University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI Wrestling Opens 2013 Dual Season on Road
11/21/2013 1:00:00 AM | Wrestling
UNI vs. Northern Illinois
Site: DeKalb, Ill.
Venue: Northern Illinois Convocation Center
Date: Saturday, Nov. 23
Time: 10 a.m.
Video: http://www.niuhuskies.com/allaccess/?media=415299
UNI vs. NDSU
Site: DeKalb, Ill.
Venue: Northern Illinois Convocation Center
Date: Saturday, Nov. 23
Time: noon
Video: http://www.niuhuskies.com/allaccess/?media=415299
The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team opens its dual season at the Northern Duals against Northern Illinois and North Dakota State on the road Saturday.
UNI will face NIU at 10 a.m. and NDSU at noon.
The Panthers are ranked 17th in the nation and have a strong mix of veterans and young talent. In addition to All-American Ryan Loder at 184 pounds and returning NCAA qualifiers Joe Colon and Joey Lazor, the Panthers will start off the season with at least three key redshirt freshmen in the lineup.
Loder currently is ranked fifth among all Panthers for winning percentage. The first match of the season will be his 100th career win.
A LOOK AT UNI
- 125: DYLAN PETERS – redshirt freshman (3-0); Denver, Iowa
Peters is ranked 12th in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News and ninth by Intermat. He started his season at the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open with a championship, pinning his way to the title. He was on the mat for just more than five minutes all day. Last year as a freshman, he wrestled unattached at open tournaments and never lost by major decision, tech fall or pin and won three tourneys. His eight pins tied him for the most on the team. He was a three-time state champion in high school, losing just one match in his prep career. - 133: JOE COLON – senior (4-0); Clear Lake, Iowa
Colon is ranked 10th in the nation by AWN and 9th by Intermat. He had to beat out teammate and returning NCAA national qualifier Levi Wolfensperger to win his first tournament of the season. He scored bonus points in all his matches at the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open. He did not compete with the Panthers last season, but was a NCAA qualifier the prior year. He advanced to the quarterfinals of the national championships. He was undefeated in duals in the Western Wrestling Conference in the 2011-12 season. - 141: JOEY LAZOR – senior (0-0); McDonough, Ga.
Lazor is opening his season this weekend. After suffering some injuries, he redshirted his junior year and returned to finish just one round short of being an all-American at the national championships. He qualified automatically as the MAC champion by beating Northern Illinois' Kevin Fanta 1-0 at the conference meet. He also beat Northern Illinois' Tyler Argue 11-3 early in the Midlands Championships. Lazor went on to place seventh. Lazor is ranked 10th by AWN and ninth by Intermat. - 141: ADAM PERRIN – sophomore (5-1); Eldridge, Iowa
Perrin notched three pins in his opening tournament to take third at the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open. He was fifth at the tournament last year. He never gave up bonus points last season. - 149: GUNNAR WOLFENSPERGER – sophomore (2-1); Denver, Iowa
Wolfensperger had a strong start to his season with a pin at the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open. He took second overall. He placed fifth at every tournament he competed in last season and never gave up bonus points. - 157: JARRETT JENSEN – sophomore (4-0); Rapid City, S.D.
Jensen wrestled most of his freshman season in the 157-pound weight class before moving up to 165 last year for UNI. However, this year, he is back at 157 pounds and starting the season undefeated. Jensen is the first Panther to be named to the Academic All-MAC wrestling team with a 3.93 GPA in biology. - 157: TAYLOR BERGER – sophomore (5-1); Mount Carmel, Iowa
Berger notched a tech fall and pin at his first tournament for the season to take third at the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open. He placed in both of the tournaments he competed in last year. - 165: COOPER MOORE – redshirt freshman (4-0); Jackson, Minn.
Moore currently is ranked 15th by Amateur Wrestling News and Intermat after beating North Dakota State's Steven Monk in his season opening invitational. Monk was ranked in the top five of both polls prior to his loss. Moore won two open tournaments last year when he wrestled unattached. - 174: RILEY BANACH – senior (2-2); Ames, Iowa
Having wrestled at 165 pounds last year, Banach is trying his hand at 174 pounds. He took third at last years Finn Grinaker Cobber Open. Last year, Banach beat Northern Illinois' Billy Chancey 15-7 at the Flash Flanagan Open. He was one of 10 student-athletes from the Missouri Valley Conference to be named to the winter selection for the MVC Leadership and Service Award (formerly the Good Neighbor Award). - 174: CODY CALDWELL – sophomore (4-0); Waverly, Iowa
Caldwell is the second Panther to join the national rankings. Amateur Wrestling News puts him 18th in the nation, while Intermat ranks him 19th. He earned two tech falls in his first tournament. He beat North Dakota State's Hayden Zillmer 4-1 to win his second Finn Grinaker Cobber Open championship. Caldwell placed seventh at the Cliff Keen Invite last season. - 184: RYAN LODER – senior (0-0); Granite Bay, Calif.
Loder is UNI's sole returning All-American. He placed seventh. Loder currently is fifth among all Panthers for winning percentage. The first match of the season will be his 100th career win. He has never given up bonus points or a dual match. He was third at the Cliff Keen Invite last season. Nationally, AWN ranks him third, and Intermat has him fourth in the nation. - 197: JARED BARTEL – redshirt freshman (2-1); Mason City, Iowa
Bartel took second at his first tournament of the year, losing to teammate Basil Minto. He was third at the William Penn Open and fifth at the UNI Open last season. - 197: BASIL MINTO – junior (3-0); Cape Coral, Fla.
