This is no ordinary season for Teyon Ware. 

First head coaching gig. First season at Northern Colorado and a roster full of seven first-time starters. 

It’s a year of change for the Bears after head coach Troy Nickerson departed for Army, and All-Americans Stevo Poulin and Vinny Zerban bolted for Iowa State. 

Defending Big 12 champion Dominick Serrano represents UNC’s only active returning starter. 

Murphy Menke (174) started at Oregon State a season ago, and Mahonri Rushton (184) boasted starting experience at Utah Valley. 

Otherwise? A fresh experience for the batch of Bears. 

Just the nature of the job when Ware accepted the gig on July 1. 

“When we got here, everything was already set in place, so we just had to go with the flow,” UNC head coach Ware said. “Now they are trying to finish strong and all we can do is encourage them and keep their minds strong because you can see a lot of these guys are starting to fade.” 

Ware will see familiar faces when the Bears (2-8 overall, 1-4 Big 12) host #24 Wyoming at 6 p.m. Friday. 

Ware assisted the Cowboys for eight seasons before he accepted the same job at Oklahoma from 2022-25. 

“To be honest with you, there are no emotions,” Ware said. “This is just another dual. At the end of the day, they’ve got a tough team. Those guys are tough and they were tough when I was there. They racked up.” 

Friday’s dual will represent the eighth ranked opponent UNC sees this season, as it seeks its first ranked win in Ware’s tenure. 

“I have nothing to prove to those guys (Wyoming),” Ware said. “My guys that I have gotten to work with over the years, those are guys I still have close relationships with and everything like that. At the end of the day, yeah, I want to beat them just like I wanted to beat South Dakota State.” 

Serrano At The Top

Dominick Serrano won’t let his dream die. 

The senior 133-pounder grabbed a 2025 Big 12 title, rolled into the NCAA Championships as the #5 seed, but only won his opening match. 

The spoiled tournament stung Serrano, and it spurred a dedicated offseason. He arrived on campus in shape, focused on sharpening his tools early on the season. 

Serrano wrestles with a “champion mindset,” Ware said. Someone who doesn’t complain. Doesn’t make excuses. Only works. 

“Dom is a put his head down, shut up and work hard (kinda guy),” Ware said. “You need more Doms. The deal is, I wish we could have Dom for another year or two just as a person. You need that. Dom doesn’t complain. He has every right to complain. He has every right to this, that and the other but he doesn’t.” 

The training led to an 11-1 mark this season, including a Southern Scuffle title. 

His only loss? A 7-1 decision to then-#4 Evan Frost — a 2024 All-American. Nothing stopped Serrano’s progress. 

“(Serrano) knows he is experienced to say, ‘I ain’t got no time for no complaining, I gotta go get that match back,” Ware said. “‘I gotta finish strong because I am the hunted. People are going to be coming hunting after me. I gotta stay the hunter.’” 

Schultz Support 

Kilian Schultz waited.  

After two seasons of open tournaments and four dual appearances as a redshirt freshman, the junior 165-pounder seized a starting spot. 

He enters Friday’s dual on a two-match win streak, including a 4-1 sudden victory win over South Dakota State’s then-#33 Marcus Espinoza-Owens two weekends ago. 

Schultz, Serrano and 149-pounder KJ Evans accounted for UNC’s combined six individual wins against North Dakota State and South Dakota State. 

Discipline remains key for Schultz, Ware said, as Schultz continues the squad’s theme of multiple first-time starters.  

Finishing takedowns became a theme for Schultz, who consistently works with assistant coach Earl Hall. 

Sharpening those skills are imperative for Schultz to close the gap against opponents, especially if rematches occur in the Big 12 Championships, Ware said.  

“Kilian is an emotional young man and there is nothing wrong with that,” Ware said. “All we are trying to do is keep his emotions and keep him focused. Don't let his emotions bring him down. He can wrestle. He can wrestle with those guys. But the deal is he has to be disciplined. Stay disciplined and put his feelings aside.” 

Ware “Breaking” Habits With Evans 

Northern Colorado landed a key addition in Oklahoma transfer KJ Evans.  

Fargo champion. Three-time Oklahoma 4A state champion for Heritage High. Evans spent two seasons with the Sooners before transferring to UNC in the offseason. 

All the talent, just a deal where Ware is “breaking” those habits from high school. Evans also moved up to 149 after he spent the first 13 matches at 141.  

Ware enters Friday’s dual with two consecutive wins.  

“KJ can come out and wrestle with anybody that we wants to,” Ware said. “I do mean that, but KJ can come out and get broken by anybody that we wants to. At the end of the day, KJ has a lot of talent. The deal is, we are trying to match his heart with his talent. I believe if we match his heart with his talent, then KJ is going to be a forced to be reckoned with because he can wrestle.”