AMES, Iowa – Utah Valley University heavyweight grappler Dustin Dennison led the way for the UVU wrestling team on Sunday by knocking off a ranked foe en route to winning a Harold Nichols Cyclone Open title on Sunday at Big 12 foe Iowa State's Hilton Coliseum.
 
Dennison was one of seven Wolverines to place at the open tournament, as fellow heavyweight Jordan Karst, 149-pounder Grant LaMont, 157-pounder Raider Lofthouse all earned third-place finishes, while 174-pounder Kimball Bastian, 197-pounder Tanner Orndorff and unattached freshman 125-pounder Taylor LaMont each finished with fourth-place showings.
 
"The guys wrestled very tough today. We had several guys that just outworked their opponents to earn wins," head UVU coach Greg Williams said. "Dustin had a great win by pinning the 12th-ranked and three-time NCAA qualifier Jensen in the finals, while Kimball had a strong semifinal match where he forced overtime against the 2016 All-American Weatherspoon and looked to have a late takedown that unfortunately wasn't called.
 
"A couple of our guys are really close to breaking through. Grant and Raider showed a lot of fight to come all the way back after suffering first-round losses and Grant did a nice job of rebounding against that same opponent in the consolation semis. Our staff is excited about how hard the guys are wrestling and their willingness to try the things we are teaching them in the room."
 
Dennison went a perfect 5-0 on the day, which included earning three of his five victories via fall. After winning his first two bouts over Grand View's Jacob Laden (7-5) and Northern Iowa's Frank Walsh (10-3) by decision, the Wolverines junior reeled off three straight falls over Minnesota's Luke Destiche (2:40) in the quarterfinals, Nebraska's David Jensen (4:15) in the semifinals and No. 12 Collin Jensen of Nebraska (0:55) in the title bout to win the heavyweight bracket. Collin Jensen is not only the 12th-ranked wrestler in the latest InterMat poll, but is also a three-time NCAA qualifier, as he's wrestled for the Cornhuskers at the NCAA Championships in each of the past three seasons.  
 
Lofthouse wrestled his way to a 7-1 record on the day to earn his third-place finish while Grant LaMont and Karst each went 6-1. After falling in their first matches of the day, both Lofthouse and LaMont did a nice job of responded in the wrestlebacks as Lofthouse reeled off seven straight matches and LaMont pulled out six. During his seven-match winning streak, Lofthouse recorded four falls and a pair of major decisions while LaMont earned two victories via major decision, as well as one by fall and another by technical fall during his six-match streak. Karst won five of his six matches on the day by decision and his lone loss was a one-point setback to the 12th-ranked Jensen in the quarterfinal round.
 
Of the fourth-place finishers, the unattached Taylor LaMont highlighted the group by going 6-2 at the event with three wins by major decision, one by fall and one by technical fall. Of his two losses, one was a one-point overtime setback to No. 11 Tim Lambert of Nebraska in the quarterfinals. Bastian earned one win by major decision and three via decision to go 4-2 on the day. One of his two losses was a controversial 3-1 overtime defeat to 2016 All-American and 10th-ranked Lelund Weatherspoon of Iowa State in the semifinals. Orndorff recorded two of his wins by major decision and two more by decision en route to going 4-2 and placing fourth.   
 
Mitch Brown (125 pounds), Jarod Maynes (133), Chase Call (141), Trevor Willson (141), Koy Wilkinson(165) and Will Sumner (184) too competed for UVU at the Cyclone Open and Brown, Call and Wilkinson paced the group by each going 3-2 on the day. Willson and Sumner were next by both going 2-2 while Maynes finished with a 1-2 showing, which included a near upset over No. 4 Eric Montoya of Nebraska (9-8).
 
The Wolverines will now return home to prepare for the 35th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational that will be contested on Dec. 2-3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Following the 2016 CKLV Invite, UVU will head to Boise, Idaho, for a dual meet against rival Boise State on Dec 10.
 
