UNI Wrestling: 4 Panthers in 2018 Midlands Finals

UNI wrestling at 56^th annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships

Sears Centre Arena | Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Dec. 30, 2018 | 7 p.m. CT session 2 – 3 mats (first-, third- and fifth-place matches)

FloWrestling ($) | BTN Plus ($) | Trackwrestling for live scoring

PDF OF BRACKETS AFTER SESSION 3

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – UNI wrestling secured seven spots on the podium at the 56^th annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships today.

Four Panthers will compete for a title, the most of any UNI team in program history. UNI has never had more than two wrestlers in the Midlands finals.

Kyle Biscoglia opened with a win but fell to No. 14 Travis Piotrowski of Illinois, who was seeded fifth. UNI's true freshman bounced back and beat three-time NCAA qualifier Elijah Oliver of Indiana in a 3-1 decision for the seventh-place medal.

Coming into the tournament, Josh Alber was the only Panther on the current roster to have medaled at the event. His second-place finish at 133 pounds in 2015 led the team to a 13^th-place finish.

TONIGHT'S MATCHUPS

The Panthers will see some rematches in tonight's finals set for 7 p.m.

141 | Josh Alber – will face (2) Max Murin in the finals
141 | Michael Blockhus (unattached) – will face (5) Yahya Thomas (Northwestern) for third place
149 | Max Thomsen – will face 1) Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) in the finals; Thomsen beat Kolodzik in an exhibition match at the 2017 NWCA All-Star Classic
165 | Bryce Steiert – will face (3) Josh Shields (Arizona State), who was seventh at 157 pounds at the 2018 NCAA championships
174 | Taylor Lujan – will face (1) Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) in the finals; Valencia is the returning NCAA champion and beat Lujan two times last season
184 | Drew Foster – will face (2) Cash Wilcke (Iowa), two-time NCAA qualifier

TEAM SCORING

Bonus points helped UNI surge ahead in team scoring to sit in second behind Iowa. All of Steiert's and Foster's wins have come with bonus points.

Every Panther competing for a medal has earned bonus points for the team.

The Panthers are looking to improve on their fifth-place finishes from 2013 and 1974. Team scores after the third session:

Iowa 173
UNI 111.5
Northwestern 101
Wisconsin 96.5
Princeton 81.5
Arizona State 77
Fresno State 69.5
Army 68
Illinois 61
Campbell 57.5
Central Michigan 55.5
Northern Illinois 52.5
Arizona State 39
Brown 37
Bucknell 35
Ohio State – unattached 31
North Carolina – unattached 30.5
UNI – unattached 29
Maryland 28.5
Penn 28

Here's a look at top-10 finishes prior to the Schwab era and how the Panthers have placed since Schwab took over at the 2010 Midlands:

1974 – 47 points / fifth
1992 – 53 points / seventh
2003 – 75 points / seventh
2004 – 76.5 points / sixth
2005 – 79 points / seventh
2006 – 67 points / seventh
2008 – 49 points / 12th
2010 – 45 points / 15th
2011 – 41.5 points / T16th
2012 – 49.5 points / 13th
2013 – 70.5 points / fifth
2014 – DNC
2015 – 45 points / 13th
2016 – DNC
2017 – DNC

Final matches get underway 7 p.m. CT Sunday.

COMPLETE RESULTS (SEED)

125 | Kyle Biscoglia (unattached) – 7^th place

W - (7) Michael McGee (Old Dominion) 7-5 SV1
L - (10) Carmen Ferrante (Penn) 12-2 MD
W - Trey Keeley (Brown) 6-0
W - Trey Chalifoux (Army) 5-4

Day 2:

W - (9) Drew Hildebrandt (Central Michigan) 2-0
L - (5) Travis Piotrowski (Illinois) 5-0
W - Elijah Oliver (Indiana) 3-1

141 | (1) Josh Alber

W - Conner Noonan (Oregon State) 4:52 F
W - Patrick Quinlan (Franklin and Marshall) 8-0 MD
W - AJ Vindici (Penn) 7-3
W - Peter Lipari (Rutgers) 6-3

Day 2:

W - (5) Yahya Thomas (Northwestern) 5-1
NEXT (2) Max Murin (Iowa)

141 | Michael Blockhus

W - (6) Mike Vanbrill (Rutgers) 15-3 MD
W - Marshall Keller (Princeton) 6-4 SV1
W - Joey Gould (Bucknell) 8-3

Day 2:

L - (2) Max Murin (Iowa) 8-0 MD
W - Corey Shie (Army) 6-3
NEXT (5) Yahya Thomas (Northwestern)

149 | (3) Max Thomsen

W - Cole Riemer (University of Chicago) 7-3
W - Garrett Model (Wisconsin) 14-4 MD
W - (11) Khristian Olivas (Fresno State) 13-2 MD

Day 2:

W - (2) Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) 7-4
NEXT (1) Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton)

