OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University wrestling team will debut its 2018-19 roster for the first time on Thursday with the annual Green & Black Intrasquad Dual. The exhibition contest, which will feature free admission, will begin at 7 p.m. at UVU's Lockhart Arena. 
 
This year's Intrasquad Dual will be competed on two mats and each mat will be streamed live on GoUVU.com/watch. 
 
The Wolverines will enter the season off of a successful 2017-18 campaign in which they posted an 8-6 overall record and tied for fifth in the Big 12 Conference standings with a 4-4 league dual clip. UVU also earned its first USA Today/NWCA Top 25 Coaches Poll ranking a season ago, as it debuted in the poll at No. 25 after knocking off Big 12 power Oklahoma at home in early February. Utah Valley then capped its season by sending a program-high five grapplers to the 2018 NCAA Championships.
 
UVU will welcome back four of the five 2018 national qualifiers this season in sophomore 133-pounder Taylor LaMont, junior 165-pounder Demetrius Romero, junior 174-pounder Kimball Bastian and junior 197-pounder Tanner Orndorff. The lone qualifier not coming back is departed senior and two-time NCAA qualifier Dustin Dennison (heavyweight). 
 
A trio of Wolverines will enter season ranked in the InterMat Preseason Poll led by Romero and Bastian, who will both enter 2018-19 ranked 15th in their respective weight class. Redshirt freshman Tate Orndorff, who is anticipated to start for the Wolverines at heavyweight this season, also finds himself ranked 19th nationally. Tate Orndorff is the younger brother of two-time NCAA qualifier Tanner Orndorff. 
 
In all, UVU welcomes back a total of nine starters this season in LaMont (125 last season, 133 this season), sophomore Durbin Lloren (141), sophomore Matt Findlay (141), senior Matthew Ontiveros (149), junior Grant LaMont (149 last season, 157 this season), senior Raider Lofthouse (157), Romero (165), Bastian (174), sophomore Gary Jantzer (184) and Tanner Orndorff (197). Unfortunately, Taylor LaMont, who earned the No. 7 seed at nationals as a redshirt freshman last season, is slated to miss the 2018-19 campaign for UVU due to an injury.
 

PROBABLE MATCHES FOR THURSDAY
MAT ONE
Team Black vs. Team Green
157 – Max Sultan, Jr. vs. Jakob Discher, RFr. (Pigtail Match)
133 – Kainalu Estrella, Fr. vs. Mitch Brown, Sr.*
149 – Josh Tolentino, Fr. vs. Matthew Ontiveros, Sr.**
285 – Benjamin Andrew, So. vs. Tate Orndorff, RFr.
165 – Demetrius Romero, Jr.* vs. Koy Wilkinson, RSo.*
157 – Grant LaMont, Jr.** vs. Raider Lofthouse, Sr.***
174 – Kimball Bastian, Jr.** vs. Dante Springsteen, RFr.
133 – 1st Round Winner vs. 1st Round Winner (No Team Score)
149 – 1st Round Winner vs. 1st Round Winner (No Team Score)
285 -- Benjamin Andrew, So. vs. Chase Trussell, Fr.
197 – Jayden Woodruff, Fr. vs. Tanner Orndorff, Jr.**
157 – 1st Round Winner vs. 1st Round Winner (No Team Score)
 
MAT TWO
Team Black vs. Team Green
157 – Jerry Rubio, Fr. vs. Cameron Haddock, Fr.
133 – Baylor Steward, Fr. vs. Dylan Gregerson, Fr.
149 – Dre Scruggs, Fr. vs. Landon Knutzen, So.
184 – Will Sumner, Sr.** vs. Jason Gissel, Fr.
197 – Ashton Seely, RFr. vs. Tanner Orndorff, Jr.**
157 – Spencer Heywood, RFr. vs. Winner of Pigtail
125 – Will Edelblute, Fr. vs. Josiah Nava, Fr.
133 -- 1st Round Loser vs. 1st Round Loser (No Team Score)
149 – 1st Round Loser vs. 1st Round Loser (No Team Score)
165 – Kyle Snelling, RFr. vs. Koy Wilkinson, RSo.*
157 – 1st Round Loser vs. 1st Round Loser (No Team Score)
 
*Denotes years as a starter
 
The highlight match of the contest will feature a pair of multiple-year returning starters against one another, as the senior Lofthouse and the junior Grant LaMont are scheduled to do battle at 157 pounds on mat number one. Returning NCAA qualifiers Romero, Bastian and Tanner Orndorff are all also scheduled to compete in the exhibition contest. 
 
WOLVERINE SEASON PREVIEW
Check out the 2018-19 UVU wrestling season preview on Adobe Spark by clicking HERE. 
 
UP NEXT FOR UVU 
Following Thursday's Green & Black Intrasquad, UVU will send a number of backups and redshirts to the Cowboy Open on Saturday, Nov. 3 in Laramie, Wyoming. The Wolverines will then officially begin their 2018-19 season at the Journeymen Northeast Duals on Saturday Nov. 10 in Troy, New York. There, UVU will face Nebraska, Rutgers and Niagara County CC.