Wrestling Posts UNI's Best Finish at Midlands

Saturday, December 29

Evanston, IL

University of Northern Iowa

Ken Kraft Midlands Championships

Wrestling Posts UNI's Best Finish at Midlands

12/30/2018 9:35:00 PM | Wrestling

PDF OF FINAL BRACKETS

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – For the first time in UNI wrestling history, the Panthers crowned two champions and earned the highest team finish since competing at the Midlands Championships.

Josh Alber and Drew Foster led the team to second place and lived up to their top seeds to become UNI's seventh and eighth Midlands champions at the 56^th annual tournament today.

After a scoreless first period in the 141-pound match, Alber earned an escape in the second and notched two takedowns in the final period to beat Iowa's No. 2 seed Max Murin, 5-2.

Foster plowed his way through the 184-pound weight class with a fall, a tech fall and two major decisions before edging out Iowa's Cash Wilcke in the finals, 3-2.

Four Panthers competed for a title, the most of any UNI team in program history. In 1992, UNI had two finalists who finished second. This is the first time UNI has crowned two champions.

Max Thomsen and Taylor Lujan finished second at 149 pounds and 174 pounds, respectively. Thomsen toppled No. 2 seed Alec Pantaleo of Michigan, 7-4. However, he wasn't able to beat top-seeded Matthew Kolodzik of Princeton, who was third at last year's national championships. Thomsen lost by decision, 3-1.

Lujan got on the board early with a takedown against the reigning NCAA champion and the No. 1 seed Zahid Valencia of Arizona State. However, he fell by major decision, 17-7. Lujan ended the tournament with three falls, including two in the first period.

Bryce Steiert was seeded fourth and racked up bonus points all weekend at 165 pounds. All of his wins were by major decision, tech fall or fall. The single riding time point in the bronze medal match left Steiert with a fourth-place finish.

Michael Blockhus also finished fourth wrestling unattached at 141 pounds. The true freshman opened the tournament with a 15-3 major decision win over No. 6 seed Mike Vanbrill of Rutgers. He fell 8-1 to the No. 5 seed Yahya Thomas of Northwestern to take fourth.

Kyle Biscoglia beat three-time NCAA qualifier Elijah Oliver of Indiana in a 3-1 decision for the seventh-place medal at 125 pounds.

TEAM SCORING
Bonus points helped UNI surge ahead in team scoring finish second to Iowa. Every Panther competing for a medal earned bonus points for the team.

The Panthers improved on their fifth-place finishes from 2013 and 1974:

Iowa 184
UNI 119.5
Northwestern 110
Wisconsin 976.5
Princeton 92.5
Arizona State 83
Fresno State 69.5
Army 68
Illinois 65
Campbell 57.5
Central Michigan 56.5
Northern Illinois 53.5
Arizona State - unattached 46
Brown 38
Bucknell 33
Ohio State – unattached 31.5
North Carolina – unattached 30.5
UNI – unattached 29
Maryland 28.5
Penn 28

NEXT UP
UNI will face South Dakota State in Brookings, South Dakota, Jan. 11. The Panthers follow it up with a dual against Nebraska on the road.

UNI returns home to host Air Force 2 p.m. Jan. 20.

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 – 1^st place
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
W - (2) Max Murin (Iowa), 5-2

141 | Michael Blockhus – 4^th place
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
L - (5) Yahya Thomas (Northwestern), 8-1

149 | (3) Max Thomsen – 2^nd place
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
L - (1) Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) 3-1

165 | (4) Bryce Steiert – 4^th place
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
L - (3) Josh Shields (Arizona State) 3-2

174 | (2) Taylor Lujan – 2^nd place
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
L - (1) Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) 17-7 MD

184 | (1) Drew Foster – 1^st place
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
W - (2) Cash Wilcke (Iowa) 3-2

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

PANTHER TEAM FINISHES
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

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