Kearney, Neb. – The fourth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team had five placers at the 2019 Wyoming Cowboy Open Saturday in Laramie.

The non-team scoring event is UNK's annual season-opening tournament. This year UNK has a quick turnaround as it duals Hastings College and No. 5 Nebraska on Thursday, November 7, in Lincoln.

Finishing in the top four in their respective weight class in the "Elite" Division was Iowa junior Josh Portillo (2nd/125 lbs.) and Pennsylvania junior Jacob Wasser (4th/157 lbs.) with true freshmen Wyatt Hayes (4th/174 lbs.), Nick James (3rd/141 lbs.), and Joseph Reimers (3rd/125 lbs.) doing the same in the "Amateur" Division. All six Lopers that competed in this bracket were unattached.

Coming off a redshirt season Wasser went 5-1 with two tech falls, a fall in 3:18 and an 11-2-major decision. After falling to a Northern Colorado wrestler in the second round he reeled off four wins before his day ended in the third place bout due to rule (no more than six matches in a day). Ranked second nationally, Portillo won four times including an 18-1 tech fall. He fell to Graham Shore of Air Force, 7-5, in the opening round but came back to win his last four matches. That included a 10-8 score over Wyoming's Doyle Trout.

Also in this bracket Kansas junior Wesley Dawkins won twice at 141 pounds with Kearney redshirt freshman Teontae Wilson having two falls once class higher. Dawkins is ranked second nationally at 133 pounds but won't drop down until later in the season. 

Hayes (Scott City, Kan.) was the most dominant Loper in the tourney, recording four falls among five wins. The pins all came in less than 1:36 with his day ending due to rule in the 174 pound third place match. James (Kearney H.S.) began his collegiate career with back-to-back tech falls by the combined score of 31-0. He picked up two more wins including a 7-5 decision over Wesley Rayburn of Colorado School of Mines for third place at 141 pounds.

Finally among UNK's placers, Nielsen (Blair) had two falls, a tech fall and a major. He outscored his first two opponents by a combined score of 34-10 and then rebounded from a loss to a Wyoming Cowboy by pinning Western Colorado's Patrick Allis at an even 3:00 to finish third at 125 pounds.

Also in this division true freshman Joseph Reimers (Seward) went 5-1 at 184 pounds. He won five straight times after an opening setback with his day ending due to rule in the consolation semifinals.