University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Saturday, March 7
Tulsa, Okla.
University of Northern Iowa
vs
Big 12 Championship
Steiert, Lujan Earn Titles, Schwab Named Coach of the Year
3/8/2020 10:31:00 PM | Wrestling
TULSA, Okla. – Bryce Steiert and Taylor Lujan won Big 12 titles and Coach Doug Schwab was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year leading UNI to a third-place finish and the Panthers to six automatic qualifiers Sunday at the BOK Center in Tulsa.
Lujan's title is his second Big-12 Title of his, joining Drew Foster as the only two-time Big 12 Champions in UNI's short history in the conference. The titles are the fourth and fifth Big 12 titles for the Panthers. The title is also the third conference title for Lujan who earned a MAC championship as a redshirt freshman in 2017.
In the 174 title bout, Oklahoma's Anthony Mantanona picked up a first-period takedown to open the scoring before the two wrestlers traded reversals. Steiert earned an escape and a takedown to take his first lead late in the period, but Montanona earned an escape to tie the bout at 5-5 after one.
In the second, Montanona picked up an escape, but Steiert countered with a takedown. After an injury timeout, Steiert chose the bottom position and grabbed an escape to take an 8-6 lead into the third period. Steiert again chose bottom and earned an escape before grabbing a takedown, turning his opponent and earning the pin at the 5:52 mark in the bout. It was the only bout of the championship round and Steiert's second of the tournament.
Lujan controlled the match from the opening whistle at 184 against South Dakota State's Zach Carlson. He grabbed to takedowns within a 27-second span during the first period. He built a 5-4 lead after one and grabbed another takedown after an escape in the second period to take an 8-5 lead into the final two minutes. After Carlson earned an escape, Lujan took him down at the buzzer to close out the four-point win.
The wins pushed UNI to a final team score of 111.5, five points back of Iowa State. Oklahoma State finished first with 147.5 team points.
In other action, Carter Isley finished fourth, the highest finish of his career to earn an NCAA automatic bid. Jay Schwarm also finished fourth grabbing a spot in the NCAA Championship, Jack Skudlarczyk finished fifth after entering the tournament as the seventh seed, and he will wrestle in Minneapolis. Michael Blockhus finished fifth to secure his spot in the NCAA field.
With six wrestlers in the field for the championship, it is UNI's fourth consecutive season with six or more wrestlers competing at nationals. If Thomsen is selected as an at-large participant, the Panthers will match their best number of Schwab's tenure with seven (2014, 2017).
Max Thomsen exited the tournament early with an injury. He missed out on an automatic spot in the NCAA field and must wait for the decision of the NCAA selection committee. He is the highest-ranked wrestler at 149 that did not earn an automatic bid. He finished sixth despite forfeiting his final two bouts.
Paden Moore just missed out on an automatic bid at 157 where he entered the weekend unseeded. He closed out his tournament on the podium with a sixth-place finish.
Austin Yant dominated his seventh-place bout to the tune of an 8-2 win. He missed out on an automatic bid but finished higher than his eighth-seed that he entered the field in.
As a team, UNI scored the most team-points in program history and placed nine wrestlers in the top eight, the most in three seasons in the Big 12.
Schwab was named the Coach of the Year on a vote by the Big 12 head coaches. The conference honor is the first in Schwab's career in either the MAC or the Big 12.
The Panthers now prep for the NCAA Championship at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on March 19-21. The final field for the championship will be announced on Wednesday, March 11 at 6 p.m. on NCAA.com.
RESULTS
125 - Jay Schwarm - 3-2 - 4th - 14.5 team points - NCAA Qualifier
133 - Jack Skudlarczyk - 3-2 - 5th - 10.0 team points - NCAA Qualifier
141 - Michael Blockhus - 3-2 - 5th - 9.0 team points - NCAA Qualifier
149 - Max Thomsen - 1-3 (two medical forfeits) - 6th - 9.0 team points
157 - Paden Moore - 2-3 - 6th - 9.0 team points
165 - Austin Yant - 3-2 - 7th - 5.5 team points
174 - Bryce Steiert - 4-0 - 1st - 24.0 team points - NCAA Qualifier
184 - Taylor Lujan - 4-0 - 1st - 19.0 team points - NCAA Qualifier
197 - Isaiah Patton - 0-2 - DNP
285 - Carter Isley - 3-2 - 10.5 Team Points - NCAA Qualifier
Lujan's title is his second Big-12 Title of his, joining Drew Foster as the only two-time Big 12 Champions in UNI's short history in the conference. The titles are the fourth and fifth Big 12 titles for the Panthers. The title is also the third conference title for Lujan who earned a MAC championship as a redshirt freshman in 2017.
