Bears claim three titles at Cougar Clash

Sunday, December 4

Edwardsville, Ill.

University of Northern Colorado

Cougar Clash

12/4/2022 4:45:00 PM | Wrestling

Cougar Clash Brackets 2022-23 UNC Wrestling Schedule UNC Ticket Office

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.—Combining for an 8-0 record, Steve Poulin, Andrew Alirez, and Xavier Vasquez captured weight-class titles for Northern Colorado at the Cougar Clash on Sunday.

Northern Colorado was the only squad to capture three titles while Northern Illinois, Missouri, and the host SIU Edwardsville teams all garnered two wins each.

In addition to the trio of champions, two other Bears reached the title match while two more claimed third-place finishes.

Competing at 125, Poulin was dominant in his two opening matches with a pin and a major decision before edging Northern Illinois' Blake West, 7-6, in the title bout.

Opening competition in the semifinals, No. 1-ranked Alirez was unstoppable at 141 with a 16-8 major decision and a 25-10 tech fall for the title against NIU's Jaivon Jones.

Vasquez, wrestling at 197, won his first two contests via sudden victories before a medical forfeit in the first-place match.

Settling for runner-up honors, Jace Koelzer advanced to the championship match at 133 after a pair of early wins while Andrew Berreyesa scored a pair of wins by decisions before falling to Little Rock's Triston Wills in the 174 finale.

The Bears will return to the mats on Dec. 18 when they host the UNC duals for their 2022-23 home debut.

125 -- 1st: Stevo Poulin
Quarterfinal - Stevo Poulin won by fall over Ben Lindley (Lindenwood) (Fall 1:40)
Semifinal - Stevo Poulin won by major decision over Jayden Carson (Little Rock) (Maj 13-1)
1st Place Match - Stevo Poulin won by decision over Blake West (Northern Illinois) (Dec 7-6)

133 -- 2nd: Jace Koelzer
Quarterfinal - Jace Koelzer won in sudden victory - 1 over Marcel Lopez (SIU Edwardsville) (SV-1 7-5)
Semifinal - Jace Koelzer won by decision over Lucian Brink (Northern Illinois) (Dec 4-3)
1st Place Match - Zeke Seltzer (Missouri) won by decision over Jace Koelzer (Dec 4-1)

141 -- 1st: Andrew Alirez
Quarterfinal - Andrew Alirez received a bye
Semifinal - Andrew Alirez won by major decision over Jacob Brya (Northern Illinois) (Maj 16-8)
1st Place Match - Andrew Alirez won by tech fall over Jaivon Jones (Northern Illinois) (TF 25-10)

149 -- 8th: Rudy Lopez's
Champ. Round 1 - Rudy Lopez received a bye
Quarterfinal - Caleb Tyus (SIU Edwardsville) won by decision over Rudy Lopez (Dec 4-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Rudy Lopez won by decision over Ben Bohr (Lindenwood) (Dec 8-6)
Cons. Round 3 - Anthony Cheloni (Northern Illinois) won by decision over Rudy Lopez (Dec 6-0)
7th Place Match - Saul Ervin (SIU Edwardsville) won by decision over Rudy Lopez (Dec 5-3)

149 -- Benji Alanis
Champ. Round 1 - Anthony Cheloni (Northern Illinois) won by decision over Benji Alanis (Dec 11-4)
Cons. Round 1 - Benji Alanis received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Saul Ervin (SIU Edwardsville) won by decision over Benji Alanis (Dec 7-0)

149 -- 3rd: Chris Sandoval
Champ. Round 1 - Chris Sandoval received a bye
Quarterfinal - Chris Sandoval won by decision over Saul Ervin (SIU Edwardsville) (Dec 7-2)
Semifinal - Joel Mylin (Missouri) won by decision over Chris Sandoval (Dec 5-2)
Cons. Semi - Chris Sandoval won by decision over Anthony Cheloni (Northern Illinois) (Dec 9-4)
3rd Place Match - Chris Sandoval won by decision over Joseph Bianchi (Little Rock) (Dec 6-4)

