Discover the Hidden Gems of Northern Iowa University

OFFICIALS – Eric McGill, Leo Mercado

ATTENDANCE – 3,113

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The UNI wrestling squad showcased their prowess at the McLeod Center on Sunday afternoon, as the tenth-ranked Panthers triumphed over No. 4 Nebraska in non-conference dual competition with a score of 24-9.

This significant victory for Northern Iowa marked their first triumph over the Cornhuskers in 34 years, as well as their first win against a top-five ranked team since defeating No. 3 Ohio State during the 2022 Collegiate Duals.

The Panthers achieved four individual victories over top-five ranked wrestlers, beginning with an impressive win by No. 31 Trever Anderson at 125 pounds against fifth-ranked returning All-American Caleb Smith. Cael Happel (141 pounds), Ryder Downey (157 pounds), and Parker Keckeisen (184 pounds) also secured top-five victories.

HOW IT UNFOLDED

Anderson set the stage early at 125 pounds by facing Smith. Following a scoreless first period, Smith gained the advantage in the second with a quick escape, but Anderson countered with a takedown. After Smith managed another escape, Anderson broke free again in the third period for a 4-2 lead before adding a point for riding time, concluding with a 5-2 win. This victory represented Anderson’s first dual win of the season and his second career victory over a top-five opponent, having previously won against No. 1 Jakob Camacho (North Carolina State) last year.

Julian Farber made his dual season debut at 133 pounds against No. 20 Jacob Van Dee. Van Dee took charge early, securing a takedown in the first period and an escape in the third. Farber fought hard in the final period, attempting a potential takedown, but ultimately came up short, losing the match 5-0 as Van Dee claimed an additional riding time point.

Eighth-ranked Happel (141 pounds) clinched his third career top-five victory, achieving his third consecutive win over No. 5 Brock Hardy in a comeback effort. Hardy surged to a 4-0 lead before Happel secured a takedown and managed a cradle for a pin, ultimately garnering four back points to lead 7-4. After Hardy surrendered a stalling point, Happel defended against Hardy’s shot attempts to clinch the match with a 7-4 win. 

At 149 pounds, No. 17 Colin Realbuto competed against No. 5 and All-American Ridge Lovett. Realbuto yielded an early takedown and three back points in the first period, trailing 6-1, and later allowed two more back points for an 8-1 deficit. However, Realbuto retaliated with a reversal and three back points after a Lovett takedown, narrowing Lovett’s lead to 11-6. After permitting Lovett to escape, Realbuto managed a final takedown, but ultimately fell short, concluding at 12-9.

No. 5 Downey (157 pounds), looking to redeem his loss to No. 3 Antrell Taylor from last month’s Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, had to rally after conceding a reversal to Taylor in the second period. After escaping from the reversal, Downey scored another escape in the third period, leveling the match at 2-2 and forcing overtime. With Taylor facing a stalling warning, Downey seized his late momentum with an impressive takedown, securing a 5-2 sudden victory. Downey improves his record in top-five ranked matchups to 2-0 with this triumph. 

After the break, No. 21 Jack Thomsen (165 pounds) provided Panther fans with another exhilarating matchup, squaring off against the undefeated Christopher Minto. Following a scoreless first period, Minto took a 1-0 lead with an escape in the second, but Thomsen equalized the bout with a third-period escape. In overtime, Thomsen drove Minto towards the edge of the mat before executing a sweep for the decisive takedown, securing a 4-1 sudden victory.

At 174 pounds, No. 16 Jared Simma faced No. 17 Lenny Pinto in a gripping contest that went down to the final moments. Simma seized a 4-0 lead heading into the second period, but Pinto reversed the momentum in the third, securing two takedowns for a 6-5 win.

Second-ranked Keckeisen dominated at 184 pounds against No. 5 and undefeated Silas Allred. After achieving a takedown, Keckeisen quickly capitalized on his opponent just 38 seconds into the second period, securing his second pin of the season and contributing six team points in the sole match of the afternoon that resulted in bonus points. This victory marks Keckeisen’s 43rd consecutive win in the regular season.

Wyatt Voelker (197 pounds) sealed Northern Iowa’s dual victory against No. 22 Camden McDanel, fighting back from an early 2-1 deficit. After trading escapes in the final two periods and McDanel taking a 4-2 lead late, Voelker surged in the final seconds, achieving the decisive takedown for a 5-4 victory, improving his record to 11-3 this year.

In the heavyweight bout, No. 16 Lance Runyon emerged victorious against No. 23 Harley Andrews in a match filled with multiple reversals. After Andrews initially led with a takedown in the first period, Runyon responded with a reversal to narrow the gap to 6-4 in favor of Andrews. In the second period, Runyon placed Andrews on his back, recording four back points, taking the lead at 10-5 and ultimately carrying the momentum to an 11-6 decision.

UPCOMING EVENTS

The Panthers are set to compete again on Jan. 10-11 as they host the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s (NWCA) National Multi-Divisional Dual Meet Championships inside the UNI-Dome. 

FINAL OUTCOMES (Intermat / FloWrestling rankings provided)

No. 10 UNI 24, No. 4 NEBRASKA 9

• 125 | #31/NR Trever Anderson (UNI) dec. #5 Caleb Smith (NU), 5-2
• 133 | #20/21 Jacob Van Dee (NU) dec. Julian Farber (UNI), 5-0
• 141 | #8/9 Cael Happel (UNI) dec. #5/5 Brock Hardy (NU), 7-5
• 149 | #5/5 Ridge Lovett (NU) dec. #17/15 Colin Realbuto (UNI), 12-9
• 157 | #5/5 Ryder Downey (UNI) dec. #3/4 Antrell Taylor (NU), 5-2 SV-1
• 165 | #21/19 Jack Thomsen (UNI) dec. Christopher Minto (NU), 4-1 SV-1
• 174 | #17/16 Lenny Pinto (NU) dec. #16/14 Jared Simma (UNI), 6-5
• 184 | #2/2 Parker Keckeisen (UNI) pins #5/7 Silas Allred (NU), Fall 3:38
• 197 | #15/13 Wyatt Voelker (UNI) dec. #22/29 Camden McDanel (NU), 5-4
• HWT | #16/17 Lance Runyon (UNI) dec. #23/28 Harley Andrews (NU), 11-6

UNI wrestling action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (University of Northern Iowa Wrestling), X (@UNI_wrestling) and on Instagram (@uni_panther_wrestling). Stay updated with the latest Panther news and information online at UNIpanthers.com.