The Northern Iowa Panther wrestling team picked up a couple of home wins over the weekend, pushing their overall record to 8-6 as they knocked off #7 Missouri 31-6 on Friday night in a meet that found most of the Mizzou top wrestlers not competing. On Sunday afternoon the Panthers took down Wisconsin 26-11
Things kicked off with a forfeit at 125 lbs when Mizzou left Noah Surtin on the shelf. The forfeit evened Trever Anderson’s record at 10-10 and UNI took a 6-0 lead. The first wrestling action of the night came at 133 lbs. UNI’s #21 Julian Farber squared off with Drew Stanfield. Farber scored the first taken down of the match with a little under a minute to go in the opening period as he worked a single leg attack until he was able to turn the corner on Standfield. Stanfield escaped about half way through the second period, but Farber scored a takedown on an immediate reshot to make it 4-1 by the end of the period. Faber scored an additional 7 points on takedowns in the third period to take the win by major decision. The Panthers lead 10-0 after two bouts.
#6 ranked Cael Happel took to the mat for the Panthers at 141 lbs. He faced #24 Josh Edmond in one of the few ranked vs ranked match ups of the night. Neither wrestler was able to score in the first period, but Happel escaped immediately to open the second. This was follows by a Josh Edmond takdown in a scramble that saw both wrestlers nearly turn their backs to the mat. Happel was able to escape again and nearly scored halfway through the period, but was whistled out of bounds. Edmond was tagged with a stall call with :18 seconds remaining the second when he clearly ducked out of bounds after breaking a tie up. Edmond then opened the final frame with an escape to make it 4-2. Happel picked up a point with 1:10 to go when Edmond was hit with his second stall warning, bringing the sixth ranked Happel within a point. Happel was in deep on two separate occasions in the final minute of the match, but was unable to gain control of the leg to complete the go-ahead take down. Edmond won the match 4-3.
At 149 pounds the Panther Train’s Adam Allard came to the match against Joel Mylin. Allard opened the scoring with a takedown at the 1:15 mark of the opening period. He scored two more when he tilted Mylin for two points before Mylin was able to escape to make the score 5-1 going into the second period. Mylin scored another point when he escaped early in the second period and then tied it up with a takedown halfway through the frame. Allard nearly reversed Mylin late in the second, but couldn’t quite gain top position. Allard started the third period on the bottom and scored an escape 20 seconds into the final period. He held on for the decision, making the team score 13-3.
This brought #9 ranked Ryder Downey to the mat to face James Conway. Conway was filling in for #11 ranked Brock Mauller. Conway scored an early takedown, much to the chagrin of the UNI coaching staff. They challenged the ruling, unsuccessfully. Downey was able to escape to close the gap to 3-1. Downey started down to open the second term, and escaped immediately before Mauller nearly took him down. Downey, however, was able to reverse the action and take down Mauller for 3 points of his own, and turned it into 4 additional nearfall points. The Mizzou staff decided to challenge the Mauller near takedown, which was also unsuccessful. Downey led 9-3 at that point. Mauller was able to escape for one point before the end of the 2nd period to make it 9-4 in favor of Downey. Downey scored another takedown when Mauller missed on a front head lock and left the Panther in perfect position to score points. Downey took the win with a 12-5 decision. At the halfway point Northern Iowa lead the meet 16-3.
After the break Jack Thomsen took on Jeremy Jakowitsch at 165 lbs. Thomsen scored two takedowns in the first period and and another in the second to take a 9-3 lead. In the third period Thomsen scored another takedown to make the score 13-3. He used an international start to give Jakowitsch an escape as he looked to scare bonus team points. The 13-4 major decision gave the Panthers a 20-3 lead with just four weight classes remaining.
Jared Simma came out at 174 lbs to challenge Ellis Pfieger. The Tiger was wrestling in place of 10th ranked Peyton Mocco. Pfieger scored the first takedown of the match in the first period, and rode out Simma for the final minute of the frame. To open the second, Pfieger chose the bottom position. It took Pfieger a full minute, but he was able to escape to make the score 4-0. Simma was able to score a late takedown, just before the buzzer to close out the second period. He chose the down position to start the third and turned it into two points, scoring a reversal about 20 seconds into the third period. He then tilted Pfieger, scoring four back points in the process. What had been a close match quickly turned into a comfortable 9-4 decision and the Panther Train a 20-3 lead.
Top ranked Parker Keckeisen stepped to the mat for the 184 lbs bout versus Colton Hawks. The match originally would have pitted Keckeisen against Clatyon Whiting for a top 12 matchup. The Senior locked up the Panther team victory with a 12-2 major decision to make the score 27-3.
In the 197 lbs Wyatt Voelker wasted little time in scoring points as he scored a 14-3 major decision over Jesse Cassatt. That sent the meet to the heavyweights with UNI leading 31-3.
At heavyweight two ranked wrestler took to the mat. Northern Iowa sent #16 Tyrell Gordon while the Tigers sent #5 Zach Elam out to face him. After the first stretch, neither man was able to find a takedown. Gordon started on the bottom in period two. He scored an escape at the 1:07 mark to take a 1-0 lead. Elam was able to score a third period escape early into it to tie the match at 1-1, which is how it stayed through the end of regulation. Gordon looked like he might have had the winning shot started, but couldn’t get all the way to the hips to seal the deal. With no scoring in the first overtime period we went to tiebreakers. It two two tiebreakers to finish the match, with Elam edging out Gordon for the win.
