Montoya Selected to Compete in NWCA All-Star Classic

Senior All-American Eric Montoya (133) will face Illinois’ Zane Richards in the NWCA All-Star Classic at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 5.

Montoya, an Albuquerque, N.M., native, finished fifth at 133 pounds in the 2016 NCAA Championships after going 29-10 on the season. The three-time NCAA qualifier (two times at Nebraska) also advanced to the Round of 12 at the 2015 NCAA Championships. In addition, Montoya took fifth place at last year’s Big Ten Championships.

Montoya’s opponent, Richards, finished fourth at the 2016 NCAA Championships with a 27-3 record overall. Richards went undefeated during the regular season (23-0) before the Big Ten Championships, where he took runner-up honors. In 2015, Richards qualified for the NCAA Championships after finishing fifth at the Big Ten Championships.

Montoya becomes the 32nd Husker to wrestle in the NWCA All-Star Classic, and first since both James Green and Robert Kokesh competed in the 2014 event.

The NWCA has already announced four matches for the All-Star Classic, and will reveal the five others over the coming weeks before the competition. The order of the matches has not been determined, but they will begin at 7 p.m. (CT).

Nebraska opens its season by hosting the Coaches Clinic/Intrasquad on Friday, Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. (CT) at the Devaney Center. On Sunday, Nov. 6, the Huskers will head to Brookings, S.D., for the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open, beginning at 9 a.m.