In what appeared to be an evenly contested match early on against Simmons on Friday, Rivera turned it up a notch to score two takedowns in the third period on his way to a 7-2 decision. On Sunday, Rivera scored a takedown midway through the third period to secure a 5-2 decision over Moyer.
After qualifying for his first NCAA Tournament at 141 pounds last season, Rivera has taken it to another level this year and become arguably Minnesota's most consistent performer. His 33 consecutive wins ranks as the sixth-longest winning streak in school history and is the fifth-longest active streak in the nation. He boasts a 12-0 record against ranked opponents on the season.
Rivera shares the first weekly award of his career with Illinois 197-pounder Patrick Bond, who posted back-to-back upsets over ranked wrestlers last week. He is the fourth Gopher wrestler to earn weekly honors this season, following Jayson Ness (Dec. 12), Roger Kish (Nov. 29) and Gabriel Dretsch (Nov. 22).
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