PREVIEW: UNC Wrestling Continues Big 12 Slate with Dakota Road Trip

Friday, January 30

Fargo, N.D.

6 p.m. MST | 7 p.m. CST

University of Northern Colorado

North Dakota State

Buy Tickets

PC: Caleb Steele

1/28/2026 9:24:00 AM | Wrestling

By: Elian Soto, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado wrestling returns to the road this weekend for another challenging stretch of Big 12 competition, as the Bears prepare to take on North Dakota State and No. 23 South Dakota State. Facing two tough conference opponents, UNC looks to bounce back after a demanding weekend against then-No. 3 Iowa State and No. 15 Missouri.

LAST TIME OUT
The Bears were tested in back-to-back road duals against nationally ranked opponents, marking one of the most rigorous stretches of their Big 12 schedule so far. Despite coming up short in both matches, Northern Colorado displayed grit and resilience throughout the lineup, competing deep into bouts and battling through physical, high-level match ups.

Those early-season challenges are expected to pay off as the year progresses. Wrestling elite competition now provides valuable experience and sharpens the Bears readiness for the heightened intensity of the Big 12 Championships in March.

SCOUTING THE BISONS
North Dakota State enters the weekend with a 4-7 overall dual record and a 1-2 mark in Big 12 action. The Bison are coming off a strong performance in their most recent outing, earning a convincing 31-7 victory over California Baptist.

NDSU's lineup features physical wrestlers capable of creating tough matches.

SCOUTING THE JACKRABBITS
South Dakota State currently sits at No. 23 in the FloWrestling rankings and brings one of the deepest lineups in the conference. The Jackrabbits have eight of their 10 starters ranked in the top 25 at their respective weight classes, highlighting their balance and consistency across the board.

SDSU owns an impressive 10-3 overall record and is 3-2 in Big 12 duals.

UNC PROBABLE LINEUP THIS WEEK.
125 | Bryson Valdez (2-9) All time: 8-14 -or- Kade Orr (1-3) All time: 3-3
133 | No. 13 Dominick Serrano (9-1) All time: 33-5
141 | Kj Evans (8-8) All time: 29-14 -or- Ramon Salazar (3-7) All time: 9-15
149 | Brady Hankin (1-4) All time: 4-8 -or- Joshua Fish (0-0) All time: 0-0
157 | Daishun Powe (8-12) All time: 14-16
165 | Kilian Schultz (4-9) All time: 15-15
174 | Murphy Menke (7-6) All time: 27-20
184 | Mahonri Rushton (12-9) All time: 29-28
197 | Tyler Perry (5-10) All time: 17-16
HWT | Enzo Cappabianca (1-14) All time: 4-19

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

UP NEXT: Following the Bears trip to the Dakotas, UNC will return to Bank of Colorado Arena for their final home stand of the season hosting No. 18 Wyoming and Utah Valley.

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).