University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Wrestling Wraps Up Historic Season
4/10/2025 11:44:00 AM | Wrestling
UNC finishes 2024–25 with 11 wins, highest-ever Big XII Championship placement, and two All-Americans
GREELEY, Colo. – The Northern Colorado wrestling team closed out the 2024–25 season with an impressive 11–6 overall record and a 4–4 finish in Big XII competition. The Bears had a historic showing at the Big XII Championships, placing fifth—the highest in program history—and crowned two individual champions: Dominick Serrano (133 lbs) and Vincent Zerban (157 lbs). At the NCAA Championships, Stevo Poulin earned All-American honors with an eighth-place finish, and Vincent Zerban earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish.
"The 2024-2025 season and the 100th one for UNC Wrestling was historic. After a great dual meet season, a Top-4 finish at the Mid-Major National Duals, we ended the postseason at the top of our ability levels," said head wrestling coach Troy Nickerson. "Walking away with two Big-12 Champions for the second time in school history and two All-Americans at the Division 1 level for the first time since 1966 was amazing. With many guys returning, we look to make the 2025-2026 season even more amazing!"
#20 NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS (11-6, 4-4 Big XII)
125 | #8 STEVO POULIN | Jr. | Ballston Lake, N.Y. | 25-6
1X All-American (8th, 2025)
1X Big XII Champion (2023/125)
133 | #5 DOMINICK SERRANO | Jr. | Windsor, Colo. | 24-4
1X Big XII Champion (2025/133)
141 | #8 ANDREW ALIREZ | Sr. | Greeley, Colo. | 17-3
1X NCAA Champion (2023/141)
2X Big XII Champion (2023,2022/141)
157 | #6 VINCENT ZERBAN | Jr. | Bethalto, Ill. | 22-7
1X All-American (6th, 2025)
1X Big XII Champion (2025/157)
FOUR BEARS NAMED NWCA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICAN
Four Bears were honored as NCAA Division I Scholar All-Americans by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. The group included Dominick Serrano, Clayton Ulrey, Aydin Rix-McElhinney, and Kilian Schultz. The recipients named as Scholar All-Americans met at least one of the following criteria: NCAA All-American with a 3.00 GPA, NCAA Championship qualifier with a 3.2 GPA, conference tournament qualifier with a 3.5 GPA or compiled 15 matches with a 60%-win record and 3.5 GPA.
POULIN, ZERBAN EARN ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
Stevo Poulin (125 pounds) and Vincent Zerban (157 pounds) secured All-American honors finishing eighth and sixth at the NCAA tournament. Their victories marked a major milestone in their careers, as it was the first time they had earned the All-American title. The last time Northern Colorado had two All-Americans in the same season was in 1966, when Bill Byers and Gordon Fisher each earned top six finishes at the NCAA Championships.
NORTHERN COLORADO CROWNS TWO BIG TWELVE CHAMPIONS
The Northern Colorado Bears made a powerful statement at the 2025 Big XII Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with two wrestlers capturing individual conference titles. Junior Dominick Serrano claimed the championship at 133 pounds, while junior Vincent Zerban dominated the 157-pound bracket, as both secured their first career Big XII titles. Their victories marked a major milestone for the program, bringing Northern Colorado's total to five individual Big XII champions since 2022.
NORTHERN COLORADO PLACES HIGHEST EVER IN PROGRAM HISTORY AT BIG TWELVE CHAMPIONSHIPS
At the 2025 Big XII Championships, the University of Northern Colorado wrestling program achieved a historic milestone, placing fifth overall with 79.5 team points—the program's highest finish since joining the conference. This remarkable performance marked a new era for the Bears, firmly establishing them as a rising force in one of the nation's toughest wrestling conferences.
The tournament was highlighted by two individual Big XII champions: Dominick Serrano at 133 pounds and Vincent Zerban at 157 pounds, both delivering dominant performances en route to the top of the podium. At 141 pounds, All-American Andrew Alirez battled through a tough bracket to finish in third place. Stevo Poulin added crucial team points with a fifth-place finish at 125 pounds, while Clayton Ulrey (165 lbs) and Aydin Rix-McElhinney (174 lbs) rounded out the scoring with eighth place finishes in their respective weight classes.
