University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Thursday, March 19
TBD
University of Northern Colorado
vs
NCAA
UNC Wrestling Battles Through Opening Day in Cleveland
3/19/2026 9:49:00 PM | Wrestling
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Northern Colorado wrestling completed day one of NCAA Championship action inside Rocket Arena with strong performances and hard-fought battles.
At 133 pounds, No. 9 Dominic Serrano faced Purdue's No. 24 Blake Boarman in a gritty, back-and-forth match up. Serrano set the tone early, racking up three first-period take downs to take a commanding 9–2 lead. Serrano continued to apply pressure in the second, adding a take down and an escape to extend his advantage. Boarman mounted a late surge with 11 points in the final period, but Serrano held on for a 16–14 decision victory in the opening session.
Advancing in the bracket, Serrano met No. 8 Markel Baker of Northern Illinois in a tightly contested bout. Serrano struck first with an early take down, carrying a 3–1 lead into the second period. Baker responded in the third, evening the score and forcing overtime. In sudden victory, Baker secured a decisive take down to claim an 8–5 win.
At 184 pounds, Mahonri Rushton squared off against No. 2 Aedon Sinclair of Missouri. Sinclair built a strong 9–3 lead in the opening period and maintained control throughout the match, adding four more take downs across the second and third periods to earn a 22–6 technical fall.
In the evening session, Rushton battled Jake Dailey of North Carolina but came up short in a 4–1 decision, as Dailey secured a decisive take down in the third period.
UP NEXT: Serrano will prepare to face Maximilian Leete of American on day two of the NCAA Championships, aiming to advance in the bracket.
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).
At 133 pounds, No. 9 Dominic Serrano faced Purdue's No. 24 Blake Boarman in a gritty, back-and-forth match up. Serrano set the tone early, racking up three first-period take downs to take a commanding 9–2 lead. Serrano continued to apply pressure in the second, adding a take down and an escape to extend his advantage. Boarman mounted a late surge with 11 points in the final period, but Serrano held on for a 16–14 decision victory in the opening session.
Advancing in the bracket, Serrano met No. 8 Markel Baker of Northern Illinois in a tightly contested bout. Serrano struck first with an early take down, carrying a 3–1 lead into the second period. Baker responded in the third, evening the score and forcing overtime. In sudden victory, Baker secured a decisive take down to claim an 8–5 win.
At 184 pounds, Mahonri Rushton squared off against No. 2 Aedon Sinclair of Missouri. Sinclair built a strong 9–3 lead in the opening period and maintained control throughout the match, adding four more take downs across the second and third periods to earn a 22–6 technical fall.
In the evening session, Rushton battled Jake Dailey of North Carolina but came up short in a 4–1 decision, as Dailey secured a decisive take down in the third period.
UP NEXT: Serrano will prepare to face Maximilian Leete of American on day two of the NCAA Championships, aiming to advance in the bracket.
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).
Players Mentioned
/ Wrestling
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