Five-time All-American (4 NCAA, 1 NWCA)
2022 NCAA Bronze
2022 NCAA Tech Fall Leader
2022 NWCA Academic All-American
Two-time Big Ten Champion
2021 Matmen Open Champion
115 Career Collegiate Victories
2021-22 (Graduate Student): Finished with 30-1 record at 141 pounds ... 2022 All-American and NCAA Bronze Medalist ... finished as NCAA leader in tech falls with 14 ... 2022 Big Ten Championships placewinner ... 2021 Matmen Open Champion ... led team with perfect 18-0 record in dual action with a team-high 88 team points and 17 dual wins by bonus ... outscored his opponents 371-84 ... earned All-America honors with 6-1 record and third-place finish at NCAA Championships in Detroit (3/17-19) ... became
just the second bronze medalist in program history and first since Mike Leta (1960) ... earned No. 3 seed at NCAA Championships ... worked two wins before withdrawing with a sixth-place finish at the 2022 Big Ten Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska (3/5-6) ... finished regular season 22-0 ... capped dual career with 20-3 tech fall over Danny Coles in dual victory over Princeton at Jersey Mike's Arena (2/18) ... went 8-0 in Big Ten dual action ... picked up 100th-career win with 22-7 tech fall over We Rachal in dual win over No. 21 Illinois (1/14) ... defeated NCAA qualifier CJ Composto (UPenn) for 2021 Matmen Open title (1/29-30) ... opened final collegiate season with 18 consecutive wins by bonus.
2020-21 (Graduate Student)
- Finished fourth at 141 pounds with a 4-2 record at the 2021 NCAA Championships to earn All-America honors in St. Louis
- Earned No. 3 seed at the national tournament
- Went 4-1 to earn third-place honors at the Big Ten Championships in University Park, Pa.
- Finished season with a team-high 12 victories and a 5-3 record against ranked foes
- Closed dual season with a 4-0 mark and a team-high 15 team points
- Ranked as high as No. 1 in the country (FloWrestling) during the season
- Earned an 11-2 major decision over Dylan D'Emilio in dual at No. 11 Ohio State (Jan. 24)
- Earned a 8-0 major decision over Drew Mattin in Rutgers' debut against No. 3 Michigan (Jan. 8)
2019-20 (at Northwestern): Competed at 133 pounds … 2020 Big Ten Champion at 133 pounds … 2020 NWCA All-American … battled through injury to finish season with a 12-2 record … defeated Penn State's Roman Bravo-Young in the 133-pound Big Ten Championship bout at the RAC for his second consecutive conference individual title (March 8) … earned the No. 1 overall seed at 133 pounds at the 2020 NCAA Championships before the tournament’s cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic … voted a first team All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) … picked up two ranked victories during the regular season over No. 8 Cam Sykora (NDSU) and No. 15 Collin Gerardi (Virginia Tech) … ranked as high as No. 2 in the country during the 2019-20 season.
2018-19 (at Northwestern): Competed at 125 pounds … 2019 All-American (third) and Big Ten Champion … finished redshirt sophomore season with a 30-2 record which included an unblemished regular season record at 125 pounds … went 5-1 en route to a third-place finish at the 2019 NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh (March 17-19) … defeated No. 2 seed Spencer Lee (Iowa) with a 6-4 decision in overtime to earn his first Big Ten Championships title at 125 pounds (March 10) … went 5-0 at the Midlands Championships to win the 125-pound individual title (Dec. 29-30) … ranked as high as No. 2 in the country at 125 pounds during the regular season.
2017-18 (at Northwestern): Competed at 125 pounds … 2018 All-American (sixth) … finished redshirt freshman season with a 31-8 record … became Northwestern’s first All-American since 2015 after he finished sixth at 125 pounds at the 2018 NCAA Championships in Cleveland (March 15-17) … racked up four wins at the Big Ten Championships en route to finishing fifth at 125 pounds (March 3-4) … led the Wildcats with five tech falls and 12 major decisions … ten of his first 14 wins in 2017-18 were via fall, tech fall, or major decision.
2016-17 (at Northwestern): Produced a 14-4 record wrestling unattached at 125 pounds … finished fourth wrestling unattached at the 2016 Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30).
Prior to Northwestern: Two-time state placewinner and 2016 NJSIAA state champion at Christian Brothers Academy … also a three-time district and two-time region winner during time with the Colts … went 31-1 en route to his state title as a senior … 2016 regional and district championships and a gold medal at Super 32 during senior season … became CBA’s first individual state champion since 1968.
Personal: Son of Melissa and Steve Rivera … Steve Rivera was a Division III national champion at The College of New Jersey and was inducted into the NWCA Division III Hall of Fame in 2018.
| YEAR |
OVERALL |
DUALS (B1G) |
TRN (B1G/NCAA) |
MD (DUALS) |
TF (DUALS) |
F (DUALS) |
FASTEST |
DUAL PTS. |
| 2016-17! |
14-4 |
--- |
--- |
--- |
3 |
2 |
--- |
--- |
| 2017-18* |
31-8 |
12-2 (7-2) |
5th/6th |
--- |
10 |
5 |
--- |
52 |
| 2018-19* |
30-2 |
12-1 (8-1) |
1st/3rd |
--- |
5 |
2 |
--- |
59 |
| 2019-20* |
12-2 |
5-0 (1-0) |
1st/Qualified |
--- |
0 |
2 |
-- |
23 |
| 2020-21 |
12-3 |
4-0 (4-0) |
4-1(3rd)/4-2(4th) |
3 (3) |
1 (0) |
1 (0) |
0:39 |
15 |
| 2021-22 |
30-1 |
18-0 (8-0) |
2-0 (6th)/6-1 (3rd) |
6 (3) |
14 (11) |
3 (1) |
1:35 |
88 |
| CAREER |
115-20 |
51-3 (28-3) |
--- |
9 (6) |
30 (11) |
13 (1) |
0:39 |
237 |
! redshirt season
* at Northwestern
