Sam Mitchell’s journey to the NCAA Wrestling Championships has been anything but ordinary, University of Wyoming Athletics reports.
The graduate transfer from the University of Buffalo has made the most of his lone season with the Wyoming Cowboys, helping lead the team through a challenging Big 12 schedule and securing his spot at nationals.
Mitchell is one of five Wyoming wrestlers set to compete in the NCAA Championships from Thursday to Saturday in Philadelphia.
Before transferring to Wyoming, Mitchell wrestled at Buffalo, where he racked up 86 career wins and competed at the 2024 NCAA Championships in the 197-pound division. When he entered the transfer portal, he quickly found a home in Laramie, a place that fit his love for hunting, fishing, and country music.
“I just wanted a place where I knew I could accomplish my goals and where people believed in me,” Mitchell said. “When I got on campus, I felt that from the coaches.”
His transition to Wyoming came with a new challenge—moving up to the heavyweight division. With encouragement from head coach Mark Branch, Mitchell embraced the change.
“The thought of never cutting weight again was pretty cool,” Mitchell said. “It took me a while to figure things out, but about halfway through the season, I started learning what worked for me at this weight.”
Mitchell proved his worth throughout the season, often delivering clutch performances to help Wyoming win tight dual meets. Despite entering the Big 12 Tournament as the No. 8 seed, he fought his way through the consolation bracket to secure one of the few NCAA allocations in his weight class.
His most impressive win came in the consolation semifinals, where he defeated No. 6-seed Daniel Herrera of Iowa State, who was ranked No. 25 nationally, with a 5-3 decision.
“That was the highlight of our tournament,” Branch said. “For our guys to see him battle and win matches he wasn’t expected to was the fun part of the tournament for us.”
Mitchell enters the NCAA Championships as the No. 30 seed and will face No. 3 Greg Kirkvliet of Penn State in the opening round.
“A lot of people get overwhelmed their first time there,” Mitchell said. “I’ve been there before. I just have to let it fly.”
Mitchell is joined by four teammates at nationals:
- Gabe Willochell (149 pounds, No. 30 seed) – Faces No. 3 Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) in a rematch from earlier this season.
- Jared Hill (157 pounds, No. 13 seed) – Takes on No. 20 Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern) in his third NCAA appearance.
- Eddie Neitenbach (184 pounds, No. 19 seed) – Draws No. 14 DJ Parker (Oklahoma) in a rematch from the regular season.
- Joey Novak (197 pounds, No. 15 seed) – Opens against No. 18 Dillon Bechtold (Bucknell) after a strong 23-5 season.
As the Cowboys prepare for the biggest tournament of the year, head coach Mark Branch is focused on keeping his team mentally sharp.
“We’ve talked about not just being satisfied with being there,” Branch said. “Now let’s go do something different.”
Fans interested in supporting Wyoming student-athletes through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities can visit 1wyo.org. The 1WYO program was created to promote local charities while helping student-athletes grow their opportunities.
