Northern Colorado Stages Big Comeback To Beat Wolverines, 23-21

Jan. 16, 2006

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GREELEY, Colo. - The University of Northern Colorado wrestling team came back from an 18-9 deficit to defeat the Utah Valley State Wolverines, 23-21, on Monday in Orem, Utah.

The Bears (3-2) are off to their best start since reclassifying to Division I in 2003-04. Both teams split the 10 matches, but a technical fall gave Northern Colorado the points it needed to take the win.

The score was tied at six after the opening matches in the heavyweight and 125 pound categories were forfeited by each team.

UVSC's nationally-ranked Erkin Tadzhimetov gave the Wolverines a 12-6 lead after he pinned junior Adam Garcia in the 133 pound match.

In the 141 pound match, Richard Lohr could not hold an early lead to the Wolverines' Daniel Polkowske to lose the decision 7-6. Polkowske's win extended Utah Valley's lead to 15-6 with six matches to go.

But Northern Colorado clawed back to cut the lead to 15-9 after Kyle LeValley got a crucial 1-0 decision over UVSC's Justin Rawle in the 149 pound match.

The Wolverines came back to seemingly put things out of reach in the 157 pound match after UVSC's Tanner Cowan scored a 4-1 decision over Nathan Gerrard to give Utah Valley an 18-9 lead.

The next two matches proved to be very important for the Bears. In the 165 pound match, Devan Lewis came through for Northern Colorado, claiming a 6-3 decision over the Wolverines' Devin Siddoway. The win pulled the Bears within 18-12.

If Northern Colorado could manage a decision victory in the 174 pound match, they would have clinched at least a tie because Reece Hopkin got an automatic victory in the 197 pound category due to a forfeit. But Shawn Hart's effort in the match clinched the victory for the Bears, as he scored a 15-0 technical fall 7:00 into the match over the Wolverines' D.J. Meis to give Northern Colorado five points. The win made the score 18-17.

Utah Valley's Ivan Bigney tallied a 10-3 decision over Tim Sexton in the 184 pound match, but Hopkin's six points gave the Bears the win.

Northern Colorado will return to the mat at the Colorado Collegiates on Saturday in Alamosa, Colo.