Harold Nichols Cyclone Open Results
125 – Mitch Brown (3-2)
Mitch Brown (UVU) maj. dec. Brant Leadbeter (Navy), 19-7
Markus Simmons (ISU) tech fall Mitch Brown (UVU), 16-0
Mitch Brown (UVU) tech fall over Jakob Allison (ISU Wrestling Club), 18-3
Mitchell Brown (UVU) fall Da`Wayne Robertson (Grand View), 1:25
Jonathan Marmolejo (ISU) dec. Mitch Brown (UVU), 13-8
 
133 – Jarod Maynes (1-2)
Jarod Maynes (UVU) maj. dec. Brandon Matlock (Grand View), 13-4
#4 Eric Montoya (Nebraska) dec. Jarod Maynes (UVU), 9-8
David Berg (Midland) fall Jarod Maynes (UVU), 3:40
 
141 – Trevor Willson (2-2)
Trevor Willson (UVU) fall Cole Race (ICCC), 2:15
Trevor Willson (UVU) fall Jeff Bizzle (Nebraska-Kearney), 2:12
Chad Red (Nebraska) dec. Trevor Willson (UVU), 10-3
Kanen Storr (ISU) maj. dec. Trevor Willson (UVU), 17-6
 
141 – Chase Call (3-2)
Colton McCrystal (Nebraska) maj. dec. Chase Call (UVU), 18-10
Chase Call (UVU) fall Terrell Pampkin (ICCC), 2:37
Chase Call (UVU) fall Jahleel Vester (Central College), 1:20
Chase Call (Utah Valley) fall Tristan Clark (Central College), 0:30
Kanen Storr (ISU) tech fall Chase Call (UVU), 21-5
 
149 – Grant LaMont (6-1) – 3rd Place
Jordan Shearer (Nebraska) dec. Grant LaMont (UVU), 12-6
Grant LaMont (UVU) tech fall Chase Petty (Central College), 21-5
Grant LaMont (UVU) fall Walker Johnson (Nebraska-Kearney), 2:12
Grant LaMont (UVU) maj. dec. Hunter Washburn (UNI-Unat.), 15-5
Grant LaMont (UVU) dec. Hunter Marko (Minn.-Unat.), 9-2
Grant LaMont (UVU) dec. Jordan Shearer (Nebraska), 10-8
3rd Place Match: Grant LaMont (UVU) maj. dec. Blayne Briceno (ISU), 10-2
 
157 – Raider Lofthouse (7-1) – 3rd Place
Zach Elvin (Navy) tech fall Raider Lofthouse (UVU), 16-1
Raider Lofthouse (UVU) fall Nick Morris (ICCC), 2:21
Raider Lofthouse (UVU) fall Colten Carlson (SDSU-Unat.), 5:29
Raider Lofthouse (UVU) maj. dec. Colin Groleau (Central College), 14-2
Raider Lofthouse (UVU) maj dec. Colston DiBlasi (ISU), 11-0
Raider Lofthouse (UVU) fall Cameron Lopez (UNI-Unat.), 1:33
Raider Lofthouse (UVU) med. forfeit Destin McCauley (Nebraska-Kearney)
3rd Place Match: Raider Lofthouse (UVU) fall Logan Peterson (SDSU-Unat.), 1:13
 
165 – Koy Wilkinson (3-2)
Koy Wilkinson (UVU) dec. Garrett Jordan (SDSU-Unat.), 9-7 (SV-2)
John Blankenship (Nebraska) dec. Koy Wilkinson (UVU), 5-3 (SV-1)
Koy Wilkinson (UVU) maj. dec. Jacob Swift (Nebraska-Kearney), 16-6
Koy Wilkinson (UVU) dec. Regan Bye (Nebraska), 3-1
Justin Arthur (Nebraska) dec. Koy Wilkinson (UVU), 8-6
 
