Utah Valley University redshirt junior Taylor LaMont will wrestle for a bronze medal at the U23 World Championships in Greco-Roman competition on Tuesday after falling in the semifinals to Iran’s Poya Dad Marz on Monday in Belgrade.

The 2021 All-American and Big 12 finalist opened his 2021 U23 World Championship run by recording back-to-back wins to advance to the semifinals at 55 kilos (121 lbs.) at the 23-and-Under World Championship event.

LaMont opened with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Moldova’s Aritom Deleanu to move on to the quarterfinals. In his opener, both grapplers scored points on passivity calls to tie the match at 1-1. LaMont’s second-period passivity point proved to be the difference in the bout as he went on to win by a score of 2-1. Down on criteria, Deleanu had to attempt a throw with the clock winding down, but LaMont managed to fight it off as he held on to win on criteria.

He then advanced on to face Georgia’s Giorgi Tokhadze in the quarterfinals. Trailing early in the bout by a score of 3-0, LaMont managed to storm back en route to doubling up Tokhadze on the scoreboard and winning by a score of 6-3. Down 3-0, LaMont turned things around by forcing four straight step-outs to take a 4-3 lead. He later added a passivity point in the second period to go up 5-3 and capped the scoring when a late challenge from the Georgia corner was for naught to win 6-3 and move on to the semifinals.

Then later in the day in the semifinal session, LaMont matched up with Dad Marz from Iran. Dad Marz took the upper hand early with a passivity point followed by a pair of gut wrenches to take a quick 5-0 advantage. LaMont later got a point back on a passivity call in the second period to make it 5-1, but he couldn’t manage to erase the deficit as Dad Marz held on by a score of 5-1 to advance to the championship finals.

With the semifinal setback, LaMont will now wrestle for bronze on Tuesday against opponent to be determined after Tuesday’s repechage round. LaMont is a former World Bronze medalist at the Junior level in 2016. This year’s competition marks the eighth straight time that LaMont has competed for Team USA in his age-group World Championship (three times at Cadet Worlds, three times at Junior Worlds and now two times at U23 Worlds).

LaMont isn’t the only competitor with Utah Valley ties to compete this year at the 2021 U23 World Championships, as former Wolverine and current Brunson UVRTC grappler Dylan Gregerson will begin his 2021 World Championship run on Tuesday in Greco at 60 kg (133 lbs.).

Tuesday’s action will begin at 3:30 a.m. MT/10:30 a.m. in Serbia. Gregerson will take part in Tuesday’s first session while LaMont’s bronze medal match will be held in the medal session on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. MT/6 p.m. in Serbia. Fans can watch the entire 2021 U23 World Championships live on FloWrestling.

Former BYU soccer star earn NWSL Golden Boot

Former BYU women’s soccer player and Washington Spirit forward Ashley Hatch was honored with the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League Golden Boot on Sunday.

The Golden Boot is awarded to the player with the most regular-season goals. Hatch has 10 goals on the season, with four left-footed, four right-footed and two headed goals. This is Hatch’s fifth year with the Spirit. In her first season with the team, Hatch earned the Washington Spirit’s Golden Boot Award leading the team in goals with four.

“So excited and proud of Ashley,” said Jennifer Rockwood, BYU head coach. “She is one of the hardest-working athletes I know, and she has invested so much into being her very best.”

Hatch and the Washington Spirit earned the No. 3 seed in this year’s NWSL playoffs and will take on No. 6 seed North Carolina Courage in the second quarterfinal contest on Sunday, Nov. 7 at Audi Field in a 5:30 p.m. ET match that will stream live on Paramount+.

Jazz center Rudy Gobert honored

The NBA announced today that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, Oct. 25, through Sunday, Oct. 31. It marks Gobert’s second Player of the Week accolade, last earning the honor in 2018-19 for games played from Monday, March 11, through Sunday, March 17

Gobert (7-1, 256, France) owned averages of 16.3 points on 77.8 percent from the field, 15.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.0 assists in 31.1 minutes per game during the week, helping Utah to a 3-1 record. The Jazz have started the 2021-22 season 5-1, with Gobert leading the NBA in rebounds per game (17.2), ranking fourth in field goal percentage (72.1) and tied for the most double-doubles (five).

Former UVU golf coach inducted into the Utah Golf Hall of Fame

Former Utah Valley University women’s golf coach Dr. Sue Nyhus was inducted into the Utah Golf Hall of Fame on Thursday, Oct. 28. Coach Nyhus was one of 10 inductees as part of the Utah Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

Nyhus, who retired as the head coach of UVU women’s golf at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, coached the Wolverines for 11 seasons-from 2010-2021. Prior to coming to UVU, she also spent 11 years coaching at her alma mater BYU (1998-2009).

The longtime collegiate women’s golf coach also excelled on the links, as she holds the prestigious honor of being the only golfer in USGA history-male or female-to have played in every championship offered to her by the organization: U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, U.S. Women’s State Team, U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball and the U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

Nyhus is also a two-time Utah Women’s State Amateur Champion as well as a four-time Utah Golf Association Senior Women’s Player of the Year. She also played professionally for five years on the Women’s Professional Golf European Tour (1987-1991).

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