PREVIEW: UNC Wrestling Travels to No. 3 Iowa State and No. 15 Missouri

Friday, January 23

Ames, Iowa.

6 p.m. MST

University of Northern Colorado

Iowa State

Buy Tickets

PC: Caleb Steele

1/21/2026 10:19:00 AM | Wrestling

By: Elian Soto, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado wrestling is set for a challenging road swing this weekend, as the Bears travel to face two nationally ranked opponents. UNC will take on No. 3 Iowa State on Friday, January 23, with the dual beginning at 6 p.m. MT, before continuing to Columbia, Missouri to face No. 15 Missouri on Sunday, January 25, at 12 p.m. MT.

LAST TIMEOUT
Northern Colorado got off to a fast start in its previous dual, jumping out to an early lead when Bryson Valdez earned an injury default victory just 15 seconds into the 125-pound bout. Momentum continued at 133 pounds, as No. 13 Dominick Serrano posted an impressive 11–2 major decision.

At 149 pounds, Emilio Trujillo-Deen fell in a hard-fought 8–5 decision following a late takedown by his opponent. The tide shifted further with a loss by pin at 157 pounds and a technical fall at 165 pounds.

The Bears responded at the upper weights, with Murphy Menke earning a solid 5–1 decision at 174 pounds and Mahonri Rushton securing an 11–7 victory at 184 pounds. Northern Colorado closed the dual with losses at 197 and 285 pounds, dropping a narrow 2–0 decision and an 8–0 decision.

SCOUTING NO. 3 IOWA STATE CYCLONES
The Cyclones enter the weekend with a 6-1 overall dual record and remain undefeated in Big 12 action at 2-0. Iowa State is currently riding a four-dual win streak dating back to December 21, highlighted by a 26-11 victory over then-No. 20 Lehigh.

All 10 Cyclone starters are ranked inside the top 15 of the FloWrestling rankings. Iowa State is coming off a dominant 36-3 win over North Dakota State, capturing nine of the 10 bouts in the dual.

SCOUTING NO. 15 MISSOURI TIGERS
Missouri enters the matchup with an 8-6 overall record and a 2-1 mark in Big 12 competition. The Tigers feature two wrestlers ranked in the top 10 nationally at 174 and 184 pounds.

Missouri visited Greeley last season and came away with a 25-14 dual victory over the Bears, adding extra motivation for Northern Colorado as the teams meet again this weekend.

Fans can follow the dual live on ESPN+ and stay up to date with coverage through the official UNC Wrestling social media channels.

UP NEXT: After this road trip, the Bears head back on the road to face North Dakota State in Fargo on Friday, January 30.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, visit the official homepage at uncbears.com. Follow the wrestling team on X (formerly Twitter) (@UNCBearsWrestle) and Instagram (@UNCBearsWrestle).