174 – Kimball Bastian (4-2) – 4th Place
Kimball Bastian (UVU) maj. dec. Nathan Fritz (Central College), 10-0
Kimball Bastian (UVU) dec. Dale Hilleman (ISU), 3-0
Kimball Bastian (UVU) dec. Eric Engler (Nebraska), 10-3
#10 Lelund Weatherspoon (ISU) dec. Kimball Bastian (UVU), 3-1 (SV-1)
Kimball Bastian (UVU) dec. Carson Powell (ISU), 1-0
3rd Place Match: #16 Micah Barnes (Nebraska) dec. Kimball Bastian (UVU), 3-2
 
184 – Will Sumner (2-2)
Michael Coleman (Navy) dec. Will Sumner (UVU), 5-2
Will Sumner (UVU) tech fall Faris Karaborni (Minn.-Unat.) 18-0
Will Sumner (UVU) fall Cade Svoboda (Nebraska), 3:41
Zac Carlson (SDSU-Unat.) dec. Will Sumner (UVU), 7-6
 
197 – Tanner Orndorff (4-2) – 4th Place
Tanner Orndorff (UVU) maj. dec. Jeremy Rodman (UNI-Unat.), 11-1
Riley Lefever (Wabash College) fall Tanner Orndorff (UVU), 4:41
Tanner Orndorff (UVU) maj. dec. Joe Teague (ISU), 17-6
Tanner Orndorff (UVU) dec. Will Balow (Minn.-Unat.), 8-3
Tanner Orndorff (UVU) dec. Steban Cervantes (Navy), 7-5
3rd Place Match: #6 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska) maj. dec. Tanner Orndorff (UVU), 16-2
 
285 – Dustin Dennison (5-0) – 1st Place
Dustin Dennison (UVU) dec. Jacob Laden (Grand View), 7-5 (TB-1)
Dustin Dennison (UVU) dec. Frank Walsh (UNI-Unat.), 10-3
Dustin Dennison (UVU) fall Luke Destiche (Minn.-Unat.), 2:40
Dustin Dennison (UVU) fall David Jensen (Nebraska), 4:15
1st Place Match: Dustin Dennison (UVU) fall #12 Collin Jensen (Nebraska), 0:55
 
285 – Jordan Karst (6-1) – 3rd Place
Jordan Karst (UVU) dec. Gary Whitaker (Ellsworth), 6-4
Jordan Karst (UVU) dec. Brady Radik (Nebraska-Kearney), 3-0
#12 Collin Jensen (Nebraska) dec. Jordan Karst (UVU), 4-3
Jordan Karst (UVU) fall Brady Wetter (Wisconsin-Unat.), 6:21
Jordan Karst (UVU) dec. Ethan Stanley (Navy), 5-2
Jordan Karst (UVU) dec. David Jensen (Nebraska), 8-2
3rd Place Match: Jordan Karst (UVU) dec. Carter Isley (UNI-Unat.), 3-1 (SV-1)
 
Unattached Wolverines
125 – Taylor LaMont (6-2) – 4th Place
Taylor LaMont (UVU-Unat.) fall Bret Sherkenback (Ellsworth), 1:18
Taylor LaMont (UVU-Unat.) tech fall Drake Swarm (ISU), 16-0
Taylor LaMont (UVU-Unat.) maj. dec. Sidney Oliver (Grand View), 12-0
#11 Tim Lambert (Nebraska) dec. Taylor LaMont (UVU-Unat.), 4-3 (TB-1)
Taylor LaMont (UVU-Unat.) maj. dec. Tanner Rohweder (UNI-Unat.), 11-0
Taylor LaMont (UVU-Unat.) maj. dec. Jonathan Marmolejo (ISU), 10-2
Taylor LaMont (UVU-Unat.) dec. Danny Vega (ISU), 6-4 (SV-1)
3rd Place Match: Markus Simmons (ISU) dec. Taylor LaMont (UVU-Unat.), 5-0