University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Panthers Set For West Regional Championships Sunday
3/2/2011 7:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 2, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
NCAA West Regional
Sun., March 6, 2011
Clune Arena - USAFA, Colo.
Live Video: www.goairforcefalcons.com
The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team will look to capture its 27th West Regional title this weekend, heading to Air Force for the 2011 NCAA West Regional Championships on Sunday, March 6. Live coverage of the tournament can be found at www.goairforcefalcons.com.
PANTHER POINTS...
• UNI is seeking its 27th West Regional title this weekend. The Panthers have won 26 of the 30 West Regional Championships, including a string of 24 straight from 1986-to 2009. The Panthers have never finished lower than second place at the regional championships.
• For the fourth time in five years UNI claimed a share of the Western Wrestling Conference regular season title. The Panthers topped No. 24-ranked Wyoming 19-13 in the West Gym to take the regular season crown. In the five years of WWC wrestling, UNI has won the title outright three times and shared it once with Wyoming.
• Senior Caleb Flores earned Western Wrestling Conference Co-Wrestler of the Week honors after his win over Wyoming's No. 15-ranked Michael Martinez Sunday. The senior never trailed in the match, scoring takedowns in the first and second periods and an escape in the third period to earn the 5-3 victory. This is the first victory over a ranked opponent for Flores this season.
• David Bonin ended the dual season on an eight match winning streak, finishing with a 15-6 record in dual matches. Included in that streak are five major decision victories. Four of Bonin's dual losses came to opponents ranked higher than him. Bonin is ranked No.19 spot in the latest Intermat poll.
• Seniors Caleb Flores and Brett Robbins ended their dual careers on a high note as the pair both scored upset wins in the Panthers win over No. 24 Wyoming. Flores topped No. 15-ranked Michael Martinez 5-3 at 125 pounds before Robbins scored a 6-3 win over No. 17-ranked Cole Dallaserra.
• The NCAA has released the final coaches' panel and ratings percentage index (RPI) as well as the qualifier allocations for the 2011 NCAA Championships. The Panthers found four wrestlers ranked in the top 33 in the RPI and three in the final coaches' panel. In the RPI, Ryan Loder (184 lbs.) was the highest ranked Panther, coming in at No. 7. Christian Brantley (Hwt.) ranked No.11 followed by David Bonin (157 lbs.) at No. 24 and Ryan Jauch (133 lbs.) at No. 32. In the coaches' panel, Loder again was the highest ranked Panther at No. 8 while Brantley filled the No. 16 slot and Bonin came in at No. 19.
WWC AWARDED 15 AUTO QUALIFIER SPOTS AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The NCAA announced on Wednesday that the NCAA West Regional Tournament has been allocated 15 automatic qualifier spots for the 2011 Division I Wrestling Championships. Only members of the Western Wrestling Conference (WWC) earn bids to the NCAA Tournament at that event. The breakdown of the 15 automatic bids per weight class for the West Regional/WWC Championships, are as follows: 125 pounds (2), 133 (1), 141 (2), 149 (2), 157 (2), 165 (1), 174 (1), 184 (2), 197 (1) and Heavyweight (1). Last season, the NCAA West Regional Tournament, at which all WWC institutions currently compete to qualify for nationals, was awarded 14 automatic qualifiers. The WWC was also given three additional at-large bids for a total of 17 spots.
TAKIN' DOWN NO. 24
The Panthers dual win over No. 24 Wyoming marks the second time this season the Panthers have knocked off a ranked opponent. UNI previously topped then-ranked No. 24 Ohio State 20-19 during the National Duals (Jan. 8). The wins mark the first time in recent history the Panthers have topped two ranked teams in a season.
UNI's Wins Over Ranked Opponents (since 2004)
Jan. 22, 2005 vs. #6 Hofstra (22-14)
Dec. 20, 2008 at #21 Old Dominion (25-15)
Jan. 8, 2011 vs. #24 Ohio State (20-19)
Feb. 20, 2011 vs. #24 Wyoming (19-13)
ROBBINS PERFECT IN THE WWC
Brett Robbins finished the Western Wrestling Conference season with a perfect 5-0 record, including two wins over ranked WWC opponents. Robbins first knocked off returning All-American and No. 12-ranked Justin Gaethje (Northern Colorado) 3-2 before scoring a 6-3 decision over No. 17-ranked Cole Dallaserra (Wyoming). Since joining the dual line-up at the National Duals Robbins has posted a record of 9-3.
