University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Sunday, November 13
Greeley, CO
All Day
University of Northern Colorado
vs
Northern Colorado Open
@UNCBearsWrestle Montoya Claims Second Title in Two Weeks
11/13/2016 8:36:00 PM | Wrestling
Greeley, Colo. – The Bears hosted their annual Northern Colorado Open on Sunday at the Bank of Colorado Arena. UNC came to compete, as they sent six wrestlers to the finals and two wrestlers to the consolation finals.
How It Happened:
Rico Montoya and Dylan Gabel were the two champions for the Bears. Montoya captured the title at 133 lbs and Gabel took the 184 lb weight class.
Montoya is on a roll, as he won his second tournament in a row, and has won 7 matches in a row. Once again, Montoya dominated his bracket, with a 12-1 victory, a fall in 1:02, and a 17-3 win before taking the title with an 11-5 victory in the finals. With two tournament titles in back-to-back weeks and a 7-1 record thus far, Montoya is starting the season off in great fashion.
This was Gabel's first tournament back since his season-ending injury last year, and it was an impressive performance from the Redshirt Sophomore. Much like Montoya, Gabel cruised through his bracket with ease, with a fall in 1:50, a 10-3 win, and a 16-0 victory, before winning in the finals 5-1. Gabel is now 4-1 to start the season, and appears to be back in normal form after missing almost a full calendar year of action due to injury.
The other wrestlers to make the finals today included Timmy Box at 141 lbs, Ben Polkowske at 149 lbs, Jacob Seely at 197 lbs, and unattached freshman Dalton Robertson at 174 lbs. The Bears fought hard in the finals, but did not manage to come out victorious.
On the backside in the consolation finals, UNC sent two wrestlers to compete for third.
Thomas Chisholm had a very gritty performance throughout the day, before falling in the consolation finals to earn a fourth place finish on the day. This marks Chisholm's first time placing at a tournament since becoming a Bear, and really is a testament to the adage of "hard work pays off."
The other Bear to reach the finals was Heavyweight Jack Kuck. Kuck had a long day, as he had two matches go into at least one period of overtime, and put in gritty performances to place 4th on the day.
Game Changer:
Rico Montoya winning his second title in a row, and Dylan Gabel winning his first tournament since returning from injury.
Key Stat:
Rico Montoya winning seven matches in a row to claim his second tournament title in two weeks. Montoya placed second at both the Cowboy Open and the Northern Colorado Open last year, and placed first at both this year.
In Their Words:
Head Coach Troy Nickerson:
"Overall we wrestled pretty well. Our freshmen continue to impress and compete at a high level every match. Rico Montoya has won back-to-back tournaments in two weeks, which will be a huge confidence booster for him. It was great to see Dylan Gabel back on the mat for his first tournament in over a year, and watch him shake the cobwebs off. We will now focus on getting back to health, and on Iowa State."
Rico Montoya:
"I felt like I am continuing to improve each match and week, but there are areas where I want to get better. I placed second at the Cowboy Open and the Northern Colorado Open last year, so it felt great to get over that hump and get first place."
Dylan Gabel:
"First and foremost, I am just thankful to be back on the mat and competing again. It's been a battle to get back out here, and I am grateful for the all the people who supported and continue to support me. Wrestling wise, I felt more comfortable after each match, and I know that trend will continue as the season progresses."
Results:
133 – Rico Montoya 1st
141 – Timmy Box 2nd
149 – Ben Polkowske 2nd
174 – Dalton Robertson 2nd
174 – Thomas Chisholm 4th
184 – Dylan Gabel 1st
197 – Jacob Seely – 2nd
HWT – Jack Kuck 4th
Up next, the Bears host Iowa State at Bank of Colorado Arena Saturday, November 28.
How It Happened:
Rico Montoya and Dylan Gabel were the two champions for the Bears. Montoya captured the title at 133 lbs and Gabel took the 184 lb weight class.
Montoya is on a roll, as he won his second tournament in a row, and has won 7 matches in a row. Once again, Montoya dominated his bracket, with a 12-1 victory, a fall in 1:02, and a 17-3 win before taking the title with an 11-5 victory in the finals. With two tournament titles in back-to-back weeks and a 7-1 record thus far, Montoya is starting the season off in great fashion.
This was Gabel's first tournament back since his season-ending injury last year, and it was an impressive performance from the Redshirt Sophomore. Much like Montoya, Gabel cruised through his bracket with ease, with a fall in 1:50, a 10-3 win, and a 16-0 victory, before winning in the finals 5-1. Gabel is now 4-1 to start the season, and appears to be back in normal form after missing almost a full calendar year of action due to injury.
The other wrestlers to make the finals today included Timmy Box at 141 lbs, Ben Polkowske at 149 lbs, Jacob Seely at 197 lbs, and unattached freshman Dalton Robertson at 174 lbs. The Bears fought hard in the finals, but did not manage to come out victorious.
On the backside in the consolation finals, UNC sent two wrestlers to compete for third.
Thomas Chisholm had a very gritty performance throughout the day, before falling in the consolation finals to earn a fourth place finish on the day. This marks Chisholm's first time placing at a tournament since becoming a Bear, and really is a testament to the adage of "hard work pays off."
The other Bear to reach the finals was Heavyweight Jack Kuck. Kuck had a long day, as he had two matches go into at least one period of overtime, and put in gritty performances to place 4th on the day.
Game Changer:
Rico Montoya winning his second title in a row, and Dylan Gabel winning his first tournament since returning from injury.
Key Stat:
Rico Montoya winning seven matches in a row to claim his second tournament title in two weeks. Montoya placed second at both the Cowboy Open and the Northern Colorado Open last year, and placed first at both this year.
In Their Words:
Head Coach Troy Nickerson:
"Overall we wrestled pretty well. Our freshmen continue to impress and compete at a high level every match. Rico Montoya has won back-to-back tournaments in two weeks, which will be a huge confidence booster for him. It was great to see Dylan Gabel back on the mat for his first tournament in over a year, and watch him shake the cobwebs off. We will now focus on getting back to health, and on Iowa State."
Rico Montoya:
"I felt like I am continuing to improve each match and week, but there are areas where I want to get better. I placed second at the Cowboy Open and the Northern Colorado Open last year, so it felt great to get over that hump and get first place."
Dylan Gabel:
"First and foremost, I am just thankful to be back on the mat and competing again. It's been a battle to get back out here, and I am grateful for the all the people who supported and continue to support me. Wrestling wise, I felt more comfortable after each match, and I know that trend will continue as the season progresses."
Results:
133 – Rico Montoya 1st
141 – Timmy Box 2nd
149 – Ben Polkowske 2nd
174 – Dalton Robertson 2nd
174 – Thomas Chisholm 4th
184 – Dylan Gabel 1st
197 – Jacob Seely – 2nd
HWT – Jack Kuck 4th
Up next, the Bears host Iowa State at Bank of Colorado Arena Saturday, November 28.
Players Mentioned
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Postmatch Press Conference - HC Troy Nickerson
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Head Coach Troy Nickerson and Andrew Alirez Post Match Press Conference
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