In the 174 title bout, Oklahoma's Anthony Mantanona picked up a first-period takedown to open the scoring before the two wrestlers traded reversals. Steiert earned an escape and a takedown to take his first lead late in the period, but Montanona earned an escape to tie the bout at 5-5 after one.
In the second, Montanona picked up an escape, but Steiert countered with a takedown. After an injury timeout, Steiert chose the bottom position and grabbed an escape to take an 8-6 lead into the third period. Steiert again chose bottom and earned an escape before grabbing a takedown, turning his opponent and earning the pin at the 5:52 mark in the bout. It was the only bout of the championship round and Steiert's second of the tournament.
Lujan controlled the match from the opening whistle at 184 against South Dakota State's Zach Carlson. He grabbed to takedowns within a 27-second span during the first period. He built a 5-4 lead after one and grabbed another takedown after an escape in the second period to take an 8-5 lead into the final two minutes. After Carlson earned an escape, Lujan took him down at the buzzer to close out the four-point win.
The wins pushed UNI to a final team score of 111.5, five points back of Iowa State. Oklahoma State finished first with 147.5 team points.
In other action, Carter Isley finished fourth, the highest finish of his career to earn an NCAA automatic bid. Jay Schwarm also finished fourth grabbing a spot in the NCAA Championship, Jack Skudlarczyk finished fifth after entering the tournament as the seventh seed, and he will wrestle in Minneapolis. Michael Blockhus finished fifth to secure his spot in the NCAA field.
With six wrestlers in the field for the championship, it is UNI's fourth consecutive season with six or more wrestlers competing at nationals. If Thomsen is selected as an at-large participant, the Panthers will match their best number of Schwab's tenure with seven (2014, 2017).
Max Thomsen exited the tournament early with an injury. He missed out on an automatic spot in the NCAA field and must wait for the decision of the NCAA selection committee. He is the highest-ranked wrestler at 149 that did not earn an automatic bid. He finished sixth despite forfeiting his final two bouts.
Paden Moore just missed out on an automatic bid at 157 where he entered the weekend unseeded. He closed out his tournament on the podium with a sixth-place finish.
Austin Yant dominated his seventh-place bout to the tune of an 8-2 win. He missed out on an automatic bid but finished higher than his eighth-seed that he entered the field in.
As a team, UNI scored the most team-points in program history and placed nine wrestlers in the top eight, the most in three seasons in the Big 12.
Schwab was named the Coach of the Year on a vote by the Big 12 head coaches. The conference honor is the first in Schwab's career in either the MAC or the Big 12.
The Panthers now prep for the NCAA Championship at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on March 19-21. The final field for the championship will be announced on Wednesday, March 11 at 6 p.m. on NCAA.com.
RESULTS
125 - Jay Schwarm - 3-2 - 4th - 14.5 team points - NCAA Qualifier
133 - Jack Skudlarczyk - 3-2 - 5th - 10.0 team points - NCAA Qualifier
141 - Michael Blockhus - 3-2 - 5th - 9.0 team points - NCAA Qualifier
149 - Max Thomsen - 1-3 (two medical forfeits) - 6th - 9.0 team points
157 - Paden Moore - 2-3 - 6th - 9.0 team points
165 - Austin Yant - 3-2 - 7th - 5.5 team points
174 - Bryce Steiert - 4-0 - 1st - 24.0 team points - NCAA Qualifier
184 - Taylor Lujan - 4-0 - 1st - 19.0 team points - NCAA Qualifier
197 - Isaiah Patton - 0-2 - DNP
285 - Carter Isley - 3-2 - 10.5 Team Points - NCAA Qualifier
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