Utah Valley vs. Grand Canyon 
Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016  |  4 p.m. MT
Orem, Utah   |   PE Building
TV: UVU TV
Live Video  |  Live Results  |  UVU Match Notes 
 
UTAH VALLEY SET TO HOST GCU IN SATURDAY'S FINALE
OREM, Utah – After wrapping up its first season of dual competition in the Big 12 Conference last week, the Utah Valley University wrestling team will step out of conference action to host Grand Canyon on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the PE Building. The contest will not only mark UVU's regular-season finale but also Senior Day, as four Wolverine seniors will be honored for their careers in Orem prior to the first match.
 
The four seniors that will be honored will be 18th-ranked Chasen Tolbert (125 pounds), three-time NCAA qualifier Jade Rauser (133), 174-pounder Ross Taylor and 197-pounder Derek Thomas.
 
"Saturday will be a great way to recognize our four seniors, as they've all had great careers here," head coach Greg Williams said. "We're excited to be home for our final dual of the season and are looking forward to a good match."
 
The dual meet will be televised locally on UVU TV as well as streamed live via WolverineGreen.com. Live results for the contest can also be followed by visiting TrackWrestling.com.
 
The Wolverines will enter Saturday's regular-season finale with a 3-10 overall record and a 0-4 Big 12 clip after dropping a trio of conference contests on the road last week. After opening the three-day, three-city road trip with a 20-13 setback to Air Force on Feb. 11, the Wolverines then suffered a heartbreaking one-point loss to Northern Colorado (19-18) on Feb. 12. UVU then wrapped the trip with a 29-10 setback to Wyoming on Feb. 13.
 
The senior Taylor led the Wolverines a week ago by going a perfect 3-0 with three decision victories. Taylor opened the trip with a 4-1 overtime win over AFA's Adam Jackson and followed it up with a big fall over UNC's Tyler Kinn (5:52) late in the match against the Bears to give UVU a chance in that one. He then capped the weekend with a 4-1 decision over Wyoming's Luke Paine, as he was one of three Wolverines to record a victory against the Cowboys. The former Western Wyoming Community College transfer will enter Saturday with an 11-8 season record and a 23-23 career mark in two seasons of competition at UVU.  
 
Fellow senior 133-pounder Rauser too wrestled well for UVU as he went 2-1 last week with wins over UNC's Rico Montoya (6-1) and Wyoming's Drake Foster (12-2). In his lone setback in his last 12 matches, Rauser dropped a controversial 4-3 decision to No. 18 Josh Martinez of Air Force when Rauser's late go-ahead takedown was taken away by the official upon review. The current 29th-ranked 133-pounder will enter Saturday's dual tied for the team lead in wins with a 16-5 record and in the top five all-time in victories at UVU with a 69-28 career record.
 
Tolbert, who went a perfect 1-0 last week with an 8-0 shutout win over Air Force's Drew Romero, is tied with Rauser atop the team lead with a 16-4 2015-16 record. The 2015 NCAA qualifier is also just behind Rauser all-time at UVU with a 63-31 career record.
 
Thomas, who was previously ranked as high as 18th in his weight class earlier this season, holds a 9-3 record but has been sidelined with an injury since late December. The senior 197-pounder will enter Saturday's dual with over 50 career victories as he holds a 50-49 career clip.
 
ABOUT GRAND CANYON
The Antelopes, who are a Division I Independent in the sport of wrestling, will come to Orem with a 5-18 overall record with wins over Campbell, The Citadel, Iowa Central CC, Cornell College and Embry-Riddle. GCU has dropped six straight duals, including a 45-3 setback to Big 12 foe North Dakota State on Feb. 7 in Phoenix.
 
Saturday's matchup will mark the fourth all-time meeting between UVU and GCU on the mat. Utah Valley will enter the contest with a 3-0 series advantage after picking up a 30-6 victory over Grand Canyon in Phoenix last season.
 
UP NEXT FOR UVU
Following Saturday's finale, UVU will prepare for its first trip to the Big 12 Championships that will be held March 5-6 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. There, 10 Wolverines will be fighting to qualify for the 2016 NCAA Championships that will take place March 17-19 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.