Wrestling Gets Underway Saturday Night

UVU 2008-09 wrestling campaign debuts Saturday at 7 p.m. as they host the Green and Gold Intra-squad Dual.

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spacer The main event at the intra-squad duals will showcase as pictured above Flint Ray against Ben Kjar. Picture taken from last years intrasquad dual.
 
The main event at the intra-squad duals will showcase as pictured above Flint Ray against Ben Kjar. Picture taken from last years intrasquad dual.
  

Oct. 31, 2008

OREM, Utah -- Utah Valley University's wrestling team will prepare for the upcoming 2008-09 season by hosting their annual Green and Gold Intra-squad Dual Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Shurian Family Activity Center.

"We are excited to get out (Saturday) night and get some real match experience," UVU head wrestling coach Greg Williams said. "We have a good lineup set where we will see a number of tight matches. It will be a very entertaining night for our fans."

The main event of the intra-squad dual will showcase two of this season's team captains squaring-off against one another. Sophomore Benjamin Kjar, who is ranked 18th in national preseason polls at 125 pounds, will wrestle against the 133-pounder, sophomore Flint Ray. Ray was able to beat Kjar last season in overtime.

Another key match will be at 141 pounds as one of the newcomers to Utah Valley, sophomore Shay Lawrence, will battle with the veteran junior Jeffrey Newby. Lawrence, who started at the University of Wyoming and transferred to UVU after serving a LDS mission, will look to upend the 141-pound Newby who started last year for UVU after transferring from Boise State.

Three challenge matches will take place as well as grapplers vie for a spot on the starting lineup. Redshirt freshman Brad Darrington will lock heads with sophomore Ramsey Nijem (174/184). Freshman Alex Sipherd will go up against sophomore Jeb Clark (165/174), and redshirt-freshman Wade Eldredge will take on freshman Jeremy Nixon (157).

 

 

"The team has trained very hard, and I'm excited for the season to get underway," Williams said. "It looks to be my most talented bunch of athletes since I've been here. Right out of the gate we will be tested quickly, wrestling against one of the best teams in the country, (Iowa State) but I know our guys will be ready for the challenge."

After the intra-squad duals, the Wolverines will travel to Powell, Wyoming for the Northwest Open Nov. 8. Then it's off to Ames, Iowa to go head-to-head against No. 2 Iowa State on November 13. UVU's first home dual on the season will be Jan. 31 as it will host fellow Western Wrestling Conference foe Northern Colorado. For Utah Valley's complete schedule visit wolverinegreen.com.