UNI Wrestling: 5 Medal, Team Takes 4th at Cliff Keen

Friday, November 30

Las Vegas, Nev.

University of Northern Iowa

Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite

Drew Foster 184 pounds 2018 Cliff Keen Zavatsky

Photo by: Cam Kramer

UNI Wrestling: 5 Medal, Team Takes 4th at Cliff Keen

12/1/2018 7:23:00 PM | Wrestling

PDF OF JIM KOCH OPEN BRACKETS

LAS VEGAS – UNI wrestling's fourth-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite ties the Panthers' highest finish under head coach Doug Schwab's tenure.

Of the 10 competitors, five medaled for UNI:

141 pounds | Josh Alber, fifth
149 pounds | Max Thomsen, seventh
165 pounds | Bryce Steiert, sixth
174 pounds | Taylor Lujan, third
184 pounds | Drew Foster, third

At 184 pounds, No. 6 seed Foster saw a rematch for the third-place match. After beating No. 3 seed Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) 9-6 yesterday, the two were paired again for the bronze medal.

Foster came out attacking and earned nearly 3 minutes of riding time to go on to win by 9-5 decision.

Foster opened the day with an 11-8 loss to No. 2 seed Taylor Venz of Nebraska and also helped the Panthers earn bonus points with a 1:32 fall over No. 9 seed Lou Deprez (Binghamton).

Lujan notched three falls in the two-day tournament to secure a third-place finish at 174 pounds by medical forfeit. He opened the day with a fall in 1 minute, 54 seconds to No. 2 seed Daniel Lewis of Missouri. He closed it out with a fall over Spencer Carey of Navy in 1:57 before Nebraska's Michael Labriola forfeited before the third-place bout started. Lujan was seeded third.

Alber was bumped to the 141-pound consolations with an 8-1 loss to No. 1 seed Joseph McKenna (Ohio State) 8-1. Kanen Storr of Michigan beat out Alber 6-3 for a shot at bronze. A medical forfeit from No. 3 seed Michael Carr (Illinois) awarded Alber the fifth-place finish.

Thomsen came out firing, earning bonus points in his first match of the day at 149 pounds, beating Daxton Gordon of California Baptist by major decision, 14-6. However, he wasn't able to hold off No. 10 seed Josh Heil of Campbell. Heil's takedown in sudden victory secured the 4-2 decision.

Thomsen responded with a dominant performance over Navy's Jared Prince to take seventh with a 12-6 decision.

At 165 pounds, Steiert lost 2-0 to No. 7 seed Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech and forfeited his remaining matches, leaving him with a sixth-place finish.

UNI FINISHES AT CLIFF KEEN INVITE
UNI did not compete in the 2016 Cliff Keen Invite. Last year was the highest finish in recent history:

2017 – 4th place
2015 – 12th place
2014 – 14th place
2013 – 6th place
2014 – 14th place
2012 – 8th place

TEAM SCORES (top 10):

Ohio State 148 points
Missouri 115.5 points
Nebraska 105.5 points
UNI 84.5 points
Michigan 82.5 points
Minnesota 79.5 points
Pittsburgh 77 points
Utah Valley 70 points
Rutgers 66.5 pointss
Purdue 65.5 points

JIM KOCH OPEN

UNI claimed titles at three weights and notched nine falls and seven tech falls. Of the 10 Panthers who competed, eight medaled.

The group claimed 43 wins and just 9 losses overall. Bryce Esmoil led the Panthers in falls with three on the day.

First place

Second place