BEARS GROUND FALCONS ON SENIOR DAY
Northern Colorado defeated Air Force 22-21 on Senior Day at Bank of Colorado Arena, securing a thrilling victory in front of the second largest crowd of the season. The Bears (11-6, 4-4 Big XII) stormed to a 19-0 lead, winning the first five matches—four of which were bonus-point victories. Despite a strong push from the Falcons (5-8, 0-8 Big XII) in the second half, UNC held firm, capturing one more win to seal the match. In their final home competition, Andrew Alirez and Clayton Ulrey both earned victories, marking a fitting farewell for the senior duo.
BEARS EDGE UTAH VALLEY 22-21 IN THRILLING BIG XII MATCHUP
The Northern Colorado Bears (10-5, 3-3 Big XII) secured a thrilling 22-21 victory over Utah Valley (7-9, 3-6) in Big XII action on Friday at Lockhart Arena. The Bears recorded two major decisions, a tech fall, and a pin to edge out the Wolverines. Junior Andrew Donahue secured the Bears 22-21 victory with a pin.
BEARS DEFEAT SUN DEVILS IN THE DESERT
Northern Colorado (9-4, 2-2 Big XII) rallied from an early deficit to secure a hard-fought 21-12 victory over Arizona State (4-6, 1-4 Big XII). Key wins from Clayton Ulrey, Aydin Rix-McElhinney, and Andrew Donahue built an insurmountable lead, putting the match out of reach for the Sun Devils. The Bears' resilience and strategic performances throughout the lineup ensured they came out on top in this crucial conference clash.
NORTHERN COLORADO DEFEATS CAL BAPTIST 27-1
Behind seven individual victories, Northern Colorado (8-4, 1-2 Big XII) defeated Cal Baptist (5-6, 2-4 Big XII) 27-12. No. 9 Stevo Poulin, No. 2 Andrew Alirez and No. 16 Vincent Zerban accumulated bonus points for the Bears. Clayton Ulrey, No. 28 AJ Heeg, Andrew Donahue and Jose Valdez notched decisions for UNC.
POULIN WINS SOUTHERN SCUFFLE TITLE
Poulin successfully defended his 2024 title, winning the fourth individual championship in the history of the program at the Southern Scuffle. He became the first Bear to claim two individual titles at the event. Poulin recorded technical fall victories in his first and second bouts before he inked a major decision in the third match. In the quarterfinals, Poulin recorded a 4-1 decision over Tristan Daugherty of North Dakota State. He defeated his second Big XII foe in succession with No. 23 Antonio Lorenzo of Oklahoma in the semifinals before scoring a 5-0 triumph over No. 22 Spencer Moore from North Carolina in the title bout.
NORTHERN COLORADO SWEEPS QUAD DUALS
Northern Colorado went a perfect 3-0 at the UNC Quad Duals at Bank of Colorado Arena, dominating each opponent with impressive performances. The Bears opened the day with a commanding 44-11 victory over Northeastern Junior College, followed by a 50-6 win against Colby Community College. They capped off the duals with a decisive 42-5 triumph over Fort Hays Tech Northwest, showcasing their depth and dominance across the board.
BEARS SWEEP IN PHILADELPHIA
No. 19 Northern Colorado (2-1) picked up two impressive victories during their trip to Philadelphia, defeating Drexel (0-3) 29-16 and Penn (0-1) 22-13. Freshman AJ Heeg delivered a thrilling sudden victory win over Penn, while senior Andrew Alirez showcased his dominance, securing a commanding 22-5 technical fall over his opponent at Penn. The Bears' strong performances across the board highlighted their depth and skill, solidifying their success on the road.