A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH
Ryan Loder has won 17 of his last 20 matches at 184 pounds, including five wins over ranked opponents. The redshirt freshman had his 12-match winning streak snapped by No. 5-ranked Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) by a 6-5 decision. Loder is currently ranked No. 8 in the latest Intermat poll, making him the highest ranked Panther.
A GOOD WAY TO END THE REGULAR SEASON
The Panthers finished the 2010-11 dual season on a high note, winning seven of their last nine dual matches, including a string of four straight. The Panthers two dual losses in that string came by a combined four points.
BRANTLEY UNDEFEATED...AGAIN
For the third straight season Christian Brantley finished the WWC season with a perfect 5-0 record. In three seasons, Brantley holds an 11-0 career record in WWC duals and a unblemished 5-0 record at the West Regional Championships.
LAZOR PASSES 20-WIN MARK
Sophomore Joey Lazor eclipsed the 20-win mark for the 2010-11 season with a 5-3 decision over Wyoming's Chase Smith (Feb. 20). Lazor is currently 20-7 this season and 7-2 in dual matches, including a 4-1 mark in WWC competition.
WWC DOMINATION
UNI finished the Western Wrestling Conference season with a perfect 5-0 record, including a 19-13 upset over No. 24-ranked Wyoming to claim the WWC dual season title. This marks the fourth season the Panthers have finished with a perfect record in WWC action. The Panthers finished with a 4-0 record in the first three seasons (2007, 2008, 2009) and finished the 2010 season 4-2. UNI claimed the first two regular season titles before sharing the title with Wyoming in 2009. Wyoming became the second WWC school to win a regular-season title, earning the crown in 2010.
All-Time WWC Dual Records (through Feb. 9)
UNI 21-2
Wyoming 23-5
North Dakota State 14-14-1
Utah Valley 12-13
Northern Colorado 12-18
Air Force 11-16
South Dakota State 2-27-1
SECOND COACHES PANEL, FIRST RPI RELEASED
Four University of Northern Iowa wrestlers find themselves ranked in the first RPI while three Panthers are ranked in the second coaches' panel. In the first RPI, Ryan Jauch (133 lbs.) ranks No.29, David Bonin (157 lbs.) comes in at No. 24, Brice Wolf (174 lbs.) holds down the No. 32 spot and Ryan Loder (184 lbs.) was the Panthers highest ranked wrestler, coming in at No. 7.
In the second coaches' panel, Loder ranked No. 10 while Bonin came in at No. 20 and Wolf at No. 30 in their respective weight classes. Both Loder and Bonin improved upon their initial rankings in the coaches' panel as Bonin was ranked No. 22 and Loder came in at No. 16 in the first coaches' panel rankings. Wolf was not ranked in the first coaches' panel.
BEALE KEEPS ON PINNING
Blayne Beale picked up his first career dual wins in decisive fashion last weekend, pinning Cal State Bakersfield's David Morgan in 5:18 before earning the fall over Northern Colorado's Konner Knudtsen in 1:07. Beale has won 12 matches this season by fall.
BEALE, BONIN PICK UP 20 WINS
Heavyweight Blayne Beale and 157-pounder David Bonin both surpassed the 20-win mark last weekend as each picked up three dual wins. Bonin wrapped up the dual season with a 23-10 record while Beale posted a 22-10 record.
BANACH, YOUNG PLACE AT DUHAWK OPEN
Terrance Young and Riley Banach each placed for the Panthers at the Duhawk Open last weekend with Young taking third place at 125 pounds and Banach placing fourth at 165 pounds.
BEALE JUMPS INTO STARTING LINEUP
Blayne Beale jumped into the starting dual lineup for the first time in his career against Iowa State on Feb. 4. The sophomore fell just short on getting his first dual win, falling to Iowa State's Kyle Simonson 3-2.
TICKETS FOR NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS SOLD OUT
The 2011 NCAA Division I National Wrestling Championships, taking place March 17-19 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., officially sold out of all-session tickets, and because of this no single session tickets will be available for the championships.
The NCAA Fan Festival, a free event for all fans, will be open March 17-19 from 1-7 p.m. each day at Lincoln Financial Field. Events include USA Wrestling National Team practices, the “Family Ties” National Wrestling Hall of Fame presentation and display, the NWCA Coaches Clinic and the annual Semifinals Preview Show. Additionally, there will be daily autograph sessions, a trivia contest, the WIN Magazine Memorabilia Show and a “Taste of Philadelphia” food, beverage and lounge area.
