The wait is worth it for Utah Valley, which is eligible for NCAAs after seven years
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by Gary Abbott
Ben Kjar of Utah Valley scores one of his 10 takedowns in a victory over Andrew Zwirlein of Air Force. Patricia Fox photo
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.- Seven years is a long time to wait for anything. But for a college wrestling team to have the sit out six full seasons before it is eligible to compete in the NCAA Div. I Championships seems like an eternity. Or longer.
Such was the journey of the Utah Valley University Wolverines, which started its Western Wrestling Conference dual meet schedule on Thursday night on the road victory over the Air Force Academy, 26-15.
Much is different for the program which was started from scratch in the 2003-04 season. It was known as Utah Valley State College at the time. The first coach, from a legendary Utah wrestling family, was Cody Sanderson. The athletes on that first team was a unique collection of individuals coming to Orem from all different directions, each knowing that an NCAA finals was not in their future.
There are new possibilities for this year's Wolverines, under fourth-year coach Greg Williams. Utah Valley will be able to compete in the Western Wrestling League tournament and qualify individual athletes for the NCAA Championships. There is no more light at the end of the tunnel. Utah Valley University has arrived at the other end.
"It's a great feeling. It seems like forever. This gives the guys on the team more purpose," said Williams.
Why such a long wait? Utah Valley was taking a jump from a junior college to NCAA Div. I status, and according to NCAA rules, there is a seven-year wait before they could compete at a Div. I Championships. In spite of efforts by the wrestling community to convince the NCAA to shorten its waiting period, Utah Valley University has paid its entire sentence.
"It was hard not to have (the NCAA's) to shoot for," said Williams. "We had to create opportunities for ourselves. The University Nationals. The FILA Junior Nationals. For some, the Open Nationals. Who we were before this year is different than what we are now."
The top ranked wrestler on Utah Valley is 25-year-old Ben Kjar at 125 pounds, who is a junior and enters his fourth year on the team. Kjar was a Junior Nationals champion from Utah way back in 2002, and finally has a chance to show his stuff on the national tournament.
One of the reasons that Kjar ended up at Utah Valley was that Williams was his club coach. However, the challenge of being part of a program built from scratch also appealed to him.
"How often can you build a college program, especially with the sport losing its foundation?" asked Kjar. "Why not have an opportunity to build one? All of these guys on this team have the same mentality. What an opportunity it is to be with guys working towards that."
To compete for the Wolverines, Kjar knew he had give up two full competitive seasons where he could not advance to the NCAA Championships, even if he had the ability to do so. In order to stay focused, Kjar had to find ways to keep motivated.
"Your goals have to change," said Kjar. "You set smaller goals, this dual meet or this tournament. Or maybe you train for an after-season tournament. Your long term goals have to remain. The long term goal is the Big Show. The biggest thing will be to go to the Big Show, do well and show we are here to compete."
Williams is excited for the opportunity that his team will face when they are finally able to compete in the Western Wrestling Championships, the NCAA qualifier.
"When I took the job, I knew what we had to face," said Williams. "It hurts only for the kids on the team. Ben would have gone last year. It was a long haul. We have guys who work hard. Most were not recruited for Div. I school, and they are doing very well now. We are proud of them all."
Utah Valley came to Colorado Springs with a 5-1 record, and was favored against the young Air Force team.
Kjar came out in the first period giving a takedown clinic against Andrew Zwerlein, scoring six takedowns and cutting him loose each time to lead 12-6. The second period was more of the same, with two more takedowns for a 16-9 lead. The final period had two more Kjar takedowns and riding time to finish with a 21-11 major decision. His 10 takedowns were a variety of leg shots and go-behinds, all done with precision and dominance.
UVU continued to roll at 133, where Flint Ray scored a dominant 16-0 technical fall over Derek Gillespie. Air Force turned things around at 141 when No. 16 freshman Cole VonOhlen scored a solid 4-0 win over Jeff Newby, dominating on top and scoring a last-second takedown.
Utah Valley won the next four matches to put the dual out of reach, with wins by Justin Morrill (149), Jamison Moss (157), Jeb Clark (165) and Brad Darrington (174).
The most anticipated bout of the evening came at 174, where Darrington faced veteran Tyler French. Darrington scored a pair of first-period takedowns to jump to a 4-1 lead. He rode French out the entire second period, then opened it up in the third for a 12-2 major decision win. Darrington is now 15-6 and is unbeaten in seven dual meets.
Air Force closed the dual meet with victories at 184 pounds by James Ciccone and Neil Delaney at 197, then a forfeit victory at heavyweight.
"This is the first year we have wrestled an entire Div. I schedule. We are still getting used to competing at this level. Two years ago, we could not have done this," said Williams.