165 -- 6th: Baylor Fernandes
Champ. Round 1 - Baylor Fernandes received a bye
Quarterfinal - Baylor Fernandes won by fall over Brant Whitaker (Missouri) (Fall 2:36)
Semifinal - Cardi Wilson (SIU Edwardsville) won by decision over Baylor Fernandes (Dec 6-5)
Cons. Semi - Cam Steed (Missouri) won by disqualification over Baylor Fernandes (DQ)
5th Place Match - Hayden Shepherd (SIU Edwardsville) won by disqualification over Baylor Fernandes (DQ)

174 -- 2nd: Andrew Berreyesa
Champ. Round 1 - Andrew Berreyesa received a bye
Quarterfinal - Andrew Berreyesa won by decision over Ricardo Salinas (Northern Illinois) (Dec 3-2)
Semifinal - Andrew Berreyesa won by decision over Chase Diehl (SIU Edwardsville) (Dec 6-2)
1st Place Match - Triston Wills (Little Rock) won by major decision over Andrew Berreyesa (Maj 10-1)

174 -- 4th: Aydin Rix-McElhinney
Champ. Round 1 - Aydin Rix-McElhinney received a bye
Quarterfinal - Chase Diehl (SIU Edwardsville) won by decision over Aydin Rix-McElhinney (Dec 11-5)
Cons. Round 2 - Aydin Rix-McElhinney received a bye
Cons. Round 3 - Aydin Rix-McElhinney won by decision over Derek Matthews (Northern Colorado) (Dec 13-8)
Cons. Semi - Aydin Rix-McElhinney won by decision over Ellis Pfleger (Missouri) (Dec 14-8)
3rd Place Match - Hayden Pummel (Northern Illinois) won by tech fall over Aydin Rix-McElhinney (TF 18-0)

174 -- 7th: Derek Matthews
Champ. Round 1 - Triston Wills (Little Rock) won by major decision over Derek Matthews (Maj 16-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Derek Matthews received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Derek Matthews won by decision over Ricardo Salinas (Northern Illinois) (Dec 6-1)
Cons. Round 3 - Aydin Rix-McElhinney won by decision over Derek Matthews (Northern Colorado) (Dec 13-8)
7th Place Match - Derek Matthews won by medical forfeit over Luke Dickhaus (Lindenwood) (MFF)

184 -- 3rd: Andrew Donahue
Champ. Round 1 - Andrew Donahue won by major decision over Sergio Villalobos (SIU Edwardsville) (Maj 14-2)
Quarterfinal - Andrew Donahue won by fall over Cody Thurston (Lindenwood) (Fall 4:40)
Semifinal - Clayton Whiting (Missouri) won by decision over Andrew Donahue (Dec 4-0)
Cons. Semi - Andrew Donahue won by decision over Sergio Villalobos (SIU Edwardsville) (Dec 7-2)
3rd Place Match - Andrew Donahue won by major decision over Matt Zuber (Northern Illinois) (Maj 13-5)

184 -- 7th: Branson Britten
Champ. Round 1 - Branson Britten received a bye
Quarterfinal - Sean Harman (Missouri) won by decision over Branson Britten Dec 4-3)
Cons. Round 2 - Branson Britten (Northern Colorado) received a bye
Cons. Round 3 - Sergio Villalobos (SIU Edwardsville) won by decision over Branson Britten (Dec 3-1)
7th Place Match - Branson Britten won by decision over Micah Ervin (SIU Edwardsville) (Dec 4-2)

184 -- Damen Pape
Champ. Round 1 - Damen Pape received a bye
Quarterfinal - Clayton Whiting (Missouri) won by injury default over Damen Pape (Inj. 2:39)
Cons. Round 2 - Tanner Mendoza (Little Rock) won by medical forfeit over Damen Pape (MFF)

197 -- 1st: Xavier Vasquez
Quarterfinal - Xavier Vasquez won in sudden victory - 1 over Tylynn Lukens (Little Rock) (SV-1 4-2)
Semifinal - Xavier Vasquez won in sudden victory - 1 over Tommy Hagan (Missouri) (SV-1 7-1)
1st Place Match - Xavier Vasquez won by medical forfeit over Jesse Cassatt (Missouri) (MFF)