University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Thursday, March 21
Pittsburgh, PA.
All Day
University of Northern Colorado
vs
NCAA Championships
Photo by: Anna-Lee Marie
The Season Comes to a Close for @UNCBearsWrestle
3/21/2019 8:47:00 PM | Wrestling
Rico Montoya, Chris Sandoval and Jacob Seely time in Pittsburgh ends
PITTSBURGH, Penn.- The 2018-19 season came to a close for Northern Colorado wrestling on Thursday, as the Bears' three wrestlers bowed out of the 2019 NCAA Championships.
"It's certainly bittersweet to come to an end for the season," head coach Troy Nickerson said. "Rico's career didn't finish the way we wanted it to. However, I am so proud of the young man he has become and his accomplishments. He will be hard to replace. Chris Sandoval showed he is capable of taking the next step. We are proud of him qualifying as a freshman. Jacob made some gains this year and we are proud that he was able to finish healthy and get a win at the NCAA tournament."
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No. 30 Jacob Seely opened his second NCAA Championship competition against Oklahoma State's and  No. 3 Preston Weigel in the 197 lb bracket. Weigel would lead 10-0 after the first period and added six points in the second period to win by tech fall, 16-0 at 4:17.
Seely would move to the consolation pigtail match against Chattanooga's and No. 33 Rodeny Jones. Seely scored the takedown on Jones in the first period to race ahead in the match. In the second period, Seely earned the early escape and further extended his lead with a takedown to 5-0. Seely kept up the attack in the third period, getting his third takedown of the match to give him enough separation from Jones. Seely tacked on the riding time bonus to get the 8-0 major decision win.
In the consolation round of 16, Seely went against No. 19 Tanner Orndorff from Utah Valley. Seely trailed 5-1 after the first period. Ordnorff would add a takedown in the second and third periods to pick up the 10-1 major decision win over Seely.
No. 24 Rico Montoya started his third and final NCAA appearance against Michigan State's and No. 9 Reyvon Foley in the 125 lb bracket. In the first period, Foley had a 6-0 lead over Montoya and doubled it to 12-0 after the second period. Foley would get a takedown and then a penalty point on Montoya would end the match early, 15-0 by tech fall at 6:09.
After dropping the match, Montoya would now take on Ohio State's and No. 25 Malik Heinselman in the consolation round of 16. Heinselman tallied three takedowns in the first period, but Montoya responded with three escapes. Another takedown in the second period was countered by Montoya with two more escapes to trail 8-5. Heinselman sealed the win in the third period with an escape and defeated Montoya in a 9-5 decision.
No. 32 Chris Sandoval took the mat in his first NCAA appearance against Rutgers' and No. 33 Peter Lipari in the pigtail round of the 141 lb bracket. Sandoval took the lead in the first period with a takedown on Lipari to lead 2-1 going to the second. After an escape to start the period, Lipari had a takedown on Sandoval to take a 4-2 lead going to the third. Sandoval pulled closer with a quick escape to start the third and jumped ahead with a takedown for the lead, but Lipari would get an escape to tie the match at five. With nine seconds left in the match, Lipari scored a takedown to get the 7-5 decision win over Sandoval.
Now in the consolation pigtail match, Sandoval faced Purdue's and No. 30 Nate Limmex. Sandoval dropped a 7-4 decision to Limmex to end his time in Pittsburgh.
Montoya finished his season 16-11 and completes his UNC career with an overall record of 77-52. Sandoval ends his season with a 8-12 overall record, while Seely finishes with a 14-12 mark.
Northern Colorado will go into the offseason and prepare for the 2019-20 season. UNC will welcome \the No. 4 recruiting class according to The Open Mat to campus next season.
To stay up to date with Northern Colorado wrestling visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Twitter with @UNCBearsWrestle.
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"It's certainly bittersweet to come to an end for the season," head coach Troy Nickerson said. "Rico's career didn't finish the way we wanted it to. However, I am so proud of the young man he has become and his accomplishments. He will be hard to replace. Chris Sandoval showed he is capable of taking the next step. We are proud of him qualifying as a freshman. Jacob made some gains this year and we are proud that he was able to finish healthy and get a win at the NCAA tournament."
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No. 30 Jacob Seely opened his second NCAA Championship competition against Oklahoma State's and  No. 3 Preston Weigel in the 197 lb bracket. Weigel would lead 10-0 after the first period and added six points in the second period to win by tech fall, 16-0 at 4:17.
Seely would move to the consolation pigtail match against Chattanooga's and No. 33 Rodeny Jones. Seely scored the takedown on Jones in the first period to race ahead in the match. In the second period, Seely earned the early escape and further extended his lead with a takedown to 5-0. Seely kept up the attack in the third period, getting his third takedown of the match to give him enough separation from Jones. Seely tacked on the riding time bonus to get the 8-0 major decision win.
In the consolation round of 16, Seely went against No. 19 Tanner Orndorff from Utah Valley. Seely trailed 5-1 after the first period. Ordnorff would add a takedown in the second and third periods to pick up the 10-1 major decision win over Seely.
No. 24 Rico Montoya started his third and final NCAA appearance against Michigan State's and No. 9 Reyvon Foley in the 125 lb bracket. In the first period, Foley had a 6-0 lead over Montoya and doubled it to 12-0 after the second period. Foley would get a takedown and then a penalty point on Montoya would end the match early, 15-0 by tech fall at 6:09.
After dropping the match, Montoya would now take on Ohio State's and No. 25 Malik Heinselman in the consolation round of 16. Heinselman tallied three takedowns in the first period, but Montoya responded with three escapes. Another takedown in the second period was countered by Montoya with two more escapes to trail 8-5. Heinselman sealed the win in the third period with an escape and defeated Montoya in a 9-5 decision.
No. 32 Chris Sandoval took the mat in his first NCAA appearance against Rutgers' and No. 33 Peter Lipari in the pigtail round of the 141 lb bracket. Sandoval took the lead in the first period with a takedown on Lipari to lead 2-1 going to the second. After an escape to start the period, Lipari had a takedown on Sandoval to take a 4-2 lead going to the third. Sandoval pulled closer with a quick escape to start the third and jumped ahead with a takedown for the lead, but Lipari would get an escape to tie the match at five. With nine seconds left in the match, Lipari scored a takedown to get the 7-5 decision win over Sandoval.
Now in the consolation pigtail match, Sandoval faced Purdue's and No. 30 Nate Limmex. Sandoval dropped a 7-4 decision to Limmex to end his time in Pittsburgh.
Montoya finished his season 16-11 and completes his UNC career with an overall record of 77-52. Sandoval ends his season with a 8-12 overall record, while Seely finishes with a 14-12 mark.
Northern Colorado will go into the offseason and prepare for the 2019-20 season. UNC will welcome \the No. 4 recruiting class according to The Open Mat to campus next season.
To stay up to date with Northern Colorado wrestling visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Twitter with @UNCBearsWrestle.
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