Preview: Cowboy Wrestling Hopes to Build on Last Year’s Successes

LARAMIE -- The University of Wyoming wrestling team enjoyed a noteworthy 2025-26 season. The Cowboys won 12 duals, all five at home, and sent five to the NCAA Championships with one, Joey Novak (197), placing fifth and earning All-American status.

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There was a lot of be proud of in 2024-25, but that’s no longer the focus. Eyes are now on how to build off what was a very successful season.

When looking at 2025-26, it starts where last year’s ended. Novak flipped a switch at NCAAs, earning four bonus point wins, becoming the first Cowboy to ever do that at a single NCAA Championships.

Novak enters 2025-26 as highly ranked as No. 3 in his weight class. And the expectations for him are arguably even higher.

“Joey bought in and really absorbed what we were telling him after a disappointing Big 12,” head coach Mark Branch said. “He could have let that performance deter him, but instead he believed in not only the things we were telling him to adjust to, but he fully believed in himself. He raised his expectations, and I have no doubt he will be very consistent this year with not only victories but separating himself from most of the field.”

Novak owns 52 career wins and 20 ranked wins. He’s a two-time NCAA qualifier who will begin his 2025-26 campaign at the NWCA All-Star Classic against Little Rock’s No. 4 Stephen Little who Novak defeated for fifth place at the 2025 NCAA Championships.

Eddie Neitenbach (184), Jared Hill (157) and Gabe Willochell (149) were also at those NCAA Championships in Philadelphia. Neitenbach recorded a pair of wins, while Hill and Willochell failed to log a victory. All will look to raise their ceilings in 2025-26.

“Those guys don’t need motivation to get on the podium in March,” Branch said. “Jared and Gabe are both seniors, so this is their shot to finish their careers and check some boxes that they have invested much of their life in. Eddie is as fierce and competitive as they come, and he bleeds daily to get better because he wants to be the best.”

The rest of Wyoming’s lineup has yet to be determined. The Pokes welcomed in a couple transfers – Christian Carroll (HWT) from Iowa State and Cody Phelps (133) from Michigan State – who will vie for starting spots in addition to a couple freshmen and student-athletes that redshirted in 2024-25.

“It’s scary on one hand to have some unknowns, but we are certainly excited to watch our guys compete for those spots,” Branch said. “We have confidence that our team will develop with those individuals as the season progresses.”

The season will progress through one of the most challenging schedules Wyoming has ever had. The Pokes – by way of their 22nd place finish at NCAAs – will participate in the National Duals against the very best dual teams in the country. They also have four-time defending national champion, Penn State, on the slate in addition to the ultra-competitive Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite.

But for Branch and the boys, they’ll take it one practice at a time, one dual at a time, one tournament at a time. It all commences Saturday with the team going to Western Wyoming for a dual and Novak going to New Jersey for the All-Star Classic.