Utah Valley has even bigger challenges on Saturday, facing the top two teams in the WWC, Northern Iowa and Wyoming. Not only will these dual meets test the Wolverines as a team, but will also be an indication of the possibilities for qualifying individuals for the NCAA Championships.
"It is hard to match up with either one of them," said Williams. "Both teams don't have a weak weight class. We are going to wrestle hard and push the pace. Dual meets don't matter that much. It is a chance to get prepared for the post-season."
Williams said that the team has not set any goals for the number of qualifiers that they will take to the NCAAs this year. Whether it is one qualifier, or three, or five, the importance is that the wrestlers compete at their best when they finally have the chance to compete in the qualifying event. After a seven-year wait, every NCAA qualifier will be precious for this team, a reward for the program's enduring patience and persistence.
logo.jpgt years ago, and it has become an annual tradition. This time, Kjar intends to be on the mat instead of in the stands.
"Wrestling in it, I have imagined being out there as an athlete. Especially since I have been in college, it has been a whole new vision. It is not a dream anymore. It is a reality. It's exciting," said Kjar.
Already the Utah Valley career leader in wins, Kjar has set high goals for himself if he is able to compete at the NCAA Championships in Omaha in March.
"If I don't come away with a medal, as an All-American, I will be disappointed. It has been a long, long time," said Kjar.
Williams is not thinking about what it will feel like when he hears the words "Utah Valley" announced over the loudspeaker at the NCAA Championships for the first time. Like Kjar, he is looking beyond just participating.
"What will be nice is when they announce our first All-American. We hope that won't take very long at all," said Williams.
UTAH VALLEY 26, AIR FORCE 15
125 - No. 13 Ben Kjar (Utah Valley) maj dec. Andrew Zwirlein (Air Force), 21-11
133 - Flint Ray (Utah Valley) tech. fall Derek Gillespie (Air Force), 15-0
141 - No. 16 Cole VonOhlen (Air Force) dec. Jeff Newby (Utah Valley), 4-0
149 - Justin Morrill (Utah Valley) dec. Gabe Martinez (Air Force), 6-1
157 - Jamison Moss (Utah Valley) dec. Wade Stowe (Air Force), 16-7
165 - Jeb Clark (Utah Valley) pin Justin Shadrix (Air Force), 0:59
174 - Brad Darrington (Utah Valley) maj. dec. Tyler French (Air Force), 12-2
184 - James Ciccone (Air Force) dec. Casen Eldredge (Utah Valley), 7-2
197 -. Neil Delaney (Air Force) dec. Josh Wood (Utah Valley), 3-1 ot
HWT Stephen Larson (Air Force) by forfeit
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.- Seven years is a long time to wait for anything. But for a college wrestling team to have the sit out six full seasons before it is eligible to compete in the NCAA Div. I Championships seems like an eternity. Or longer.
Such was the journey of the Utah Valley University Wolverines, which started its Western Wrestling Conference dual meet schedule on Thursday night on the road victory over the Air Force Academy, 26-15.
Much is different for the program which was started from scratch in the 2003-04 season. It was known as Utah Valley State College at the time. The first coach, from a legendary Utah wrestling family, was Cody Sanderson. The athletes on that first team was a unique collection of individuals coming to Orem from all different directions, each knowing that an NCAA finals was not in their future.
There are new possibilities for this year's Wolverines, under fourth-year coach Greg Williams. Utah Valley will be able to compete in the Western Wrestling League tournament and qualify individual athletes for the NCAA Championships. There is no more light at the end of the tunnel. Utah Valley University has arrived at the other end.
"It's a great feeling. It seems like forever. This gives the guys on the team more purpose," said Williams.
Why such a long wait? Utah Valley was taking a jump from a junior college to NCAA Div. I status, and according to NCAA rules, there is a seven-year wait before they could compete at a Div. I Championships. In spite of efforts by the wrestling community to convince the NCAA to shorten its waiting period, Utah Valley University has paid its entire sentence.
"It was hard not to have (the NCAA's) to shoot for," said Williams. "We had to create opportunities for ourselves. The University Nationals. The FILA Junior Nationals. For some, the Open Nationals. Who we were before this year is different than what we are now."
The top ranked wrestler on Utah Valley is 25-year-old Ben Kjar at 125 pounds, who is a junior and enters his fourth year on the team. Kjar was a Junior Nationals champion from Utah way back in 2002, and finally has a chance to show his stuff on the national tournament.
One of the reasons that Kjar ended up at Utah Valley was that Williams was his club coach. However, the challenge of being part of a program built from scratch also appealed to him.
"How often can you build a college program, especially with the sport losing its foundation?" asked Kjar. "Why not have an opportunity to build one? All of these guys on this team have the same mentality. What an opportunity it is to be with guys working towards that."
To compete for the Wolverines, Kjar knew he had give up two full competitive seasons where he could not advance to the NCAA Championships, even if he had the ability to do so. In order to stay focused, Kjar had to find ways to keep motivated.
