UNI wrestling: Panther Train hosts Wyoming in first home dual

Wyoming (0-2 / 0-2 Big 12) vs. No. 13 UNI wrestling (2-1 / 0-0 Big 12)

7 p.m. | Jan. 5
McLeod Center (6,500) | Cedar Falls, Iowa

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — UNI wrestling will open Big 12 dual competition with Wyoming in the Panthers' first home dual Jan. 5.

The Panthers took a leap to No. 13 in the latest NWCA rankings after wins over No. 3 Ohio State and Lock Haven at the Collegiate Duals.

While the Panthers have hosted some duals in McLeod, this will be the first season since 2010 that the entire schedule has been moved. This will be the first season under head coach Doug Schwab that UNI will wrestle a full season in the McLeod Center. The Panthers competed in the McLeod Center in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons before returning to the West Gym.

The change of venue opens up the opportunity to move up the national attendance rankings. The Panthers' former venue, the West Gym, was built in 1925 and held 2,100. The McLeod Center seats 6,500. UNI finished 14th in the nation for annual attendance among Division I wrestling programs a year ago. Since head coach Doug Schwab took over in 2011, UNI has cracked the top 10 in attendance four times (2014-17).

UNI is entering its sixth season in the Big 12 after joining the league ahead of the 2017-18 season. The Panthers were in the Mid-American Conference.

UNI vs. WYOMING

The UNI Panthers are 13-6 against the Wyoming Cowboys. Schwab is 1-1 with the most recent meeting ending in a 27-12 UNI loss in Laramie, Wyoming, in 2012.

The potential lineups could lead to four rematches at 149 pounds, 157 pounds, 174 pounds and heavyweight. Colin Realbuto (149), Lance Runyon (174) and heavyweight Tyrell Gordon all have recent wins over Cowboy starters.

UNI PANTHERS (2-1 overall / 0-0 Big 12)

UNI is undefeated in duals at three weights with Parker Keckeisen leading in scoring for the Panthers at 184 pounds. Keckeisen has racked up 13 points with a fall, a major decision and a decision. He pinned then-ranked No. 2 Trent Hidlay of NC State to avenge a loss earlier in the season.

Keckeisen has just four career losses at the hands of three opponents. He has avenged losses to two of the opponents. Two-time NCAA Division I champion Aaron Brooks remains the only wrestler Keckeisen has faced and not beaten at least once.

Colin Realbuto (149 pounds) and Austin Yant (165 pounds) both have scored 10 points each for the Panthers. In addition to a perfect dual season, Yant is on a 10-match win streak. The senior leads UNI in career wins with a 59-32 record.

Cael Happel (141 pounds) leads the team in top-20 wins with four so far this season. He is the only Panther to earn Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honors.

Doug Schwab needs one more victory for his 100th career win as a head coach. He is 99-67 overall with a .593 winning percentage.

WYOMING COWBOYS (0-2 overall / 0-2 Big 12)

The Pokes are coached by Mark Branch, who is in his 15th year with Wyoming. He has the second most wins in program history with an overall record of 131-80.

Wyoming opened the dual season with a 34-3 loss to Oklahoma State. Job Greenwood (141 pounds) was the sole winner for the Cowboys knocking off No. 13 Carter Young of OSU, 4-3. The Cowboys' second dual loss came to Air Force, 25-11. The Pokes picked up wins from Darren Green at 141 pounds, Bryce Dauphin at 157 pounds and Hayden Hastings at 174 pounds.

Wyoming is returning six starters, which includes three NCAA qualifiers. The team is coming off a 4-5 record in 2022. They are led by Hastings (174), Wright (157) and Cole Moody (165).

PROBABLE MATCHUPS (Intermat / FloWrestling)

125 | Kyle Gollhofer (UNI) vs. Garrett Ricks (Wyoming)

Gollhofer was fifth at the Daktronics Open. He has started all three duals this year, matching last year's total number.
Ricks is a junior and a two-time NJCAA All-American in his first season with the Pokes and a three-time state champion in Minnesota as a prep.

133 | #12 / #15 Kyle Biscoglia or Julian Farber (UNI) vs. Darrick Stacey (Wyoming)

Biscoglia already has three top-20 wins this season and was third at the Cliff Keen Invite. Farber was second at the UNI Open and third at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open.
Stacey is a senior projected to compete in his first bout of the year. He went 7-10 last season with five pins.