Tickets for the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., go on sale Thursday, March 17, 2011. To purchase tickets or for more information on the wrestling championships, log on to NCAA.com/wrestling.
BONIN PICKS UP A BIG WIN, EARNS WWC WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore David Bonin put on an impressive performance for the Panthers in their win against Northern Illinois, scoring a major decision win over then-ranked No.18 Bryan Deutsch, 14-4. For his efforts, the Broussard, La. native was named Western Wrestling Conference Co-Wrestler of the Week. This is the first time Bonin has earned WWC weekly honors. With the win, Bonin also found a spot in the Intermat rankings, coming in at No. 19.
LODER PASSES THE 20-WIN MARK
Redshirt freshman Ryan Loder eclipsed the 20-win mark with his dual win Friday evening over Northern Illinois' Brad Dieckhaus. Loder finished the dual season with a 24-9 record including a 14-7 dual record with four WWC wins.
PANTHER COMEBACK
After falling behind 9-4 against Northern Illinois (Jan. 23) the Panthers won six of the last seven matches, including five straight, to earn the 23-15 dual win. Brett Robbins sparked the run with a 8-2 decision at 149 pounds followed by a major decision from David Bonin at 157 pounds. Nick Pickerell (165 lbs.), Brice Wolf (174 lbs.), Ryan Loder (184 lbs.) and Christian Brantley (285 lbs.) also picked up wins for the Panthers.
PANTHERS PLACE AT GRAND VIEW OPEN
A trio of Panthers placed at the Grand View Open on Jan. 29 with Levi Wolfensperger taking runner-up honors at 133 pounds while Riley Banach took fifth at 165 pounds and Blayne Beale took third at 285 pounds.
A SPARK AT 141
After tossing his redshirt to join the Panther dual lineup at 141 pounds, Joey Lazor rattled off three straight dual victories for the Panthers, including a high-scoring and exciting 17-13 win over Nebraska's Mike Koehnlein.
THREE PANTHERS RANKED IN FIRST COACHES PANEL
The Panthers found three wrestlers ranked in the first of three coaches' panel rankings for the 2010-11 wrestling season. The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. David Bonin (157 lbs.) came in at No. 22 in the first rankings while Ryan Loder (184 lbs.) and Christian Brantley (285 lbs.) were both ranked No. 16 in their respective weight classes.
LODER CONTINUES TO RACK UP WWC HONORS
Ryan Loder picked up his third Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week honor after his win over then ranked No. 12 Josh Ihnen (Nebraska). Loder and Air Force's Cole VonOhlen are the only wrestlers to have won the distinction three times this season.
STARTING THE WWC SEASON OUT RIGHT
UNI opened the 2010-11 Western Wrestling Conference season on a high note, picking up two wins over WWC foes. The Panthers posted a 21-19 win at North Dakota State Friday (Jan. 14) before topping South Dakota State 38-9 on Saturday (Jan. 15).
AARHUS CLAIMS TITLE AT GLEN BRAND OPEN
Jamal Lawrence (149 lbs.) and Blayne Beale (285 lbs.) both placed third in their respective weight classes as well.
BRANTLEY PASSES THE 70-WIN MARK
Christian Brantley eclipsed the 70-win mark against Nebraska (Jan. 23), and now owns a 73-26 career record. Brantley is 22-6 this season and 14-3 in dual matches. Brantley also holds an impressive 39-13 mark in career dual matches.
ROBBINS RETURNS
Just a week after being granted a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA, Brett Robbins picked up two Western Wrestling Conference wins. Robbins scored a 5-4 decision over NDSU's Mark Erickson before earning a 12-2 major decision win over SDSU's Jimmy Hamilton.
PANTHERS TOP BUCKEYES
UNI recorded its first win over a ranked opponent since Dec. 20, 2008 with a 20-19 win over then-ranked No. 24 Ohio State at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. The Panthers' last victory over a ranked opponent was a 25-15 triumph over No. 21 Old Dominion.
LODER SHINES AT NATIONAL DUALS
Ryan Loder shined for the Panthers at the NWCA National Duals, going 3-0 with three dual wins over ranked wrestlers. Loder topped Missouri's No.13-ranked Mike Larson 3-1 and wrapped up the weekend with an 8-2 victory over No. 11-ranked Chris Perry (Oklahoma State). Loder also secured a 6-4 decision over Ohio State's No. 20-ranked Cody Magrum.