165 | (4) Bryce Steiert

W – Anthony Petrone (Northwestern) 2:08 F
W - Bret Fedewa (Central Michigan) 16-0 TF
W - Kellen Ekern (Old Dominion) 1:16 F
W - (5) Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) 10-1 MD

Day 2:

L - (1) Evan Wick (Wisconsin) 9-0 MD
W - (7) Jonathan Viruet (Brown) 14-2 MD
NEXT (3) Josh Shields (Arizona State)

174 | (2) Taylor Lujan

W - Nick Stephani (Bucknell) 1:36 F
W - Ryan Karoly (North Carolina) 5-2
W - (7) Carver James (Illinois) 5:37 F

Day 2:

W - (6) Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) 0:42 F
NEXT (1) Zahid Valencia (Arizona State)

184 | (1) Drew Foster

W - Jonathan Morales (Purdue) 20-4 TF
W - Jacob Gray (Central Michigan) 3:59 F
W - (8) Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State) 12-2 MD

Day 2:

W - Jackson Hemauer (Fresno State) 11-1 MD
NEXT (2) Cash Wilcke (Iowa)

PAST PANTHER FINISHES AT MIDLANDS

2015 133 2nd Josh Alber
2013 125 4th Dylan Peters
2013 133 1st Joe Colon
2013 165 5th Cooper Moore
2012 141 7th Joey Lazor
2012 184 4th Ryan Loder
2011 133 7th Joe Colon
2011 184 3rd Ryan Loder
2010 157 6th David Bonin
2010 184 5th Ryan Loder
2010 285 7th Christian Brantley
2008 149 8th Charlie Ettelson
2008 157 8th Tyson Reiner
2008 165 3rd Moza Fay
2008 285 8th Christian Brantley
2007 197 6th Andrew Anderson
2006 141 4th Charlie Ettelson
2006 157 3rd Moza Fay
2006 157 8th Colby Goetsch
2006 165 3rd Nick Baima
2006 197 6th Andrew Anderson
2005 125 6th Seth Wright
2005 141 3rd Charlie Ettelson
2005 165 1st Nick Baima
2005 197 5th Andrew Anderson
2004 149 3rd Jeff Harrison
2004 165 6th Nick Baima
2004 197 3rd Sean Stender
2003 141 5th Dylan Long
2003 149 7th Jon Garvin
2003 165 6th Heston Johnson
2003 174 3rd Eric Hauan
2003 197 4th Sean Stender
2002 141 1st Dylan Long
2002 149 8th Jon Garvin
2002 174 5th Eric Hauan
1996 177 7th Ben Barton
1994 126 T-6th Scott Murray
1994 Hwt 5th Justin Greenlee
1993 118 3rd Soctt Murray
1993 Hwt 2nd Justin Greenlee
1992 118 4th Brad Bruhl
1992 158 2nd Jamie Byrne
1992 190 2nd Dave Malecek
1991 118 6th Brad Bruhl
1991 177 1st Rich Powers
1990 177 3rd Rich Powers
1988 Hwt 1st Joel Greenlee
1981 190 5th Kirk Myers
1979 126 4th Brent Hagen
1974 134 3rd Jim Miller
1974 142 5th Tom Garcia
1974 142 3rd Ken Snyder
1974 150 5th Jim Blasingame
1974 Hwt 6th Randy Omvig
1973 134 1st Tom Garcia
1973 Hwt 6th Randy Omvig
1971 Hwt 3rd Mike McCready
1965 145 3rd Jerry Bond
1965 191 4th Don Parker

OTHER PANTHERS ELIMINATED DAY 1:

125 | (12) Jay Schwarm - DNP

W - Ethan Rotondo (Wisconsin) 2:56 F
L - (5) Travis Piotrowski (Illinois) 5-1
L - Brandon Cray (Maryland) 3:33 F

133 | Jack Skudlarczyk - DNP

L - (4) Noah Gonser (Campbell) 4-2
L - Deven Perez (Central Michigan) 7-6

133 | Drew Bennett (unattached) - DNP

W - Savion Haywood (Old Dominion) 18-5 MD
L - Devan Turner (Oregon State) 5-2
W - Killian Cardinale (Old Dominion) 7-5
W - Honor Nguyen (SIU-E) 16-1 TF
L - (12) Joey Silva (Michigan) 10-2 MD

157 | Patrick Schoenfelder - DNP

L - Davey Tunon (Indiana) 3:19 F
L - Joe Oliva (Penn) 8-2

157 | Cayd Lara (unattached) - DNP

L - (4) Mike D'Angelo (unattached) 17-2 TF
W - Cole Smith (Old Dominion) 4:49 F
L - Logan Parks (Central Michigan) 8-1

197 | (13) Tyrell Gordon - DNP

W - Aric Bohn (SIU-E) 8-2
L - (4) Rocco Caywood (Army) 4-2
L - (10) Josh Hokit (Fresno State) 7-3

285 | Izaak Shedenhelm - DNP

L - (1) Sam Stoll (Iowa) 1:58 F
L - Robert Heald (Army) 6:38 F

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