Seniors lead wrestlers at Boise State

BOISE, Idaho – The two seniors on the Northern Colorado wrestling roster continued to roll, while the rest of the team struggled against an always tough Boise State team on Sunday afternoon.

Senior transfer Gabe Burak got the Bears (1-5, 0-1 Western Wrestling Conference) on the scoreboard with a 5-2 decision over Michael Cuthbertson. The win is Burak's sixth in a row and improves him to 13-1 on the year.

Fellow senior Casey Cruz got back on the winning track after snapping a four-bout winning streak on Friday at Oregon State. Cruz won a 3-1 decision over Josh Strait in the final match of the afternoon for a 5-1 record in duals and an 11-5 overall record this season.

Sophomore Justin Gonzales started the afternoon for the Bears against the school where all three Northern Colorado coaches competed. He and Steven Hernandez had a close battle, with Hernandez eventually winning 5-3 at 149 pounds.

Sophomore Nick Bayer also had a very closely contested bout at 197 pounds, but he eventually lost a 6-5 decision against Brent Chiswell. The match at heavyweight was also a one-point differential as freshman Henry Chirino lost a 3-2 decision to J.T. Felix.

Northern Colorado fans will finally get to watch the Bears in a home dual on Jan. 25 when they host Colorado Mesa. The match begins at 7 pm and season tickets can be purchased for just $25 at www.unco.edu/tickets or by calling 970.351.4849.

Northern Colorado at Boise State
Jan. 22, 2012 – Taco Bell Arena – Attendance: 427

Boise State 30, Northern Colorado 6
149 – Steven Hernandez (BSU) dec. Justin Gonzales, 5-3 (3-0)
157 – No. 16 George Ivanov (BSU) fall Charlie McMartin (NC), 2:07 (9-0)
165 - No. 13 Gabe Burak dec. Michael Cuthbertson, 5-2 (9-3)
174 – Scott Bacon tech fall Josh Van Tine, 19-4 (14-3)
184 – No. 9 Jake Swartz dec. Patrick Gomez, 6-0 (17-3)
197 – Brent Chriswell dec. Nick Bayer, 6-5 (20-3)
HWT - J.T. Felix dec. Henry Chirino, 3-2 (23-3)
125 – Landon Hartley dec. Sam Meis, 7-2 (26-3)
133 – Shawn Jones maj. Sam Bauer, 11-3 (30-3)
141 – Casey Cruz dec. Josh Strait, 3-1 (30-6)