LODER NAMED WWC WRESTLER OF THE WEEK FOR THE SECOND TIME
Ryan Loder earned his second Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week honor after his performance at the NWCA National Duals. This is the second time this season the Granite Bay, Calif. native has been named WWC Wrestler of the Week.
BRANTLEY COMES UP BIG AGAIN
With UNI trailing 19-16 to No. 24-ranked Ohio State, UNI's Christian Brantley came up big for the Panthers, scoring a major decision over OSU's Dominic Jontony to give UNI the bonus team point and the dual victory. The win marked Brantley's fourth major decision win of the season. This also marks the second time this season Brantley has scored bonus points for the Panthers to give the team a dual win. Brantley also recorded a pin against Binghamton to give UNI a 18-15 win.
ROBBINS GRANTED SIXTH YEAR
Brett Robbins, who has struggled with injury throughout much of his career in the Purple and Gold, was granted a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA just prior to the NWCA National Duals. Robbins, who suffered season-ending injuries early in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, was granted medical hardships for those seasons from the NCAA, allowing him to compete for a sixth year. As a part of the Panther lineup, Robbins finished 1-2 at the NWCA National Duals at 149 lbs., picking up a major decision in UNI's win over then No.24-ranked Ohio State.
PLEDGES FOR PINS STILL ACCEPTING PLEDGES FOR 2010-11 SEASON
Panther wrestling fans still have time to donate to UNI's annual “Pledges for Pins” campaign. In its fourth year, “Pledges for Pins” is dedicated to help raise funding for the Panther wrestling program. Over the last three years, Pledges for Pins has made possible the Hall of Champions, a study area for the student-athletes, reconditioning of the mats, and more. You have an opportunity to help make the future even brighter!
A pledge promises a donation for every pin “Schwab's Mob” scores during the 2010-11 season (last year Panthers tallied 71 falls). Any amount from $1 on up is welcome, and you may specify a maximum number of pins for your contribution; for example, $5 x maximum 100 pins = $500. Also, consider making a pledge in honor or in memory of a former coach or teammate. All contributions are tax-deductible, and donors will receive a statement at the end of the season.
Outright donations are also welcome, but PLEASE specify to the UNI Foundation that your contribution is for this project. Send to: Pledges for Pins, UNI Foundation Financial Services, 1223 W. 22nd St., Cedar Falls, IA 50613-0239.
BACK IN THE TOP 15 AT MIDLANDS
UNI posted its highest finish at the 48th Midlands Championships since the 2008 season, finishing 15th in the team standings. The Panthers had three top-eight finishers including Ryan Loder (5th), David Bonin (6th) and Christian Brantley (7th).
FIRST TRIP TO THE MIDLANDS MEDAL STAND
Ryan Loder (184 lbs.) and David Bonin (157 lbs.) claimed their first career medals at the Midlands Championships finishing fifth and seventh, respectively. Neither wrestler came into the tournament seeded and both upset seeded wrestlers.
ANOTHER MEDAL FOR BRANTLEY
Christian Brantley earned his highest finish at the Midlands Championships, placing 7th at 285 pounds. Brantley placed 8th in 2008.
SWEET, SWEET REVENGE
A number of Panthers exacted revenge at the Midlands Championships as David Bonin, Ryan Loder and Christian Brantley each earned a win over an Iowa wrestler they had previously lost to. Bonin revenged an 8-4 decision to Derek St. John with a pin in 6:58. Loder pinned Grant Gambrall in 6:59 after falling 4-2 during the dual. Brantley secured a 6-3 decision over Blake Rasing after falling 2-0 previously.
BRANTLEY REBOUNDS
After falling 2-0 in a close dual to Iowa's No. 17 Blake Rasing, heavyweight Christian Brantley rebounded just two days later to top No. 14-ranked Eric Bugenhagen of Wisconsin. Bugenhagen scored an early escape to take a 1-0 lead, but Brantley responded with an escape of his own to force a sudden death overtime. Brantley prevailed, scoring the winning takedown with 0:33 remaining to earn the 3-1 decision.
BEETS RETURNS TO THE MAT
Returning All-American Jarion Beets returned to the mat after recovering from surgery to take the top spot at the Jim Fox Open at 184 pounds.
LODER NAMED WWC WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Ryan Loder was named Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week after his performance at the UNI Open. Loder claimed the 184-pound title, finishing the day with a 4-0 record including three wins by fall.
