PREVIEW: Bears Host Ranked Wyoming, Utah Valley in Final Home Stretch

Friday, February 13

Greeley, Colo.

6 p.m. MST

University of Northern Colorado

Wyoming

Buy Tickets

PC: Caleb Steele

2/11/2026 10:10:00 AM | Wrestling

By: Elian Soto, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado wrestling returns home to Bank of Colorado Arena for a two-dual home stand beginning Friday, February 13, as the Bears welcome No. 18 Wyoming in a Wing Shack–sponsored match up. UNC will then close out its home schedule on Sunday, February 15, hosting Utah Valley in its final dual of the season. Sunday's contest will also serve as Senior Day, honoring the Bears graduating wrestlers.

LAST TIMEOUT
After a week off from competition, the Bears enter the dual following their most recent trip to the Dakotas in which North Dakota State jumped out to an early lead with a first-period fall at 125 pounds. UNC quickly responded at 133 as at the time No. 13 Dominick Serrano earned a hard-fought 4–1 decision, before NDSU added bonus points at 141. The Bears swung momentum back in their favor behind a dominant 15–0 technical fall from KJ Evans at 149.

North Dakota State regained control of the dual with victories at 157 and 165, then pulled away down the stretch with major decisions at 174, 184, 197, and heavyweight. In an extra bout, UNC's Brady Hankin provided a highlight for the Bears with a first-period pin at 149.

On Sunday, Northern Colorado fell 31–10 at No. 23 South Dakota State but showed resilience with three individual wins against a ranked opponent. After SDSU opened with a major decision at 125, Serrano once again answered for the Bears, tying the dual with a 15–5 major decision at 133. Evans followed with a solid 8–3 victory at 149, and Kilian Schultz delivered the highlight of the day with a 4–1 sudden-victory upset at 165 over No. 31 Marcus Espinoza-Owens. The Jackrabbits closed the dual winning the final four bouts.

SCOUTING WYOMING
Wyoming enters the weekend ranked No. 18 in the latest FloWrestling Team Tournament rankings. The Cowboys carry a 6–5 overall record and have been particularly strong in conference action, posting an impressive 5–1 mark in the Big 12. Wyoming is riding a two-dual winning streak, most recently defeating Air Force 36–9 and North Dakota State 30–9, making Friday's match up a tough test for the Bears.

SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY
Utah Valley comes to Greeley with a 3–7 overall record and a 1–4 mark in Big 12 competition. The Wolverines are currently on a six-dual losing streak and most recently dropped a narrow 19–15 decision to North Dakota State. Sunday's dual will give Northern Colorado an opportunity to finish the home season strong while celebrating its seniors.

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

UNC PROBABLE LINEUP THIS WEEK
125 | Bryson Valdez
133 | No. 11 Dominick Serrano
141 | Ramon Salazar or Joel Aguilar-Guerrero
149 | KJ Evans or Brady Hankin
157 | Daishun Powe
165 | Kilian Schultz
174 | Murphy Menke
184 | Mahonri Rushton
197 | Tyler Perry
HWT | Enzo Cappabianca

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).