The Bears jumped out to a 24-0 by the break with three falls in the first five matches. Jace Koelzer (125), Andrew Alirez (149) and Nick Knutson (157) each pinned their opponent to start their 2021 campaign.
Koelzer came out full of energy to kick off the season. He had four takedowns and a four-point near fall putting him on the verge of a tech fall victory when he pinned Wyoming's Brendon Garcia at the 5:59 mark.
Alirez took on another ranked opponent in No. 31 Jaron Jensen. He earned his first fall of the season at the 4:40 mark after racking up three takedowns in the first and second periods.
North Dakota State graduate transfer Nick Knutson made his impact on the UNC lineup with his pin of Logan Jensen just before the buzzer of the first period. The pin at 2:59 was the fastest of the day for UNC as he made it 24-0.
Mosha Schwartz (133) and Chris Sandoval (141) each chipped into the Bears' early lead with a pair of decisions.
Schwartz defeated Job Greenwood 6-5 and Sandoval beat Chase Zollman 3-1. Schwartz's escape and takedown in the second period was the difference in his match, while Sandoval needed a takedown with 1:08 left in the third period to earn the tight 3-1 win.
Wyoming made a charge at UNC in the second half of the dual, but the quick burst out of the gate was enough for the Bears to secure the win.
Head Coach @troy_nickerson thoughts on the season opening win over Wyoming! #BearsStrongðŸ»ðŸ¤¼â€â™‚ï¸ #Big12WR pic.twitter.com/pv3gLWlcnK
— UNC Bears Wrestling (@UNCBearsWrestle) January 4, 2021
Results:
125: Jace Koelzer Fall (5:59) over Brendon Garcia
133: Mosha Schwartz Dec. (6-5) over Job Greenwood
141: Chris Sandoval Dec. (3-1) over Chase Zollman
149: Andrew Alirez Fall (4:40) over Jaron Jensen
157: Nick Knutson Fall (2:59) over Logan Jensen
165: Cole Moody Fall (6:15) over Billy Higgins
174: Hayden Hastings Dec. (5-0) over Damen Pape
184: Tate Samuelson Dec. (3-1 SV) over Alan Clothier
197: Stephen Buchanan Dec. (7-2) over Jacob Seely
HWT: Brian Andrews Maj. Dec. (10-2) over Dalton Robertson
What's Ahead:
Northern Colorado will wrestle in their lone non-conference duals of the season next Monday, January 11. UNC heads to California to take on California Baptist and Cal Poly in San Louis Obispo. UNC and CBU square off at 6 pm MT and Poly and the Bears at 8 pm MT. Both duals will be on Flo Wrestling.
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