Montana Western, University of

A native of Wyoming, graduated from Western in 1996 with a bachelor’s in secondary education. During his Bulldog wrestling career, he qualified for the NAIA National Tournament in each of his four seasons. At the national tournament, wrestling in the 126-pound class, he finished sixth in 1993 and second in both 1994 and 1995. He was also a three-time NAIA Academic All-American. That was a rare feat in NAIA wrestling and his achievement was spotlighted in the NAIA magazine. He graduated from Western with a 3.78 GPA. His coaches were fellow inductee T.J. Nelson along with Jim Guillio, and Travis Krawl. His teammates included Hall of Famers Mick Cheff, T.R. Williams and Shawn Fossen, along with Ernie Molina, Phil McCluskey, and Kevin Knight. He said his most memorable moment was being part of the national championship team. After graduating from Western, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as an Army Ranger from 1996 to 2001. After his honorable discharge, he moved to Gillette, Wyo., where he works as a patrol deputy for the Campbell County Sheriff’s Department. Pownall is currently working on a masters degree in public administration through the University of Wyoming.