Wrestling To Close Out Dual Season At Wyoming Tuesday :: Bears and Cowboys take the mat for the final time in the regular season

Feb. 25, 2008

Dual #13

Northern Colorado (6-6, 4-1 WWC) at Wyoming (3-9, 2-3 WWC)

Tuesday, February 26 • Laramie, Wyo. • UniWyo Sports Complex • 7:00 p.m.

Season Finale

Northern Colorado wrestles at Wyoming in the regular season finale for both teams on Tuesday evening. The Bears are currently 4-1 in Western Wrestling Conference action with the lone loss coming at the hands of conference champions Northern Iowa. The Bears and Cowboys will then compete in the NCAA West Regionals, hosted by North Dakota State on March 8.

Series History

Northern Colorado is just 2-22 all-time against Wyoming and has lost 13 straight duals to the Cowboys, dating back to the 1992-93 season when the Bears won a 25-16 decision. Last season's decision was close as Wyo won 19-16 to wrap up second place in the WWC standings. This year the Bears are 4-1, while the Cowboys are 2-3 against Western Wrestling Conference opponents. Both teams have victories over Utah Valley State and South Dakota State, while NC defeated Air Force and North Dakota State, which UW lost to.

Trifecta

The Bears have now won three straight duals in Western Wrestling Conference action, though they dropped their last home match of the season against #24 Cal State Fullerton, 25-16. Northern Colorado is now 6-6 on the season in dual meets and finished with a record of 4-2 at home, with both losses coming to nationally ranked squads (then-No. 11 Nebraska).

Guaranteed

Northern Colorado is guaranteed to finish no lower than second place in the Western Wrestling Conference standings, no matter the outcome of the Wyoming match on Tuesday. The Bears are currently 4-1 in the standings and Northern Iowa has wrapped up its second straight conference title.

Going Streaking

Sophomore 125-pounder Tony Mustari can post a perfect record in Western Wrestling Conference action with a victory on Tuesday against Wyoming. Mustari is 27-5 on the year and 8-2 in dual action and has won six straight duals, dating back to the match against Nebraska (two matches were forfeits). Junior 165-pounder Devan Lewis has also had a great run going lately, winning six of his last seven duals, with the lone loss coming to Northern Iowa's nationally-ranked Moza Fay. Senior heavyweight Reece Hopkin has also won his last five dual matches and eight matches overall with the Oregon Classic.

Half A Century

With the pin of Andre Gonzales from Cal State Fullerton, sophomore 125-pounder Tony Mustari won the 50th match of his career and is now 50-15 in his two years with the Bears.

Working His Way

With his eight straight victory, a default win over Wade Sauer from Cal State Fullerton, senior heavyweight Reece Hopkin brought his career record to 94-30, with a 24-5 mark this season. He moved into fifth on the career charts with his 94th win and is four wins shy of tying for fourth (Scott Gates, 1988-92) with 98. The school record for victories is 126 by Mike Leberknight (1989-93) and there are three wrestlers with more than 100 career wins.

Bookends

Northern Colorado has two wrestlers with more than 20 wins this season as sophomore 125-pounder Tony Mustari is 27-5 on the year and senior heavyweight Reece Hopkin is 24-5. Last year there were also two Bears with 20+ victories on the year as Kenny Hashimoto was 23-4 and Mustari was 23-10. Junior 165-pounder Devan Lewis is just three wins shy of joining the 20-win club as he is 17-9 on the year.

Honored Squared

Junior 149-pounder Daniel Prater was named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week after posting a perfect 6-0 record in Oregon. Senior heavyweight Reece Hopkin was named the Western Wrestling Conference wrestler of the week after posting a perfect 3-0 record at the Northern Quadrangular.

That's Outstanding!

Sophomore Tony Mustari was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the Old Chicago's Northern Colorado Open. Mustari won the 125-pound division, posting a perfect 4-0 record on the day, with two wins coming on pins.

A New Bear

Head Coach Jack Maughan announced the signing of Ray Hall to a National Letter of Intent. Hall will enroll at Northern Colorado in Fall, 2008.

Ray Hall, 160-pounds, Kansas City, Mo. (Oak Park HS)

Hall has earned 10 letters for Oak Park High School, with three to date in wrestling and track & field and four in football. He currently has a record of 116-22 for the Northman and won the 2007 Missouri state championship after placing third as a sophomore and second as a freshman. At the 2007 Junior Nationals in Virginia Beach, Hall took fourth place and he is a four-time All-American. He is projected to wrestle at either 157 or 165 for the Bears.