University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Saturday, March 3
BOK Center; Tulsa, OK
All Day
University of Northern Colorado
vs
Big 12 Championships
Photo by: Big 12 Sports
Recap: @UNCBearsWrestle Places Three in the Big 12 Championships
3/4/2018 7:42:00 PM | Wrestling
Dylan Gabel and Keilan Torres both automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships
TULSA, Okla.- Northern Colorado wrestling had three placers in the final day of the Big 12 Championships. Dylan Gabel placed second after dropping the championship match, while Keilan Torres placed fourth after losing in the third-place match. Rico Montoya would place sixth after falling in the fifth place match.
Gabel faced Northern Iowa's Drew Foster in the Championship match of the 184 lb weight class. In the first period, Foster countered Gabel's shot and scored a takedown at :35 seconds to take a 2-0 lead into the second period. Gabel chose bottom to start the second, but could not get an escape at the start of the period. Gabel would get an escape at :56 seconds, but Foster was building a sizable advantage in riding time. Foster would score another takedown on Gabel at :43 seconds to hold a 4-1 lead. The riding time bonus would give Foster another point and he defeated Gabel 5-1 by decision. Gable placed second in the 184 class for the second consecutive season.
Torres began day two in Tulsa with a match against Utah Valley's Demetrius Romero in the 165 lb weight class, semi-finals. The two wrestled to a scoreless tie after the first period, but in the second Romero scored a takedown to lead Torres 2-1. In the third period. Romero started with an escape to build his lead, but Torres responded with a takedown at :51 seconds to tie the match. Tied at three, Romero scored a reversal after Torres' takedown and had a 5-3 lead. Torres would get an escape to draw within one of Romero and then delivered a takedown to jump ahead. Torres completed the comeback and won a 6-5 decision to advance to the third-place match.
In that match, Torres met Wyoming's Branson Ashworth and was in trouble in the first period. Ashworth scored an early takedown on Torres and followed it up with a four-point near fall. The match would end after Ashworth got three additional four-point near falls to win 18-0 by technical fall. Torres would earn fourth place in the 165 class. Â
Montoya started the day wrestling Wyoming's Montorie Bridges in the consolation semi-finals of the 133 lb weight class. Bridges had the lead after the first period with two takedowns, but Montoya scored a late reversal to stay close at 5-3. Montoya had an early escape after choosing down and was within one of Bridges at 5-3 after two periods. Bridges would get the escape back after also choosing down and added a takedown to secure an 8-4 decision win over Montoya.
Montoya would wrestle for fifth place against North Dakota State's Cam Sykora. In the first period, Sykora took control with three, four-point near falls and would end the match with a two-point near fall. Sykora won 17-2 by technical fall at 2:21 and Montoya settled for sixth place in the 133 class.
With Gabel placing second and Torres placing fourth in their respective classes, both become automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. Both Gabel and Torres now qualify for the NCAAs for the second consecutive season..
As a team, Northern Colorado placed 10th in the Big 12 Championships with 30.5 points. Oklahoma State placed first with 135 points, with Northern Iowa placing second with 96.5 points.
In their words
Troy Nickerson, Head Coach
"Dylan lost a tough match in the finals to a returning All-American. I think he wrestled okay. He struggled getting to his attacks and did not get a chance in his best position (top). Keilan had a big win over Romero of UVU to punch his ticket to NCAAs. We will have to wait to see if Rico and Jacob can earn at large berths."
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Up Next
Northern Colorado wrestling will send at least two to the NCAA championships and will wait for the at-large bids to be allocated to see if any more wrestlers will qualify. The NCAA Championships will take place at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio from March 15th through March 18.
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Gabel faced Northern Iowa's Drew Foster in the Championship match of the 184 lb weight class. In the first period, Foster countered Gabel's shot and scored a takedown at :35 seconds to take a 2-0 lead into the second period. Gabel chose bottom to start the second, but could not get an escape at the start of the period. Gabel would get an escape at :56 seconds, but Foster was building a sizable advantage in riding time. Foster would score another takedown on Gabel at :43 seconds to hold a 4-1 lead. The riding time bonus would give Foster another point and he defeated Gabel 5-1 by decision. Gable placed second in the 184 class for the second consecutive season.
Torres began day two in Tulsa with a match against Utah Valley's Demetrius Romero in the 165 lb weight class, semi-finals. The two wrestled to a scoreless tie after the first period, but in the second Romero scored a takedown to lead Torres 2-1. In the third period. Romero started with an escape to build his lead, but Torres responded with a takedown at :51 seconds to tie the match. Tied at three, Romero scored a reversal after Torres' takedown and had a 5-3 lead. Torres would get an escape to draw within one of Romero and then delivered a takedown to jump ahead. Torres completed the comeback and won a 6-5 decision to advance to the third-place match.
In that match, Torres met Wyoming's Branson Ashworth and was in trouble in the first period. Ashworth scored an early takedown on Torres and followed it up with a four-point near fall. The match would end after Ashworth got three additional four-point near falls to win 18-0 by technical fall. Torres would earn fourth place in the 165 class. Â
Montoya started the day wrestling Wyoming's Montorie Bridges in the consolation semi-finals of the 133 lb weight class. Bridges had the lead after the first period with two takedowns, but Montoya scored a late reversal to stay close at 5-3. Montoya had an early escape after choosing down and was within one of Bridges at 5-3 after two periods. Bridges would get the escape back after also choosing down and added a takedown to secure an 8-4 decision win over Montoya.
Montoya would wrestle for fifth place against North Dakota State's Cam Sykora. In the first period, Sykora took control with three, four-point near falls and would end the match with a two-point near fall. Sykora won 17-2 by technical fall at 2:21 and Montoya settled for sixth place in the 133 class.
With Gabel placing second and Torres placing fourth in their respective classes, both become automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. Both Gabel and Torres now qualify for the NCAAs for the second consecutive season..
As a team, Northern Colorado placed 10th in the Big 12 Championships with 30.5 points. Oklahoma State placed first with 135 points, with Northern Iowa placing second with 96.5 points.
In their words
Troy Nickerson, Head Coach
"Dylan lost a tough match in the finals to a returning All-American. I think he wrestled okay. He struggled getting to his attacks and did not get a chance in his best position (top). Keilan had a big win over Romero of UVU to punch his ticket to NCAAs. We will have to wait to see if Rico and Jacob can earn at large berths."
Â
Up Next
Northern Colorado wrestling will send at least two to the NCAA championships and will wait for the at-large bids to be allocated to see if any more wrestlers will qualify. The NCAA Championships will take place at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio from March 15th through March 18.
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Players Mentioned
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