University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI wrestling: Incoming Panther earns NWOF honor in Montana
4/20/2023 4:41:00 PM | Wrestling
Two-time Montana state champion is the 12th UNI commit to earn the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award at the state level in program history
STILLWATER, Okla. --- Incoming UNI wrestler Izzy Moreno has been named the 2023 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award (DSHSEA) winner in the State of Montana, as announced by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Thursday afternoon.
The DSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service.
The DSHSEA was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January 1996. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997 and as a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016.
State winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community.
The Central Region, Midwest Region, Northeast Region, Southeast Region and West Region winners will be announced on April 26 and the national winner will be announced on May 3. UNI's Cory Land became the first Panther to be named the national award winner just last year.
A decorated, two-time Class AA champion out of Big Sky High School in Missoula, Moreno was born in Iowa with a rich wrestling history in his family. His father and head high school coach, Rick Moreno, was an NAIA national champion at Mount St. Clare, while his uncle, Mike, was a four-time Iowa high school state champion and three-time NCAA qualifier at Iowa State. Izzy's cousin Michael also wrestled at Iowa State, twice earning All-American recognition before joining the Cyclone staff as a graduate assistant.
Moreno qualified for the Montana state high school tournament four times, and in four different weight classes. After finishing in fifth place at 120 pounds as a freshman, Moreno won his first state title in 2021 at 132 pounds before finishing as runner-up as a junior at 145 pounds. Moreno capped his career with a state championship at 160 pounds this past February.
Just the third wrestler from Big Sky High School to commit to a Division I program, Moreno has trained and competed at a high-level while also managing Type One Diabetes, a condition he has had since he was 11-years old.
UNI's State Winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award
2023 - Izzy Moreno (Montana)
2022 - Cory Land (Alabama)*
2021 - Jared Simma (Kansas)
2020 - Cael Happel (Iowa)
2019 - Kyle Gollhofer (Georgia)
2017 - Jack Skudlarczyk (Texas)
2015 - Max Thomsen (Iowa)
2015 - Taylor Lujan (Georgia)
2014 - Josh Alber (Illinois)
2011 - Cody Caldwell (Iowa)
2009 - Bart Reiter (Iowa)
2007 - Charlie Ettelson (Iowa)
* Land was also named the Southeast Region and national award winner
2023 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award State Winners
State - Name, High School, Hometown, College Attending
Alabama - Carson Hall, Ranburne, Ranburne HS, Air Force Academy (Football & Wrestling)
Alaska - Liam Babbitt, Soldotna, Soldotna HS
Arizona - Markell Rivera-Cain, Glendale, Ironwood HS, North Dakota State
Arkansas - Justin Crutchmer, Hot Springs, Lake Hamilton HS, Oklahoma State (Football)
California - Beau Mantanona, Bermuda Dunes, Palm Desert HS, Michigan
Colorado - Weston Dalton, Pueblo West, Pueblo East HS, Nebraska
Connecticut - Jack Richardson, Danielson, Killingly HS, Johnson & Wales
Delaware - Luke Poore, New Castle, Caravel Academy
Florida - Cooper Haase, St. Cloud, Osceola HS, USMA West Point Prep
Georgia - Luke Cochran, Pendergrass, Jefferson HS, Central Michigan
Hawaii - Brycen Pagurayan, Kapolei, Kapolei HS
Idaho - Aden Attao, Boise, Borah HS, Oregon State
Illinois - Kannon Webster, Washington, Washington Community HS, Illinois
Indiana - Sam Goin, Crown Point, Crown Point HS, Indiana
Iowa - Ben Kueter, Iowa City, Iowa City HS, Iowa
Kansas - Nick Treaster, Newton, Newton HS, United States Naval Academy
Kentucky - George Ferree, Louisville, Trinity HS
Louisiana - Ernie Perry III, Bossier, Airline HS, Cornell
Maine - Derek Cote, Lebanon, Noble HS, Springfield College or Southern Maine
Maryland - Coleman Nogle, Laurel, Mount Saint Joseph, Harvard
Massachusetts - Rawson Iwanicki, Andover, St. John's Prep, Columbia
Michigan - Joshua Barr, Davison, Davison HS, Penn State
Minnesota - Max McEnelly, Waconia, Waconia HS, Minnesota
Mississippi - Nate Taylor, Olive Branch, Center Hill HS
Missouri - Carter McCallister, Columbia, Rock Bridge HS, Missouri
Montana - Izzy Moreno, Big Sky HS, Missoula, Northern Iowa
Nebraska - Kael Lauridsen, Bennington, Bennington HS, Nebraska
Nevada - Tyson Irby-Brownson, Henderson, Boulder City HS
New Hampshire - Anthony Fernandez, Nashua, Nashua HS South
New Jersey - James Mullen, Hopatcong, St. Joseph Regional HS, Virginia Tech
New Mexico - Adan Benavidez, Bloomfield, Bloomfield HS, Kent State
New York - Tyler Ferrara, Binghamton, Chenango Forks HS, Cornell
North Carolina - Jeremiah Price, State Road, Surry Central, Appalachian State
North Dakota - Boeden Greenley, Lisbon, Lisbon HS, North Dakota State
Ohio - Joseph Blaze, IV, Perrysburg, Perrysburg, Purdue
Oklahoma - Cael Hughes, Glencoe, Stillwater HS, Oklahoma State
Oregon - Hayden Walters, Central Point, Crescent Valley HS, Michigan
Pennsylvania - Rocco Welsh, Fredricktown, Waynesburg Central HS, Ohio State
Rhode Island - Jacob Joyce, Chepachet, Ponaganset HS, Stanford
South Carolina - Colt Schrader, Greer, Eastside HS
South Dakota - Owen Hansen, Gregory, Gregory HS, Augustana
Tennessee - Hunter Mason, Newport, Greeneville HS, Virginia Tech
Texas - Shawn Ryncarz, Arlington, James Martin HS, Morgan State
Utah - Kyison Garcia, South Jordan, Mountain Ridge HS, Penn State
Vermont - Coy Lyford, Randolph, Spaulding HS
Virginia - Patrick Jordon, Providence Forge, New Kent HS, Virginia Military Institute
Washington - Q'veli Quintanilla, Spokane, University HS, Utah Valley
West Virginia - Matthew Dolan, Martinsburg, Spring Mills HS, West Virginia
Wisconsin - Greyson Clark, Wrightstown, Kaukauna HS, Purdue
Wyoming - Lane, Catlin, Gillette, Thunder Basin HS, Wyoming
Players Mentioned
