UNI Wrestling to Open Season at Grand View Open

UNI wrestling at Grand View Open

Site: Pleasant Hill, Iowa
Venue: Southeast Polk High School
Date: Nov. 5, 2016
Time: starts at 9 a.m.
Live Stats: Trackwrestling.com

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – UNI wrestler Dylan Peters says he doesn't care to be in the limelight, but it will be hard for the two-time All-American to go unnoticed.
Peters is ranked No. 2 in most national polls and is the only Panther to earn the Mid-American Conference's top seed.
The Panthers will open their season at the Grand View Open this weekend, but Peters likely will sit this first one out as he continues to recover from an injury.
The "Human Bicep," as he is called by his teammates, is back for his final go-around at UNI wrestling. He is coming off a junior season that added to the highs and lows he has seen in his college career.
Last season, he finished 18-4 overall and placed second in the MAC Championships. He tore his ACL in a match against No. 17 Ryan Millhof of Oklahoma in early December. ACL tears usually end athletes' seasons, but Peters took a month off and went on to earn his second All-American title.
"He made up his mind right there, and that's a powerful thing," said head coach Doug Schwab. "There is nothing that will get in the way of that. It just won't happen."
Peters was seeded ninth for the NCAA tournament and pinned No. 5 Millhof in one minute, three seconds to move up a spot on the podium. He said the knee wasn't really a distraction, because he just wanted to focus on wrestling. Since the season ended, he has been in full preparation mode to be ready for his final season.
This off-season, Peters' summer days consisted of physical therapy in the morning and practice in the afternoons. Peters is on schedule to recover in time to compete this year despite an infection that delayed his rehabilitation.
Academics are also on track for Peters, who changed his major from biology. He plans to graduate this spring with a major in exercise science and is considering a post-collegiate wrestling career.
"I had always liked coaching and just working out, so I could see myself fitting into that," said Peters.

HIGHS AND LOWS
Peters entered UNI with just one loss on his prep record and won his first two college tournaments before he was hit hard with a much greater loss.
His grandfather died the night before a competition, but he said he knew his grandfather would have wanted him to wrestle that day.
"When I was growing up, in the summer, I would spend the weekdays with my grandparents," said Peters. "I would call my grandpa a second father. … I miss the guy."
After redshirting his freshman year, Peters went on to win the MAC Championships and become UNI's first freshman All-American since 1996.
Peters opened his sophomore season with 10 wins that included six falls and a tech fall. Leading up to the MAC Championships, his only losses were to Missouri's No. 1 Alan Waters, Cornell's No. 2 Nahshon Garrett and Virginia Tech's No. 4 Joey Dance (two times).
In the second meeting of the season, Waters gave Peters his fifth loss of the season to take the MAC title. Peters qualified for the NCAA tournament but was eliminated after losing his first two matches.
He looked to then-assistant Mark Schwab for answers and motivation to get back on the podium. Peters said Mark Schwab's guidance and encouragement made it one of his most rewarding off-seasons.
As a junior, Peters came out firing, winning his first eight matches, six of them with bonus points. He had knocked off No. 12 Ronnie Bresser of Oregon State and No. 13 Barlow McGhee of Missouri before heading to the Cliff Keen Invite.
Peters was rolling at Cliff Keen with a tech fall and first-period win before tearing his ACL in the bout with Millhof. It ended his run in the tournament and sidelined him until late January, but he continued to work with coaches Doug and Mark Schwab to make a plan to earn a second All-American title.
He tweaked his knee again after what Doug Schwab called a gutty performance against Iowa State's Kyle Larson. Doug Schwab gave him an out for the next day's match against Kent State, but he insisted.
"But that's the kind of kid he is," said Doug Schwab. "But for our other guys, it just proves … you don't have to feel perfect. If you get to the national tournament and you feel perfect, then good for you. That's awesome, because most guys don't. What they can compete with and overcome is incredible when you set your mind to it."
With both Schwabs' encouragement, he won his next six matches after tearing his ACL before falling to No. 10 McGhee in the title match at the MAC. His second-place finish earned him an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. He notched two first-period falls, including his season's fastest against No. 5 Millhof, en route to a sixth-place finish.

SENIOR YEAR
If successful, Peters will be just the ninth Panther to earn three Division I All-American titles. He said he also wants to see his team win its first MAC title, especially since UNI hosts this year.
He said this year's team reminds him of his high school days at Denver High School where every teammate had a goal in mind and the determination to get there. He said every teammate pushes one another to raise the bar of expectation and pursue high goals.
"I like to look at myself as a leader, but I am not a vocal guy," says Peters. "Especially looking at the kind of guys Doug (Schwab) has been bringing in, it's been good guys that work hard and know what they have to do and get it done."

SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets are still available. UNI opens its season Nov. 11 with a double dual. The $69 season package includes the MAC Championships, which determines the NCAA national qualifiers. MAC tournament all-session passes will be $25. Call (319) 273-4849 or go onlin e.

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