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Signing Ups Cowboys’ Recruiting Class to 12
LARAMIE, Wyo. – There will be strength in numbers for the Wyoming Cowboy Wrestling program’s incoming class in 2010-11, as head coach Mark Branch recently announced that two student-athletes will transfer to the University of Wyoming this fall and boost the total of new recruits to 12.
McCade Ford will come to UW from Northwest College while Conrad Snell is transferring in from UC Davis in Davis, Calif. Ford will be a junior in 2010-11 and Snell a redshirt freshman.
The Wyoming program already had 10 high school wrestlers who signed national letters of intent to attend UW and compete for the Cowboys this fall.
“We had a serious depth problem at 141 and 149 last year so I am pleased to be adding some experienced kids to strengthen our middle weights,” Branch said. “There is no doubt that McCade and Conrad will see our line-up this year and add some competition in our room that we desperately need.”
Ford wrestled the past two years for the Northwest College Trappers under head coach Jim Zeigler. During those seasons, Ford was a two-time NJCAA All-American at 141 pounds, placing eighth in 2009 and fifth in 2010. No stranger to UW’s home mats, he wrestled in both Northwest’s dual against the Cowboys last November, as well as the 2008 and 2009 Cowboy Opens in Laramie. Ford placed fourth at the Cowboy Open as a freshman in the amateur division and second as a sophomore. He hails from Payson, Utah, where he was a high school state champion.
As a true freshman, Snell used his redshirt season in 2009-10 as a member of the UC Davis Aggies’ squad. He had a 3-2 tournament record, wrestling unattached at 149 pounds. In high school, Snell was a member of the 2009 California state team champions from Poway High School. He finished second at the 2009 California state championships and was a first team all-league and all-section honoree. Snell had a 72-12 varsity record in high school and was a 2009 junior freestyle state champion and All-American, placing eighth at nationals. He will factor into the Cowboys’ lineup at either 141 or 149 pounds.
The 10 high school signees who will be on the Cowboy squad next fall include Michael Hamel (Gilbert, Ariz.), Cody Mansur (Clackamas, Ore.), Andrew Mc- Culley (Rock Springs, Wyo.), Leland Pfeifer (Hulett, Wyo.), Joe Raygor (Dresser, Wis.), Brandon Richardson (Rathdrum, Idaho), Robert Stroh (Harlem, Mont.), Tommy Thoman (Green River, Wyo.), Shane Woods (Tuttle, Okla.) and Zach Zehner (Tomahawk, Wis.)