UNI OPEN CHAMPS
Terrance Young and Ryan Loder both picked up their first tournament titles of 2010, winning their respective weight classes at the UNI Open. Young captured the 125-pound title while Loder claimed the top spot at 184 pounds.
NOT A BAD DAY ON THE MATS
UNI finished the day with 14 top-six finishers at the UNI Open, including two titles and three runner-up finishes.
PERFECT AGAINST THE BEARCATS
UNI improved its record against Binghamton to a perfect 2-0 with a 18-15 victory over the Bearcats (11/27). UNI's first win over Binghamton came during the 2001 season when UNI topped the Bearcats 48-6.
BONIN COMES UP BIG
David Bonin came up big against Old Dominion for the Panthers, preserving a UNI win with a come from behind victory in the final match of the day. Bonin was down 4-1 after the first period, but came back to score a takedown with 0:37 seconds remaining in the first overtime period to score a 6-4 decision and give UNI the 19-15 dual win.
LATE MATCH HEROICS
The Panthers are making a habit of providing fans with exciting finishes to dual matches, most recently earning a pin in the final match of the day to pick up the 18-15 win over Binghamton. UNI trailed the Bearcats 15-12 heading into the final match before Christian Brantley secured the win with a pin in 3:17. A week earlier, UNI held on for a 16-15 win over Old Dominion.
OFF TO A GOOD START
First year head coach Doug Schwab posted a 4-1 record in his first five matches, marking the best record by a UNI first year head coach since Don Briggs' first season in 1983. Briggs also started the season 4-1 and eventually finished the year 17-3.
WOLFENSPERGER MAKES AN IMPRESSION
Levi Wolfensperger continues to impress at open tournaments for the Panthers, picking up his second title at 125 pounds. Wolfensperger captured the title at the Kaufman-Brand Open last weekend, posting a perfect 6-0 record including two wins by fall and two major decision victories. Wolfensperger is currently 20-2 this season in open tournaments and has won 13 matches by fall.
COMING OUT STRONG
After starting the match at 165 pounds against Old Dominion, UNI came out strong winning the first five matches to go up 16-0 early.
STARTING THE SEASON ON A HIGH NOTE
Nick Pickerell and Christian Brantley started the 2010-11 season on a high note, both finishing 3-0 at the Northwestern Duals while also earning bonus team points for the Panthers. Pickerell picked up a tech fall win against McKendree while Brantley finished the weekend with two major decisions in his matches against McKendree and UW-Parkside.
WIN THE HOME OPENER
For the second consecutive season UNI picked up a win in their season opener. The Panthers notched a 34-9 victory over McKendree at the Northwestern Duals and finished the weekend with a 2-1 record. UNI also started the 2009-10 season with a win, topping Eastern Michigan 22-12. This marks the first time since 1998 the Panthers have won consecutive season openers. UNI topped Georgia State to open the 1997 season and a year later topped Indiana.
BONUS POINTS
In UNI's match against McKendree, the Panthers won seven of the ten matches, while picking up bonus points in five of the matches. Jamal Lawrence pinned Ryan Jahn before David Bonin, Nick Pickerell and Brice Wolf recorded consecutive tech falls. Christian Brantley added the Panthers final bonus point of the day, picking up a major decision win.
PANTHER DOMINATION
UNI dominated the match against UW-Parkside, losing just one of the ten matches while earning bonus points in three matches.
PANTHERS SHINE AT HAROLD NICHOLS CYCLONE OPEN
A number of Panther wrestlers placed at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open (Nov. 13) while competing as unattached wrestlers including: Alec Hoffman (6th - 141 lbs.), John Simon (5th - 165 lbs.), Riley Banach (6th - 165 lbs.), and Blayne Beale (5th - 285 lbs.).
IMPRESSIVE FRESHMEN
Freshmen Levi Wolfensperger (125 lbs.) and Seth Noble (141 lbs.) have been impressive for the Panthers early on in open tournaments. Both Wolfensperger and Noble captured their respective weight titles at the Loras Open and a week later Wolfensperger took third at the Harold Nichols Open while Noble finished second. At the Kaufman-Brand Open, Wolfensperger claimed the 125-pound title while Noble finished second at 141 pounds.
PANTHER WRESTLING ON THE INTERNET
For those who can't make it to the West Gym to follow the Panthers live, you can see all the live action from the UNI's home duals online. UNI will be streaming video from all of its home duals this season for a nominal fee on UNI's Game Central. Visit www.unipanthers.com for more information.
Players Mentioned
