calas by a score of 7-5, while the three-time NCAA qualifier and 18th-ranked (FloWrestling) Rauser pulled out a 5-2 upset win over No. 15 Robert Deutsch.
 
The Broncs then struck back with six consecutive victories to put the dual away with a 20-6 lead. UVU didn't quit from there, however, as Thomas and Dennison came through late for the Wolverines by winning the final two bouts of the contest to make it a 20-12 score.
 
In the final dual of the opening-season tournament against the 11th-ranked Fighting Illini (3-0), UVU once again got off to a solid start thanks to a 5-1 decision victory from Tolbert. The Wolverines then lost eight of the final nine matches of the contest to Illinois to drop the contest by a score of 32-6. All seven nationally ranked grapplers for the Fighting Illini, who finished 12th in the nation at last year's NCAA Championships, picked up wins in the contest including a technical fall from the defending national champion Isaiah Martinez at 157 pounds.
 
Three Wolverines also took part at the Eastern Michigan Open that was contested at EMU on Saturday. Two of the three recorded two wins apiece at the tournament, as sophomore heavyweight Jordan Karstwent 2-1 after taking a medical forfeit in his final match of the day and fellow sophomore Koleton Hardy(165) finished with 2-2 record. Junior Abel Gomez (184) too competed for UVU at the open tournament and went 1-2. 
 
Utah Valley will now take the next week off before returning to dual action in Corvallis, Oregon, on Nov. 21. There, the Wolverines will face both No. 18 Rutgers and No. 19 Oregon State. UVU will then welcome Boise State to town for its home opener the following weekend (Nov. 28). 
 
Utah Valley 30, Michigan State 6
125: #13 Chasen Tolbert (UVU) over Mitch Rogaliner (MSU), Dec. 9-2           
133: Jade Rauser (UVU) over Garth Yenter (MSU), MD 13-4
141: Jarod Maynes (UVU) over Kyle Abdellatif (MSU), MD 11-3
149: Brayden Humpherys (UVU) over Josh Pennell (MSU), Fall 2:41
157: Joseph Johnson (MSU) over Raider Lofthouse (UVU), Dec. 4-2
165: Travis Curley (MSU) over Kieffer Taylor (UVU), TB-1 4-3            
174: Ross Taylor (UVU) over Shane Shadaia (MSU), Dec. 4-1   
184: Will Sumner (UVU) over Shwan Shadaia (MSU), Dec. 3-0
197: Derek Thomas (UVU) over Jacob Cooper (MSU), Dec. 7-3
285: Dustin Dennison (UVU) over Dimitrus Renfroe (MSU), MD 14-1
 
Rider (RV) 20, Utah Valley 12
125: #13 Chasen Tolbert (UVU) over Brenden Calas (Rider), Dec. 7-5
133: Jade Rauser (UVU) over #15 Robert Deutsch (Rider), Dec. 5-2
141: Paul Kirchner (Rider) over Jarod Maynes (UVU), Dec. 8-3
149: #4 B.J. Clagon (Rider) over Brayden Humpherys (UVU), MD 15-7          
157: Curt Delia (Rider) over Raider Lofthouse (UVU), Dec. 6-3            
165: #15 Connor Brennan (Rider) over Koleton Hardy (UVU), MD 11-3        
174: Wayne Stinson (Rider) over Ross Taylor (UVU), Dec. 10-5           
184: Michale Fagg-Daves (Rider) over Will Sumner (UVU), Dec. 11-9
197: Derek Thomas (UVU) over Ryan Wolfe (Rider), SV-1 3-1
285: Dustin Dennison (UVU) over Greg Velasco (Rider), Dec 3-1
 
#11 Illinois 32, Utah Valley 6
125: #13 Chasen Tolbert (UVU) over Francis Edelen (Illinois), Dec. 5-1
133: #13 Zane Richards (Illinois) over Jade Rauser (UVU), MD 14-4
141: Brock Ervin (Illinois) over Jarod Maynes (UVU), Dec. 12-6
149: #14 Kyle Langenderfer (Illinois) over Brayden Humpherys (UVU), Dec. 8-3
157: #1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over Raider Lofthouse (UVU), TF 22-7
165: #18 Steven Rodrigues (Illinois) over Kieffer Taylor (UVU), MD 20-8
174: #8 Zac Brunson (Illinois) over Ross Taylor (UVU), Fall 4:57
184: #19 Jeff Koepke (Illinois) over Will Sumner (UVU), MD 17-6
197: Derek Thomas (Utah Valley University) over Andre Lee (Illinois) Dec 5-2
285: #16 Brooks Black (Illinois) over Dustin Dennison (UVU), Dec. 2-1

Eastern Michigan Open Results
165
Champ. Round 1 - Koleton Hardy (UVU) over Justin Smith (Lake Erie), Fall 2:35
Champ. Round 2 - Ty Schoffstall (Edinboro) over Koleton Hardy (UVU), MD 13-4
Cons. Round 2 - Koleton Hardy (UVU) over Nic Skonieczny (Findlay), Dec. 4-2
Cons. Round 3 - Peter Andreotti (Purdue) over Koleton Hardy (UVU), Dec. 11-4
 
184
Champ. Round 1 - Danny Hicks (Illinois) over Abel Gomez (UVU), SV-1 10-8
Cons. Round 2 - Abel Gomez (UVU) over Derek Schultz (EMU), Dec. 8-5
Cons. Round 3 - Xavier Montalvo (Illinois) over Abel Gomez (UVU), MD 15-7
 
285
Champ. Round 1 - Jordan Karst (UVU) over Parker Knapp (Ohio St.), Dec. 2-1
Champ. Round 2 - Jordan Karst (UVU) over Austin Linden (Lake Erie), Fall 1:44
Quarterfinal - Jacob Aven (Purdue) over Jordan Karst (UVU), TB-1 4-1
Cons. Round 4 - Caleb Gossett (No. Illinois) over Jordan Karst (UVU), MFF

Individual rankings listed are from the latest InterMat poll.