Northern Colorado Wrestling Camps

The 2023-2024 wrestling season marks Troy Nickerson’s tenth at the helm of the UNC wrestling program, as he was named head wrestling coach of the Bears on June 14, 2014.

During those 10 years, Nickerson has revitalized the UNC Wrestling program into a perennial Top-25 wrestling program as well as an annual Top-25 academic program.

2022-2023
The 2022-2023 was one for the ages for the Bears.

Nickerson tutored Greeley, Colorado native Andrew Alirez to the NCAA 141-pound National Championship and a perfect 28-0 record. Alirez’s win marks the program’s first as a NCAA Division 1 institution in any sport.

Additionally, Alirez was named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Year, earned All-American honors for the second time, and was a finalist for the Dan Hodge Trophy, which is awarded to the top wrestler in the country (widely considered the Heisman Trophy of college wrestling).

Nickerson also led the freshman duo of Stevo Poulin (125 pounds) and Vincent Zerban (157 pounds) to Top-12 honors at the NCAA tournament. Prior to the NCAA tournament, Poulin captured his first Big 12 title making Northern Colorado one of only three programs to have multiple Big 12 Champions (Oklahoma State and Iowa State).

As a team, the Bears finished with a 13-5 dual meet record (the most wins in a season in the D1 era) and a program-best 23rd place finish at the NCAA Tournament.

2021-2022
The 2021-2022 season was a historic one for Nickerson and the Bears as he led his team to a total of four Big 12 Championship place winners in Jace Koelzer, Andrew Alirez, Alan Clothier, and Nick Knutson and three NCAA qualifiers in Koelzer, Alirez, and Clothier.

Additionally, Nickerson led Andrew Alirez to a historic run at the Big 12 Championships, becoming the program’s first Big 12 Champion after winning the 141lbs weight class with a 6-4 decision. Alirez also advanced to the Top-12 at the NCAA tournament which is further than any Bear wrestler since Justin Gaethje in 2010.

Under Nickeson’s direction, senior Alan Clothier became the first wrestler in school history to become a four-time place winner at the Southern Scuffle by securing a sixth-place finish.

The 2021-2022 Beas also proved their excellence in the classroom, earning the highest NWCA Top 30 Scholar All-American Honors ever, coming in at ninth place. Six individual Bears were recognized as NWCA Scholar All-Americans, the most in school history, in Alan Clothier, Nick Knutson, Jace Koelzer, Dyson Kunz, Nathan Moore, and Jacob Seely.

2020-21
While the world battled the COVID-19 pandemic, Nickerson continued to take the Northern Colorado Wrestling program to new heights. The 2020-21 Bears cracked the NWCA Top 25 for the first time in 51 years reaching as high as No. 17. Four Bears qualified for the NCAA Championships in Andrew Alirez, Alan Clothier, Jackson Hemauer and Mosha Schwartz. Clothier, Hemauer and Schwartz earned automatic bids by placing at the Big 12 championships, while Alirez was an at-large selection.

Hemauer became just the third Bear to reach the finals at the Big 12 Championships, earning second place. Schwartz and Clothier each placed fourth. Northern Colorado had five other wrestlers place at the Big 12 Championships in Jace Koelzer (8th), Dalton Robertson (8th), Jordan Robison (7th), Chris Sandoval (7th) and Jacob Seely (8th).

UNC not only pushed itself to new heights on the mat, but also in the classroom. Fourteen Bears earned Academic All-Big 12 honors.

2019-20
Nickerson's ability to build the program was again on display for the 2019-20 season, as five UNC wrestlers automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships. It was the most Nickerson has qualified since becoming head coach. Jacob Seely became a three-time qualifier and he was joined by Alan Clothier, qualifying for his second time after transferring to Greeley. Three qualified for the first time, with two, true freshman in Andrew Alirez and Mosha Schwartz, along with redshirt junior Dalton Robertson.

Under Nickerson's guidance, UNC had its best finish at the Southern Scuffle, finishing sixth as a team, with four wrestlers placing. The Bears had two Scuffle finalists for the first time in program history in Alirez and Robertson.

2018-19
During the 2018-19 season, Chris Sandoval gave UNC the program's first win over a top seed at the Big 12 Championships. Sandoval qualified for the NCAA Championships to become the first freshman to appear at nationals since the program returned to Division I. Rico Montoya qualified for his third straight NCAA's.

Montoya was also named the Big 12 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a first team CoSIDA Academic All-America selection.

2017-18
The 2017-18 season was another example of the growth the Northern Colorado wrestling program has experienced under Nickerson's guidance. UNC placed tied for 38th at the NCAA Championships, the highest finish since the program returned to the Division I ranks. Montoya, Keilan Torres, Dylan Gabel and Seely all qualified for the NCAA Championships, making it four Bear qualifiers for the second consecutive season.

UNC earned its first dual win over a traditional Big 12 conference team when it defeated Iowa State 22-20 in January of 2018. Nickerson arrived at UNC after being an assistant for the Cyclones, making the victory even more impactful.

Since the transition back to the Division I level in 2006, Nickerson has been the only head coach to advance three or more wrestlers to the second day of the NCAA Championships.

2016-17
During the 2016-17 season, the Bears had their highest team finish at the Cliff Keen Invitational, with the team placing 14th. The tournament is regarded as one of the toughest competitions outside of the NCAA Championships.

In the Bear's first season in the Big XII Wrestling Conference, Nickerson led a team that qualified 10 individuals for the Big XII Championships in Kansas City, Missouri, saw a National Championship qualifier in Trent Noon and had six placed on the Big XII All-Academic team.

Prior to UNC
Nickerson took on his first head coaching stint after serving two seasons as an assistant coach at Iowa State under Kevin Jackson. During his two seasons with the Cyclones, Nickerson coached three NCAA All-Americans and ten NCAA qualifiers, along with bringing in 2 Top 10 recruiting classes.

Nickerson also coached all his starters to a winning percentage of .500 and above in 2012-13.

The Cyclones finished in the top three of the Big 12 Tournament and in the top 12 of the NCAA Tournament during both of Nickerson's seasons with the program.

Prior to joining the Iowa State wrestling program, Nickerson served as co-head coach of the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club from 2011-2012 in Ithaca, N.Y. He was also the head coach of the FLWC college team during the 2010-2011 season.

Nickerson compiled a remarkable collegiate career with Cornell from 2006-10, being named an All-American each season. He won the 2009 NCAA Championship in the 125 pound weight class while becoming an NCAA finalist twice.

A product of Chenango Forks, N.Y., Nickerson was one of the most highly regarded prep wrestlers in the country coming out of high school. He won five New York high school state championships and six national high school championships.

Nickerson graduated from Cornell in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in biology & science with a minor in nutritional science.  He currently resides in Greeley with his wife, Allie and son Gavin.