141 | #9 / #7 Cael Happel (UNI) vs. HM Job Greenwood or Darren Green (Wyoming)

Happel is the only Panther with a Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honor so far this year. He took second at the Cliff Keen Invite and has four top-20 wins so far this season.
Greenwood holds a 6-2 record during his senior season. Green is a junior who started in the final six duals for the Cowboys last year, picking up wins in three.

149 | #12 / #14 Colin Realbuto (UNI) vs. Chase Zollmann (Wyoming)

Realbuto leads the series with Zollmann 1-0. The two met earlier this year at the 2022 Cliff Keen Invite, where Realbuto won 9-3. Realbuto is coming off the Collegiate Duals with two top-20 wins, beating No. 3 Sammy Sasso of Ohio State, 9-7, and No. 19 Jackson Arrington of NC State, 5-4.
Zollmann, a senior, competed in four duals last year for the Pokes.

157 | #24 / NR Derek Holschlag or RJ Weston (UNI) vs. #10 / #9 Jacob Wright (Wyoming)

Then-ranked No. 15 Wright edged out Holschlag 5-4 in their last meeting at the 2022 Big 12 Championships. Holschlag opened the season with a Daktronics Open title. He is 2-1 in duals this season. Weston is coming off a fifth-place finish at the Soldier Salute that includes a win over No. 30 Nathan Lukez of Army.
Wright, a grad student, is a three-time NCAA qualifier. He is coming off a season where he earned a career-best third place at the Big 12 Championships. He won the Soldier Salute last weekend.

165 | #10 / #14 Austin Yant (UNI) vs. Cole Moody (Wyoming)

Yant is undefeated with a 10-match win streak and 3-0 in duals. He notched a major decision over No. 18 Tony Negron of Arizona State at the Cliff Keen Invite before having to medically forfeit for sixth place.
Moody, a senior, is back after injury ended his season early last year. He qualified for the NCAA championships in 2021.

174 | #13 / #12 Lance Runyon or Carson Babcock (UNI) vs. #33 / HM Hayden Hastings (Wyoming)

Runyon has the series advantage over Hastings. Runyon won 5-1 at the 2022 Big 12 Championships. Runyon opened the year with a 47-second fall at the Collegiate Duals against Lock Haven's Tyler Stotzfus. He was edged out by No. 7 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) and remains 1-1 overall this year. Babcock has one career dual under his belt and has placed in three open tournaments this season.
Hastings comes to Cedar Falls with 102 career wins. He took third at the Soldier Salute, pushing over the 100 mark. He is a four-time NCAA qualifier and was fifth at last year's Big 12 Championships.

184 | #2 Parker Keckeisen (UNI) vs. Guillermo Escobedo or Quayin Short (Wyoming)

Keckeisen is a two-time all-American and the reigning Big 12 champion. He has amassed bonus points in six of his nine wins this season and has never given up bonus points in his career.
Escobedo is a redshirt sophomore carrying a 9-8 record into Thursday night. Short is a redshirt freshman who competed in two open tournaments last year.

197 | Noah Glaser or Kalob Runyon (UNI) vs. FF

Injury ended Glaser's season early last year. He returned to open the dual season with a win over Lock Haven's Brad Morrison. Runyon, the younger brother to teammate Lance Runyon, has placed in three open tournaments this year.

285 | #14 / #13 Tyrell Gordon (UNI) vs. Terren Swartz or Mason Ding (Wyoming)

In an extra bout in 2022, Gordon outlasted Swartz, winning 2-1 in a bout that was decided in the first tiebreaker. Gordon faced the most top-25 opponents of any Panther last year with 11. He earned his first top-20 career win with a 4-2 decision over Zachary Knighton-Ward (Hofstra). He has three top-15 wins so far this year, beating Ohio State's Tate Orndorff, who was ranked at No. 7 and No. 9, twice and No. 14 AJ Nevills (South Dakota State)
Swartz is in his second year as a starter for Wyoming. He competed in his first Big 12 Championship last season. Ding is a redshirt freshman with a 10-5 record this season.

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