25th ranked Trever Anderson opened the met again 3rd ranked Eric Barnett at 125 lbs. Barnett scored first in the opening frame to take an early 3-0 lead that held through the period. In the second Anderson started on stop, but was reversed 40 seconds into the segment. He was able to escape the #3 ranked wrestler to make the score 5-1. Anderson was down to start the final frame, looking for an escape and takedown to get back into the match. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to find the escape and Barnett rode him for the entire two minutes to secure a 6-1 victory.
At 133 lbs #18 Julian Farber took to the mat to face Nicolar Rivera. Farber struck first, scoring a takedown one minute into the match and rode Rivera for the final two. He started the second frame on the bottom and escaped almost immediately and followed that up with an immediate shot that led to another takedown. Rivera managed to escape, making the score 7-1. Farber continued to work, nearly making good on two different shot attempts in the second. The wrestlers started neutral to open the final segment. Rivera was able to manage a takedown 40 seconds into the third period, which Farber immediately escaped to make the score 8-4. With 2:07 in riding time Farber took the match 9-4 to even the team score at 3-3.
#7 Cael Happel wasted no time scoring against Flex Lettini, as he dropped Lettini a meer 10 seconds into the match. It was clear Happel had bonus points on his mind as he allowed Lettini multiple escapes, but continued to attack and score takedowns in the opening frame. Happel lead 15-4 with 1:10 to go in the opening period. It took only 35 seconds longer for Happel to make it 21-6 and score five team points with the technical fall.
Allen Allard came to mat next for the Panthers for face the 14th ranke 149 pounder for Wisconsin. Joseph Zargo scored first in the second period when he reverse Allard and took a 2-0 lead to the final segment. Allard was able score an escape late in the third period, but couldn’t score a go ahead takedown. Zargo won with a 3-1 decision.
With the team score showing UNI leading 8-6 a match before the break, the 157 pounders came to the mat. #9 ranked Ryder Downey squared off with Luke Mechler. After a scoreless first frame, Downey scored an escape halfway through the second period to gain a 1-0 advantage. Mechler chose the neutral position to open the third period and scored a takedown to take a 3-1 lead. Downe was able to escape to get back within one, and got in deep with a shot with over half the period remaining. He scored the go-ahead takedown with 25 ticks remaining. Downey was able to hold on to take the win and give the Panthers an 11-6 lead at the break.
After the break Jack Thomsen took on 4th ranked Dean Hamiti. The Badger raced to a 6-1 lead by the end of the opening period. Thomsen deferred his choice to the third period and Hamiti chose the bottom position when action restarted. He escaped almost immediately, and took Thomsen down at the edge of the mat. Hamiti was after bonus points of his own as he released Thomsen and looked for a tilt. He gained a point when Thomsen was called for stalling a second time. Thomsen chose to start neutral in the third period, trailing 14-2. Thomsen was able to drive deep on a couple of shots, but was unable to finish for points. Hamiti was able to score the takedown to finish off the tech fall, drawing the two teams even at 11-11.
#29 Jared Simma and #12 Max Maylor stepped out for a tilt at 174 pounds. There a long scramble between the two wrestlers before a stalemate was called and Maylor came up in clear pain. He continued the match and was taken down. After a stoppage for injury timeout, Simma chose neutral and Maylor took down the Panthers to tie the match at 3-3. Simma started on top in the second frame. The wrestlers worked to the edge of the mat, and were whistled out of bounds at the 1:26 mark. At that point Maylor was credited with a point for locked hands, but the officials went to video review to reexamine the sequence. After review the call stood and the score was 4-3. Simma then proceeded to tilt the 12th ranked wrestler twice, before giving up a reversal. After two periods the score was 11-6 in favor of the Panther. Maylor surrendered an escape immediately to make the score 12-6. Simma, however, immediately went to work and eventuallyed scored another takedown to go up 15-6. Simma was able to ride out Maylor for the upset win to score a 16-6 major decision.
Top ranked and undefeated Parker Keckeisen stepped to the mat to take on the 16th ranked Badger, Sane Liegel. Keckeisen drew first blood with a takedown with 40 seconds remaining in the period. He rode out Leigel to finish the first frame. In the second period Leigel chose the down position. Keckheisen continued his ride, breaking down Leigel multiple times to maintain control. Leigel was able to escape at the :42 second mark, but was tagged with a stalling warning with ten seconds left in the period. Keckeisen started down in the third period and instantaneously rolled out for an escape. He followed that up with a double leg take down to gain a 7-1 advantage. Leigel escaped, but Keckeisen once again attacked, scoring points at the edge of the mat to take a 10-2 lead with :23 seconds remaining. The #1 ranked wrestler smelled blood in water when he gave Leigel the escape and looked for a takedown to gain a major decision. Leigel was able to fend off the attack, but the Panther senior took a 10-3 win and the UNI wrestling team held an 18-11 advantage.
Former West Delaware wrestler, and 24th ranked 197 pounder Wyatt Voelker stepped into the circle to face Josh Otto. Voelker opened the scoring with a takedown, but Otto escaped twice to make it 3-2, once in the first, and early in the second. Voekler then took down the Badger to take a 6-2 advantage, which held into the third period. The Panther picked up another point when he escaped in the third, then took down Otto with just under 30 seconds to go, good enough to give the Panther a 12-2 major decision win and lock up the team score in favor of UNI., 23-11.
Senior heavyweight, #19 Tyrell Gordon stepped onto the purple mat for one final match in the McCloud Center as he faced Gannon Rosenfeld. Gordon scored a takedown at the first period buzzer. It was initially not called, but after a video review Gordon was awarded the points. He escaped right away in the second to make the score 4-0 and took the Badger to the mat again for a 7-0 lead. Gordon rode Rosenfeld through the third period to lock up an 8-0 win to close out the seniors final home dual.
