Two Wolverines Remain In Contention at NCAA Championships

TULSA, Okla. — Utah Valley wrestling has two grapplers still alive after one day of competition. 174-pounder Demetrius Romero and Evan Bockman at 197 are still alive for a podium spot as they work through the wrestleback rounds.

"Demetrius has put everything together heading into these championships. He looks like his old self and was in great position to win. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to finish on a great single leg toward the last 30 seconds while tied 1-1," said UVU Head Coach Greg Williams.

In the Championship bracket competition, No. 15 Demetrius Romero went up against four-time All-American No. 2 seed Mikey Labriola (Nebraska). The match was scoreless until the second period when Romero struck first on an escape to take a 1-0 lead. The Nebraska veteran chose bottom in the third period and tied the match on an escape. Late in the third period, a takedown by Labriola secured the match for him with a 3-1 decision.

In his first-round consolation match, Evan Bockman picked up a 13-6 decision over Trey Rogers of Hofstra. A fast start in the first period set the tone for him as he scored on two takedowns and a four-point near fall to jump out to an 8-2 lead. He was continuing the momentum in the second period. Bockman pulled away in the second and third periods outscoring his opponent 5-4 for the win. Williams said, "Evan wrestled really well early and built a great lead. It was nice to see him get his first NCAA win."

Isaiah Delgado advanced after coming from behind to beat Dylan Martinez of Air Force by a decision 5-2. An early takedown led to a 2-0 deficit for the UVU junior, but that didn't last for long as he quickly responded with an escape and a takedown to take a 3-2 as the first period expired. Delgado did not allow a point from Martinez in the second and third periods.

"Isaiah wrestled hard from start to finish. He had a nice win against an opponent he had not beaten before. We are proud of his preparation, focus, and efforts, especially through this post-season," said Williams.

Delgado was eliminated in his second match of the night, losing by decision 7-1 to Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan). The 149-pound MAC Champion led after recording takedowns in the first and second periods and only allowing one escape. A three-point third period led to the victory.

Today's Matches
174 - No. 15 Demetrius Romero vs. No. 33 John Worthing (Clarion University)
197 - No. 20 Evan Bockman vs. No. 14 Jacob Warner (Iowa)

The Championships continue today with two more sessions. The morning session starts at 10 a.m. MT will feature wrestle backs and quarterfinal matches. The semifinals and wrestleback bouts continue during the evening session that begins at 6 p.m. MT. You can watch the morning session on ESPNU and the evening session on ESPN. All mats are available for streaming via ESPN+.