Minto is a newcomer to the Panther team. He transferred from NIACC, where he placed fifth at the NJCAA national meet for two consecutive years. He beat out teammate Jared Bartel for his first title as a Panther. He notched one major decision at the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open this year. - 285: BLAIZE CABELL – sophomore (4-0); Henderson, Ky.
Cabell had a strong start to his season with a pin in the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open. He went on to win the tournament by beating North Dakota State's Evan Knutson, 3-1. Cabell has moved into the 285-pound weight class after wrestling at 197 pounds for the last two years for the Panthers.
Northern Illinois (No. 52 - Intermat)
- 125: Braun Marquez – redshirt freshman; Amarillo, Texas
- 125: Nick Harrison – sophomore; Stillman Valley, Ill.
- 133: Nick Smith – senior, Ida, Mich.
- 141: Kevin Fanta – senior; Lake Zurich, Ill.
- 141: Tyler Argue – junior; Matteson, Ill.
- 149: Gabe Morse – redshirt freshman; Alto, Mich.
- 157: Andrew Morse – sophomore; Alto, Mich. (11th AWN / 18th Intermat)
- 165: Sam Bennett – junior; Anderson, Ind.
- 165: Trace Engelkes – redshirt freshman; Winnebago, Ill.
- 174: Billy Chancey – redshirt freshman; Braidwood, Ill.
- 184: Caleb Busson – junior; Wadsworth, Ohio
- 197: Shawn Scott – redshirt freshman; Holly, Mich.
- 285: Jared Torrence – senior; Norwalk, Ohio
North Dakota State (No. 29 - Intermat)
- 125: Hunter Weber – redshirt freshman; Marshall, Wis.
- 133: Justin Scherkenbach – redshirt freshman; Muskego, Wis.
- 141: Justin LaValle – senior; West Fargo, N.D.
- 149: Tyler Diamond – senior; Oroville, Calif.
- 157: Matt Gray – redshirt freshman; Twin Lakes, Wis.
- 157: Anthony Caputo – sophomore; Red Lake Falls, Minn.
- 165: Steven Monk – senior; Wassau, Wis. (7th AWN / 5th Intermat)
- 174: Hayden Zillmer – sophomore; Crosby, Minn. (19th AWN / 20th Intermat)
- 184: Kurtis Julson – junior; Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
- 197: Colt Castlebury – redshirt freshman; Douglass, Kan.
- 285: Evan Knutson – junior; Wassau, Wis.
UNI VS. NIU
The series with NIU and UNI dates back to 1958, but the teams haven't gone head to head since 2011. UNI leads the series 28-1-5 and won 23-15 the last time they met.
UNI VS. NDSU
UNI won six matches when they visited North Dakota Feb. 3, 2013. The win made the overall series record 18-2-1 with NDSU.
FINAL RESULTS: UNI 21, NDSU 15 (Feb. 3, 2013)
- 125-No. 10 Trent Sprenkle (NDSU) maj. dec. Ryan Jauch (UNI), 11-2
- 133-No. 9 Levi Wolfensperger (UNI) dec. Josh Rodriguez (NDSU), 8-2
- 141-No. 13 Joey Lazor (UNI) maj. dec. Mark Erickson (NDSU), 10-0
- 149-Clay Welter (UNI) dec. Joe Garner (NDSU), 9-6
- 157-David Bonin (UNI) maj. dec. Tanner Carlisle (NDSU), 14-1
- 165-No. 6 Steven Monk (NDSU) maj. dec. Jarrett Jensen (UNI), 14-1
- 174-Kurtis Julson (NDSU) dec. No. 19 Caldwell (UNI), 3-2
- 184-No. 6 Ryan Loder (UNI) maj. dec. Mac Stoll (NDSU), 10-0
- 197-Kallen Kleinschmidt (NDSU) maj. dec. Taylor Kettman (UNI) 12-3
- 285-Blayne Beale (UNI) dec. Evan Knutson (NDSU), 4-1
IN THE MAC
This weekend will be a clash of old and new for Doug Schwab's crew. It will be the Panthers' first official Mid-American Conference dual against Northern Illinois, and the team will face a former Western Wrestling Conference foe in North Dakota State.
UNI moved to the MAC for the conference meet only last season and is implementing its first full MAC schedule this year. Missouri followed the same format, while Old Dominion held out of the conference meet but jumped into the MAC this season.
UNI is coming off a third-place finish at last year's conference meet and currently is ranked fourth in the MAC behind Ohio, Missouri and Old Dominion.
Three Panthers lead the MAC rankings:
- 133 pounds: returning NCAA qualifier Levi Wolfensperger
- 141 pounds: returning NCAA qualifier Joey Lazor
- 184 pounds: All-American Ryan Loder
UNI AT THE NCAA DIVISION I WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Since Schwab has taken over the UNI wrestling program in 2011, the Panthers have seen a big jump in NCAA national finishes. The team had placed as low as 46th but tied for 15th place last season.
Only one all-American was lost to graduation. The Panthers return four NCAA qualifiers in Colon, Lazor, Loder and Wolfensperger.
RETURNING HOME - DONATIONS REQUESTED
UNI will open its home season against Wisconsin at 7 p.m. Nov. 30. The Panthers are calling on fans to help flood Toys for Tots with donations. Tickets for the match are $5. Season tickets are still on sale for $29 online HERE or by calling (319) 273-4849.
Players Mentioned
