ome y ▁before ▁taking ▁out ▁No .. ▁ 2 0 ▁Se an ▁Nick ell ▁and ▁ 1 0 th - rank ed ▁Austin ▁G ome z ▁( IS U ). ▁He ▁went ▁ 3 - 4 ▁over ▁a ▁stretch ▁in ▁January ▁where ▁he ▁faced ▁four ▁top - 1 5 ▁wrest lers ▁in ▁a ▁row , ▁defe ating ▁event ual ▁NCAA ▁champion ▁Nick ▁Sur iano ▁( R UT ), ▁No . ▁ 1 5 ▁Matt ▁Sch mitt ▁( W V U ) ▁and ▁nin th - rank ed ▁G ome z . ▁He ▁closed ▁out ▁the ▁regular ▁season ▁with ▁wins ▁over ▁No . ▁ 1 0 ▁John ▁Ern este ▁( MI Z Z ) ▁and ▁No . ▁ 3 ▁Austin ▁De S anto ▁( I owa ). ▁He ▁went ▁ 4 - 0 ▁en ▁route ▁to ▁his ▁first ▁conference ▁title ▁with ▁the ▁Cow bo ys . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁Cow boy ▁fresh man ▁since ▁Pat ▁Smith ▁to ▁ear n ▁the ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁seed ▁at ▁the ▁NCAA ▁Tournament . ▁He ▁beat ▁Z ack ▁Tr am pe ▁of ▁B ingham ton ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁before ▁taking ▁out ▁W V U ' s ▁Sch mitt ▁again . ▁He ▁took ▁a ▁major ▁decision ▁over ▁No . ▁ 8 ▁Ern este ▁in ▁the ▁quarter final s ▁before ▁be ating ▁Ohio ▁State ' s ▁Luke ▁P let cher , ▁ 4 - 2 , ▁in ▁the ▁sem is . ▁He ▁lost ▁a ▁controvers ial ▁rem atch ▁with ▁third - se eded ▁Sur iano ▁in ▁the ▁NCAA