NEAR SELLOUT CROWD ON HAND FOR ANDREW ALIREZ'S RETURN TO UNC
Wrestling in front of the home fans for the first time in 20 months, Andrew Alirez made a triumphant return in front of an announced crowd of 2,484 at Bank of Colorado Arena Saturday. The Greeley native last wrestled an NCAA match March 18, 2023 – 595 days - when he won the 2023 National Championship. He took off last season to focus on qualifying for the 2024 Olympics. Alirez, ranked number one faced 10th-ranked Josh Edmond and earned a 12-2 major decision, pushing the Bears ahead 11-7 in the team total.
HEAD COACH TROY NICKERSON
Under head coach Troy Nickerson, Northern Colorado wrestling has seen a dramatic rise.
In his first season (2014–15), Nickerson led three Bears to NCAA berths for the first time since 2012, highlighted by WWC Champion Mitchell Polkowske. The following year, in UNC's Big XII debut, Trent Noon qualified for nationals and six Bears earned All-Academic honors.
The 2016–17 season marked a program-best 14th place finish at the Cliff Keen Invitational and produced four NCAA qualifiers. In 2017–18, UNC placed 38th at the NCAA Championships—their best D1 finish—and notched a landmark dual win over Iowa State. Nickerson arrived at UNC after being an assistant for the Cyclones, making the victory even more impactful.
In 2018-2019, Chris Sandoval's upset over a top seed at the 2019 Big XII Championships helped fuel another milestone season. Sandoval qualified for the NCAA Championships to become the first freshman to appear at nationals since the program returned to Division 1.
Rico Montoya qualified for a third straight NCAA appearance and was named Big XII Scholar-Athlete of the Year. That year's recruiting class was ranked No. 4 nationally by FloWrestling.
In 2019–20, a record-tying five Bears automatically qualified for nationals, including standout freshman Andrew Alirez. Though the NCAA Championships were canceled due to COVID-19, Alirez, Schwartz, and Robertson were named All-Americans. UNC also achieved its best Southern Scuffle result, finishing sixth with two finalists.
The 2020–21 season saw UNC crack the NWCA Top 25 for the first time in 51 years, reaching No. 17. E At the Big 12 Championships, Hemauer became just the third Bear to reach the finals, earning second place. Schwartz and Clothier each earned fourth place finishes. Nickerson had five other wrestlers place at the Big 12 Championships in Jace Koelzer (8th), Chris Sandoval (7th), Jordan Robison (7th), Jacob Seely (8th) and Dalton Robertson (8th). Eight Big XII place winners was a record for the Bears, and fourteen earned Academic All-Big XII honors.
In 2021–22, Alirez became UNC's first Big XII Champion, and Alan Clothier became the program's first four-time Southern Scuffle place winner. The Bears earned their highest NWCA academic ranking (No. 9) and produced six Scholar All-Americans.
The 2022–23 season was historic. Alirez went undefeated (28-0) to win the NCAA 141-pound national title—UNC's first D1 national champion in any sport—and was named Big XII Wrestler of the Year. Freshmen Stevo Poulin and Vincent Zerban reached the Top 12 at nationals, with Poulin capturing a Big XII title. The team finished with a D1-era best 13-5 dual record and 23rd place at the NCAA Championships.
The 2023–24 season marked Nickerson's tenth year at the helm of the program. The Bears posted a 10–5 overall record, including a 3–4 mark in Big XII conference competition. At the Big XII Championships, four wrestlers earned top eight finishes: Stevo Poulin took seventh at 125 pounds, Dominick Serrano secured third at 133, Vinny Zerban placed seventh at 157, and Xavier Vasquez finished eighth at 197.
Wrapping up his eleventh season as head coach, Nickerson led the Bears to a consistently strong campaign, with the team ranked in the top 20 throughout the year. Six wrestlers placed at the Big XII Championships, and four earned berths to the NCAA Championships — all seeded tenth or higher. The season was highlighted by two Big XII champions, marking just the second time in program history to achieve that feat, and two All-Americans at the Division I level — the program's first since 1966.
FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, check out the official homepage at uncbears.com. Follow the wrestling team on X (formerly Twitter) (@UNCBearsWrestle), and Instagram (@UNCBearsWrestle).
Players Mentioned