"Your goals have to change," said Kjar. "You set smaller goals, this dual meet or this tournament. Or maybe you train for an after-season tournament. Your long term goals have to remain. The long term goal is the Big Show. The biggest thing will be to go to the Big Show, do well and show we are here to compete."
Williams is excited for the opportunity that his team will face when they are finally able to compete in the Western Wrestling Championships, the NCAA qualifier.
"When I took the job, I knew what we had to face," said Williams. "It hurts only for the kids on the team. Ben would have gone last year. It was a long haul. We have guys who work hard. Most were not recruited for Div. I school, and they are doing very well now. We are proud of them all."
Utah Valley came to Colorado Springs with a 5-1 record, and was favored against the young Air Force team.
Kjar came out in the first period giving a takedown clinic against Andrew Zwerlein, scoring six takedowns and cutting him loose each time to lead 12-6. The second period was more of the same, with two more takedowns for a 16-9 lead. The final period had two more Kjar takedowns and riding time to finish with a 21-11 major decision. His 10 takedowns were a variety of leg shots and go-behinds, all done with precision and dominance.
UVU continued to roll at 133, where Flint Ray scored a dominant 16-0 technical fall over Derek Gillespie. Air Force turned things around at 141 when No. 16 freshman Cole VonOhlen scored a solid 4-0 win over Jeff Newby, dominating on top and scoring a last-second takedown.
Utah Valley won the next four matches to put the dual out of reach, with wins by Justin Morrill (149), Jamison Moss (157), Jeb Clark (165) and Brad Darrington (174).
The most anticipated bout of the evening came at 174, where Darrington faced veteran Tyler French. Darrington scored a pair of first-period takedowns to jump to a 4-1 lead. He rode French out the entire second period, then opened it up in the third for a 12-2 major decision win. Darrington is now 15-6 and is unbeaten in seven dual meets.
Air Force closed the dual meet with victories at 184 pounds by James Ciccone and Neil Delaney at 197, then a forfeit victory at heavyweight.
"This is the first year we have wrestled an entire Div. I schedule. We are still getting used to competing at this level. Two years ago, we could not have done this," said Williams.
Utah Valley has even bigger challenges on Saturday, facing the top two teams in the WWC, Northern Iowa and Wyoming. Not only will these dual meets test the Wolverines as a team, but will also be an indication of the possibilities for qualifying individuals for the NCAA Championships.
"It is hard to match up with either one of them," said Williams. "Both teams don't have a weak weight class. We are going to wrestle hard and push the pace. Dual meets don't matter that much. It is a chance to get prepared for the post-season."
Williams said that the team has not set any goals for the number of qualifiers that they will take to the NCAAs this year. Whether it is one qualifier, or three, or five, the importance is that the wrestlers compete at their best when they finally have the chance to compete in the qualifying event. After a seven-year wait, every NCAA qualifier will be precious for this team, a reward for the program's enduring patience and persistence.
logo.jpgt years ago, and it has become an annual tradition. This time, Kjar intends to be on the mat instead of in the stands.
"Wrestling in it, I have imagined being out there as an athlete. Especially since I have been in college, it has been a whole new vision. It is not a dream anymore. It is a reality. It's exciting," said Kjar.
Already the Utah Valley career leader in wins, Kjar has set high goals for himself if he is able to compete at the NCAA Championships in Omaha in March.
"If I don't come away with a medal, as an All-American, I will be disappointed. It has been a long, long time," said Kjar.
Williams is not thinking about what it will feel like when he hears the words "Utah Valley" announced over the loudspeaker at the NCAA Championships for the first time. Like Kjar, he is looking beyond just participating.
"What will be nice is when they announce our first All-American. We hope that won't take very long at all," said Williams.
UTAH VALLEY 26, AIR FORCE 15
125 - No. 13 Ben Kjar (Utah Valley) maj dec. Andrew Zwirlein (Air Force), 21-11
133 - Flint Ray (Utah Valley) tech. fall Derek Gillespie (Air Force), 15-0
141 - No. 16 Cole VonOhlen (Air Force) dec. Jeff Newby (Utah Valley), 4-0
149 - Justin Morrill (Utah Valley) dec. Gabe Martinez (Air Force), 6-1
157 - Jamison Moss (Utah Valley) dec. Wade Stowe (Air Force), 16-7
165 - Jeb Clark (Utah Valley) pin Justin Shadrix (Air Force), 0:59
174 - Brad Darrington (Utah Valley) maj. dec. Tyler French (Air Force), 12-2
184 - James Ciccone (Air Force) dec. Casen Eldredge (Utah Valley), 7-2
197 -. Neil Delaney (Air Force) dec. Josh Wood (Utah Valley), 3-1 ot
HWT Stephen Larson (Air Force) by forfeit
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