LeBlanc named Wyoming’s top wrestler

MEEKER I Former Meeker standout Joe LeBlanc was named the University of Wyoming’s outstanding wrestler.
Besides winning the Everett Lantz Outstanding Wrestler Award, LeBlanc, who as an All-American and NCAA qualifier, also won the team’s Steven Suder High Point Award. Each of the four Wyoming team awards is named after a former head coach of the program. LeBlanc finished fourth at 184 pounds at the NCAA Championships.
“This was a great day to honor the hard work and achievements of the 2009-10 team,” UW head coach Mark Branch said Saturday. “These guys needed to be recognized, not only for a great season but for winning our first conference title since 1992.
“The theme of this program this year was teamwork and sacrifice and it was great to see awards going to guys who epitomized these ideals,” Branch said. “I was equally proud of the young men on our team who excelled in the classroom this past year and made us proud with their achievements on campus.”
LeBlanc was also recognized with an academic achievement award. LeBlanc was named the UW Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s Male Athlete of the Year. Wyoming won the school’s first-ever West Regional team title, becoming UW’s first tournament conference championship team since 1992 and earning a second straight Western Wrestling Conference regular-season dual title, advancing four to the NCAA Championships and bringing home an NCAA All-American — LeBlanc — for the second straight year.