UNI wrestling rounds out year at Soldier Salute

UNI wrestling at Soldier Salute

Dec. 29-30, 2022
Xtream Arena | Coralville, Iowa

SCHEDULE

Dec. 29 | 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Session One, 5-9 p.m. Session Two

Dec. 30 | noon-4 p.m. Session Three, 6-8:30 p.m. Session Four

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Fifteen Panthers will compete in the inaugural Soldier Salute wrestling tournament that recognizes and honors former, current and future service members set for Dec. 29-30.

The tournament is hosted by the Iowa City Area Sports Commission and includes a women's and men's division. Proceeds from the tournament will be split between the United Service Organizations (USO) and a development fund targeted toward the continued growth of high school girls wrestling.

Among the men's teams expected to compete: Citadel, Virginia Military Institute, Army, Navy, Iowa, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Columbia, Bellarmine, SDSU, Wyoming and Minnesota.

Wrestling attached for UNI:
133 | Garrett Funk (Fr. / Waterloo, Iowa / Don Bosco HS) 8-3
Took fourth at the Grand View and Harold Nichols Cyclone opens this year and was a three-time medalist at the state championships as a prep.

133 | Cory Land (Fr. / Moody, Alabama / Moody HS) 8-3
Opened collegiate career with win at Grand View Open and took second at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open. He took fourth at the UNI Open. Earned the 2022 National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Dave Schultz high School Excellence Award for the nation's most outstanding high school senior male wrestler for excellence in wrestling, academics, citizenship and community service. He was a four-time state champ in Alabama, notching a perfect 203-0 high school record. He was the first wrestler from Alabama to compete in the Cadet Greco-Roman World Championships, finishing eighth in 2019 U17 division and capturing a silver medal in 2021. He was the U17 Nationals champion in Greco-Roman in 2019 and 2021 and second in freestyle in 2019. In 2022, he became the second wrestler from Alabama to win a Junior men's freestyle title, winning at 132 pounds.

141 | Connor Thorpe (RFr. / Brookfield, Wisconsin / Brookfield East) 5-4
Thorpe finished second in the last two tournaments he's competed in: UNI and Harold Nichols Cyclone opens, losing to Iowa State's Jacob Frost in both the championship bouts. Thorpe went 15-7 last year and won the Grand View Open.

149 | Adam Allard (RFr. / Akron, Iowa / West Sioux HS) 7-6
Allard took fourth at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open earlier this year. He went 6-7 last year after competing in just one match during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, his first year at UNI.

149 | Ryder Downey (Fr. / Indianola, Iowa / Indianola HS) 8-3
Downey opened the season with a Grand View Open title and took second at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open. He was a four-time state medalist at four weights as a prep.

149 | Gable Fox (RJr. / Gilbertville, Iowa / Don Bosco HS) 4-6
Fox moved up a weight from 141 pounds last year. He was 8-7 overall and placed fifth in two opens. He competed at 149 pounds prior to last season.

149 | Cael Rahnavardi (RFr. / Cedar Falls, Iowa / Don Bosco HS) 5-7
After a 10-1 season his freshman year in 2022, Rahnavardi has placed in two open tournaments this year: fifth at the Harold Nichols and sixth at the UNI Open.

157 | Wade Mitchell (RFr. / Moville, Iowa / Woodbury Central HS) 5-7
Moved down a weight from last year, where he was only able to compete in two matches before a season-ending injury. He did not compete for UNI in 2020 and was a three-time medalist and two-time finalist at the state meet as a prep.

157 | RJ Weston (RFr. / Marietta, Georgia / Lassiter HS) 4-3
Weston took fifth at the UNI Open. He was 14-5 last year and won the Grand View and Harold Nichols Cyclone opens at 157 pounds. He took second at the Loras Open at 165 pounds in 2022.

157 | Evan Yant (RFr. / Waverly, Iowa / Waverly-Shell Rock HS) 6-4
Yant has opened the season with two second-place finishes. Teammate Derek Holschlag beat him out for the Daktronics Open title. He also finished second at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open.

197 | Adam Ahrendsen (RFr. / La Porte City, Iowa / Union HS) 4-6
Ahrendsen led the team in falls last year with 10. He took fourth at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open and fifth at the UNI Open this year.

Wrestling unattached:

125 | Trever Anderson (Fr. / Ankeny, Iowa / Ankeny HS) 7-4
Has placed in three opens this year: second at UNI Open, third at Harold Nichols Cyclone Open, fourth at the Grand View Open. Two-time high school state champ at 106 pounds (2019) and 120 pounds (2021).

197 | Wyatt Voelker (Fr. / Manchester, Iowa / West Delaware HS) 11-0
Voekler remains undefeated with three open titles so far this year: Grand View, Harold Nichols Cyclone and UNI opens. He is a two-time state champion for West Delaware High School. He was the USA Wrestling 16U Folkstyle Nationals champion in 2019 and the Junior Nationals Greco-Roman champion in 2021.

165 | Christian Minto (Sr. / Cape Coral Florida / NIACC) 3-2
Minto transferred to UNI this season after going 51-1 at NIACC. He is a two-time NJCAA national champion and a three-time NJCAA finalist and three-time ICCAC Wrestler of the Year.

Women's teams competing:

Life University
Iowa Wesleyan
Indiana Tech
Iowa
Tiffin
William Penn
Simpson
Central Methodist
Columbia
Cornell (Iowa)
Army WCAP

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