(Zach Agee Photo)
In the 18th year of his storied tenure as the coach of Wyoming wrestling, Mark Branch is still finding ways to elevate the program to new heights. He and his team did just that in a record-setting weekend at the NCAA Wrestling championships last weekend.
After three days of blood, sweat and tears, the Cowboys were able to notch a program-high 38 points at the tournament, which allowed them to vault themselves to a 12th place finish—the highest placing the program has had under Branch. That came behind a multitude of All-American performances, as the Cowboys also capped off a remarkable weekend, tying the most All-American finishes the program has had.
It’s safe to say it was a pretty successful tournament for the Cowboys.
☝️ week ago at this time we were wrapping up a truly special NCAA Championships 🏆 pic.twitter.com/hh8yKTK6rQ
— Wyoming Cowboy Wrestling (@WyoWrestle) March 28, 2026
“I’m damn proud of these guys. They showed a lot of grit. You’ve seen so many high seeds go down, and upsets, and these guys showed what they’re about,” Branch said in a UW athletics news release.
“I couldn’t be more proud of them. We always want more. But this is something we’ve been talking about, telling these guys that this is possible. We can do things like this. It’s nice to showcase the things we are building in Laramie.”
Junior Joey Novak was again named an All-American for the second consecutive season after finishing as the highest placer for the Cowboys, as he capped his tournament run in fifth at 197 pounds.
Sophomore Eddie Neitenbach finished in seventh at 184 pounds to earn his first career All-American honors, and redshirt freshman Christian Carroll bounced back from his tough finish in the Big 12 Championships to capture his first career All-American finish, placing eighth at the heavyweight position.
An encouraging trend to note is that all three of the Cowboys’ All-Americans still have eligibility remaining and a chance to return to Laramie, which could undoubtedly make for an even better season than the Cowboys’ historic run this year.
Here for the All-American reactions 💯 pic.twitter.com/JbsNhNg6cl
— Wyoming Cowboy Wrestling (@WyoWrestle) March 25, 2026
Though the Cowboys clearly always had the potential to achieve this sort of season, it felt like things really turned around after they were felled at home by Oregon State in late January. That contest was not all that close either, as the Beavers seized an early 20-4 lead en route to a dominant 25-12 victory over the Cowboys.
Branch wasn’t particularly happy about the way his team showed up to that one.
“That’s on me, but it was embarrassing,” Branch said after the loss.
“That’s not the fight we expect…it’s a wakeup call, it’s a wakeup call for a lot of guys. They need to pull their head out of the sand and get to work.”
The Cowboys responded well to Branch’s challenge after that loss and were completely dominant for the remainder of the regular season, firing off four straight convincing dual victories, which set them up for an incredibly successful weekend at the NCAA championships.
The Cowboys finished the season with an 8-5 overall record and a 7-1 conference record. The Cowboys now turn their attention towards the offseason, where retention is crucial, as the team has tons of young talent that could return, even outside of their three All-Americans. Having those guys back in the mix next season could certainly help devise yet another historic season next year.
