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Show SPORTS VOLUME 1.11 ISSUE 18 IN THE ZONE with Mali Peluso JANUARY 16, 2012 WWW.UVUREVIEW.COM BO IS E B[ 111 )0 14111 Wolverines earn 19-18 thriller over Broncos By GARRETT COLEMAN & MATT PETERSEN No Sioux for you The anticipated matchup between Utah Valley and Boise State was a hard-fought duel, almost a repeat of the last time the two teams took it to the wrestling mat. The result was the same as it was two years ago, with a narrow 19-18 victory going to UVU. Toughness was the key to victory for the Wolverines, according of head coach Greg Williams. A great example of this toughness was shown by Josh Wilson (149). Wilson took his match into overtime and it looked as if he was about to lose his match. He was taken down, but rolled with it and was able get the takedown points instead, winning the match to help secure the win. "The key was guys going out there in finishing things," Williams said. Although the Wolverines took an early 16-0 lead on Boise State, the Broncos came roaring back to narrow the overall margin. Heading into the night's final matchup, the Wolverines held a 1915 lead on the Broncos. UVU heavyweight Dustin Dennison (4-6) lost to J.T. Felix by decision, a margin slim enough to clinch the Wolverines' second consecutive victory over Boise St. "It's always great to get By MATT PETERSEN Sports Editor What's in a name? Apparently a lot. Great West Conference member and long-time institution University of North Dakota was forced to forfeit its mascot and name, the Fighting Sioux, this month as a result of protest from the NCAA and a local Native American tribe. No word yet on whether animal rights groups will file a similar protest against the South Dakota Coyotes. North Dakota's situation raises questions, not the least of which is whether such minority victories will eventually cast their shadow over the likes of the Washington Redskins or the Atlanta Braves. Clouding UND's development is that the other local tribe voted in favor of the school keeping the name Apparently not everyone was offended at a prominent university recognizing the Sioux as a key aspect of the region's history and culture. Those protesting the former name did so using words such as "demeaning" and "stereotyping." Personally, I'd immediately be a fan of any team naming itself after me. And that's the point. When fans watch a game, they're not looking for political statements or reminders about the real world. They're trying to escape them. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren uttered my all-time favorite quote: "I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page usually records nothing but man's failures." In other words, sports is (or should be) a place removed from the warts and flaws of real life. When the real-life tries to bring its ugly into sports, it's not welcome. There's a reason Phoenix Suns fans were incensed when the team sported "Los Suns" jerseys to show opposition to the new state immigration laws passed two years ago. Sports are a less-dangerous form of religion to fans. Fans want that separation of church and state. There's a darker side to this that has been brewing nationwide in recent years. Minorities have put up with a lot of crap for a long time. No denying it. They wanted their rights, and they've made a lot of progress in getting them. Lately, it's become something more. Instead of getting on even ground, it's been more about getting even. Last year two NBA players were seen making homosexual slurs on national television. It was wrong. They were reprimanded, fined thousands of dollars. The players and the teams issued public apologies. WRESTLING B2 NEXT UP... Against: Air Force When: Thu. Jan. 19, 7:00 pm Where: Colorado Springs, Co PHOTO BY LANCE LARSEN/UVU REVIEW UVU Wrestling contiues to be one of the biggest draws on campus. Thursday nearly 2,000 fans were in attendance to cheer on the Wolverines take down Boise State. Wilson stepping up big-time Wrestling program earns passionate fan base wpm By ALEX RIVERA Sports Writer By TRAVIS LEAVITT Sports Writer Everyone stood on their feet as an overtime match between Steven Hernandez of Boise State and Josh Wilson of Utah Valley University commenced. Only fifteen seconds later, Wilson took down Hernandez to win the match and the crowd stayed on their feet to cheer and show their support for their fellow Wolverine. This is not something new for Wilson, who has been wrestling for over 12 years. Born in Morgan, Utah, Wilson has been wrestling since he was in the sixth grade, and Coach Greg Williams knows all about him. "I've known about [Wilson] because I've coached him since the sixth grade," Coach Williams said. Wilson prepped at Morgan High School and posted a 41-3 record his senior season. He also brought with him a plethora of awards including as two-time State Champion, a three-time Region Champion, and a National It was quite a spectacle. Nearly 2,000 fans cheered and chanted in unison, rooting on the hometown Wolverines. The energy was palpable, the anticipation was mounting and the chants of "U-V-U" were deafening. One would assume this occurred during the waning seconds of a tightly contested Utah Valley Men's Basketball game, but in actuality this was ten minutes prior to the start of last night's UVU Men's Wrestling dual meet against the rival Boise State Broncos. That's right, the match had not even begun and the UVU Activity's Center was bursting with the kind of passion and school spirit other Utah Valley University athletic teams desire to attain. The scene was no fluke. The passion and attendance at last week's match is present at every home meet for the Wolverines. The fact that many of Utah's top wrestlers have stayed to compete for the hometown Wolverines has ZONE B2 CONTACT: a win, especially when it's over Boise State," Williams said. "Despite the win, I thought that we were a little flat. Besides that though, I thought there were some great matches. Napoleon (Aniciete) held his own against a ranked guy and Avery (Garner) also looked good. Even though Ethan (Smith) lost in overtime, he did a really good job in certain situations." The match may have been a repeat victory for Utah Valley, but it held redemption for sophomore Monte Schmaulhaus. The sophomore 174-pounder won his match with a 7-3 decision over Boise State's Scotty Bacon, avenging his loss to former Bronco and No. 1 ranked Kirk Smith in 2010. Garner's performance earned a team-high four points for the Wolverines, whose victory over the Bengals came without graduated standouts Ben Kjar, Brad Darrington and Flint Ray. As they have in previous invitationals , Utah Valley proved it boasts enough talent to compete — and win — in duals featuring quality opponents. Garner's major decision victory over Ben Demuelle followed a 3-2 JOSH WILSON PHOTO BY UVU ATHLETICS Champion. Wilson might have been tempted to feel overshadowed in 2010-2011 season after the success of Benjamin Kjar another senior. Instead, he is enjoying the increased opportunities and exposure the programs pioneers created. "I wasn't in his shadow," Wilson states. "Ben opened the window for UVU wrestling. I'm just glad to be a part of it." Wilson ended the 20102011 season with a 20-10 overall record (7-2 duals), winning 13 of those matches by major decision. Wilson is now ranked eighth in the nation in the InterMat rankings. PHOTO BY NATHAN GRILL/UVU REVIEW David Prieto stares down his Boise State counterpart in front of nearly 2,000 fans Thursday. helped create a buzz for the team that has contributed to the home floor advantage that is frankly unique at Utah Valley. Though other sports have had great crowds sporadically over the past few years, wrestling has been the unquestioned king at UVU. As proven in other venues such as the Dee Glenn Smith Spectrum in Logan, the fans in attendance have a bigger value than merely filling empty seats. Raucous wrestling fans give the home team a distinct advantage. FANS B2 WILSON B2 SPORTS EDITOR ASST. SPORTS EDITOR SPORTS DESIGNER petersensports@gmail.com jonboldt@gmail.com gonzamatic@gmail.com MATT PETERSEN JONATHAN BOLDT "People may not think it, but it is a big deal," Juniorgrappler Josh Wilson said. "Wrestling can fatigue you so fast. It is a very intense sport, and the crowd can give you that jolt you need to get your second wind." UVU Wrestling has become the go-to event for the state's wrestling enthusiasts. Due to Title IX, many universities began cutting certain men's sports, and wrestling has historically been among the more frequently dropped. Brigham Young University lost its ERIC GONZALEZ FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! @UVU_SPORTSDESK |