The Utah Valley University wrestling team will open the 2017 calendar year at the Southern Scuffle on Sunday and Monday, Jan 1-2, at UT Chattanooga's McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The stacked holiday tournament will feature competitors from 24 schools, including 10 currently ranked in the latest USA Today/NWCA Top 25 Poll.
The 2017 Scuffle begins at 8 a.m. MT, on New Year's Day and the event's final session will close the tournament at 5 p.m. MT, on Monday. Every match of the event will be streamed live on FloWrestling (pay subscription required) and live results can also be followed by visiting the aforementioned website.
Wrestlers from No. 1 Oklahoma State, No. 5 Missouri, No. 8 Cornell, No. 9 Lehigh, No. 13 Minnesota, No. 16 Stanford, No. 21 Appalachian State, No. 22 Northern Iowa, No. 24 Virginia and No. 25 Drexel are scheduled to compete along with grapplers from UVU, Air Force, Northern Colorado, Cleveland State, Campbell, Chattanooga, The Citadel, Duke, Edinboro, Gardner-Webb, Navy, North Carolina, Penn and VMI. Individually, three former NCAA Champions, 25 All-Americans and more than 70 nationally ranked wrestlers are scheduled to take part at the two-day event.
The Wolverines (2-2, 0-0 Big 12) enter the tournament off a 17-16 come-from-behind criteria victory over the five-time defending Pac-12 Champion and then 23rd-ranked Oregon State Beavers in UVU's home opener on Dec. 15. Redshirt freshman Kimball Bastian (174 pounds) led the way with an 11-3 major decision over OSU's Weston Dobler while fellow redshirt freshman Tanner Orndorff (197) capped the comeback with an 8-4 upset victory over No. 14 Corey Griego to help seal the victory for the Wolverines.
Orndorff earned Big 12 Conference Co-Wrestler of the Week honors on Dec. 19, following his upset victory over the 2016 NCAA qualifier and 14th-ranekd Griego. The UVU 197-pounder is now 12-8 on the season and 3-1 in dual matches.
Following the dual victory over Oregon State, a handful of Wolverines competed at the always-tough Reno Tournament of Champions and heavyweight Jordan Karst led the way by posting a third-place finish in his weight class. The UVU heavyweight went an impressive 6-1 at the event en route to earning his third-place finish with five wins via decision and the other by fall. Two other Utah Valley grapplers placed at the Reno TOC, as unattached freshmen Gary Jantzer (184) and Durbin Lloren (133) placed fifth and sixth, respectively.
A total of 15 wrestlers are scheduled to compete for UVU at Sunday and Monday's Scuffle. Redshirt freshman Mitch Brown and unattached freshman Taylor LaMont -- who just placed fourth at the U.S. Greco-Roman Senior Nationals on Dec. 17 in Las Vegas -- are scheduled to compete at 125 pounds, while junior Jarod Maynes and unattached freshman Durbin Lloren are slated to take part at 133, redshirt freshman Chase Call and senior Trevor Willson at 141, redshirt freshman Grant LaMont at 149, sophomore Raider Lofthouse at 157, freshman Koy Wilkinson and redshirt sophomore Dalton Harmon at 165, Bastian at 174, sophomore Will Sumner at 184, Orndorff at 197 and Karst and junior Dustin Dennison at heavyweight. Karst highlights the group with a team-best 17-3 record, while Bastian is next with a 13-7 clip and Dennison enters with a 9-4 ledger.
UVU all-time at Southern Scuffle
The 2017 Southern Scuffle will mark just Utah Valley's second appearance in program history at the event. At UVU's lone previous Southern Scuffle appearance on Dec. 29-30, 2010, former standouts Benjamin Kjar and Jeb Clark placed. Kjar, who went on to become UVU's first All-American in program history later that season, placed third at 125 pounds, while Clark posted an eighth-place finish at 165.
Up next for UVU
The Wolverines will return home to host the 10th annual UVU Open on Saturday, Jan. 7, in Utah Valley's newly named Lockhart Arena (PE Building). Following the conclusion of the open tournament, the Wolverines will remain home to host Air Force in a Big 12 Conference dual meet on Friday, Jan. 13.
James Warnick is an assistant sports information director at Utah Valley University. For more information about Wolverine athletics, visit WolverineGreen.com.