University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Oklahoma State
UNI wrestling hosts Cowboys, Sooners in key weekend of Big 12 duals
1/23/2025 10:15:00 AM | Wrestling
Panthers take on No. 5 Oklahoma State on Friday night, No. 22 Oklahoma on Saturday. Tickets available for purchase.
No. 5 UNI wrestling (9-0 / 3-0 Big 12) vs. No. 3 Oklahoma State (9-0 / 6-0 Big 12)
- 7 p.m. CT | Friday, Jan. 24, 2025
- McLeod Center (6,650) | Cedar Falls, Iowa
- WATCH (FloWrestling | CFU Channel 15)
- LIVE RESULTS (TrackWrestling)
- TICKETS
No. 5 UNI wrestling (9-0 / 3-0 Big 12) vs. No. 22 Oklahoma (6-2 / 2-2 Big 12)
- 7 p.m. CT | Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025
- McLeod Center (6,650) | Cedar Falls, Iowa
- WATCH (FloWrestling | CFU Channel 15)
- LIVE RESULTS (TrackWrestling)
- TICKETS
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- A pair of top-25 conference opponents with clash with the fifth-ranked UNI wrestling team this weekend as the Panther Train prepares to take on No. 3 Oklahoma State and No. 22 Oklahoma this Friday and Saturday night inside the McLeod Center in Big 12 Conference dual action.
Both duals are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CT, with live coverage available on FloWrestling and locally on CFU Channel 15. Live results can also be found on TrackWrestling.
Fans can purchase tickets online through the UNI Ticket Office, by calling 319-274-4849 or through email at tickets@uni.edu.
UNI fans will be treated to a number of special promotions during the weekend, including a mechanical bull ride on the McLeod Center's north deck both nights. The Panthers will celebrate Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night and hold their annual student scholarship drawing on Friday against the Cowboys, and second annual Wrestling BINGO Night and Alumni Day on Saturday against the Sooners.
The Panther Train has split its last four duals with Oklahoma State, with the Cowboys winning the previous two matchups, including a 22-12 win over UNI last January in Stillwater. UNI meanwhile has won seven in a row over Oklahoma, including nine of ten under head coach Doug Schwab.
Looking to stay unbeaten in duals this year, Northern Iowa is currently riding an 11-dual winning streak dating back to last season, tied for the fifth-longest streak in program history. Coming in fifth in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) poll for a second straight week, UNI is 9-0 to start a season for the first time since its undefeated 14-0 record during the 2013-14 season.
Friday night's dual is expected to see up to seven top-ten opponents for the Panthers, including at 125 pounds against No. 4 Troy Spratley, at 141 vs. No. 4 Tagen Jamison, at 165 against No. 6 Cameron Amine, at 174 vs. No. 3 Dean Hamiti, at 197 against No. 7 Luke Surber and at heavyweight vs. No. 3 Wyatt Hendrickson. The 184-pound bracket is also expected to be a key showdown between Parker Keckeisen and Dustin Plott, who met three times last season in dual competition, as well as the Big 12 and NCAA finals. Keckeisen also defeated Plott in the finals of this season's Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
Northern Iowa earned its third Big 12 dual win of the year last Friday night with a 33-10 victory at Arizona State in the first matchup between the two programs as Big 12 opponents. UNI won six of its seven bouts in bonus points, including three consecutive technical falls at 174, 184 and 197 pounds, with Ryder Downey (157 pounds) and Cael Happel (141 pounds) also earning bonus points for the Panthers. Colin Realbuto (149 pounds) provided the match of the dual, rallying from an early 7-0 deficit to pin No. 16 Jesse Vasquez 53 seconds into the third period.
The Panthers also sent 13 athletes to the Cyclone Open last weekend, headlined by a first-place finish by Nick Fox (174 pounds). CJ Walrath, who competed unattached, also won the 184-pound bracket.
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PROJECTED PANTHER LINEUP [NCAA] (Intermat / FloWrestling rankings listed)
- 125 | [24] #30/20 Trever Anderson (11-6) OR Kyle Gollhofer (9-8)
- 133 | [18] #NR/21 Julian Farber (9-3)
- 141 | [4] #5/5 Cael Happel (16-1)
- 149 | [14]#16/13 Colin Realbuto (14-4)
- 157 | [2] #4/4 Ryder Downey (17-1)
- 165 | [18] #21/17 Jack Thomsen (13-5)
- 174 | [15] #16/16 Jared Simma (17-7) OR Nick Fox (14-5)
- 184 | [2] #2/2 Parker Keckeisen (14-0)
- 197 | [12] #14/12 Wyatt Voelker (16-3)
- HWT | [14] #15/17 Lance Runyon (13-2) OR Adam Ahrendsen (13-7)
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SCOUTING OKLAHOMA STATE
Oklahoma State comes to Iowa following a 30-12 home dual win over No. 22 West Virginia on Sunday at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys will remain in Iowa to take on Iowa State on Saturday in Ames.
Dustin Plott (184 pounds), the reigning Big 12 and NCAA runner-up is Oklahoma State's lone 2024 All-American returning this season. The Cowboys return seven of their ten NCAA qualifiers from last year, including Big 12 runner-up Troy Spratley (125 pounds).
Oklahoma State bolstered its lineup in the offseason with the addition of two power hitters in Dean Hamiti (174 pounds) and Wyatt Hendrickson (heavyweight). Hamiti was the Big Ten Conference's runner-up at 165 pounds last year at Wisconsin, while Hendrickson, the Big 12's second-place finisher, placed third at the NCAA Championships in Kansas City last season.
The Cowboys added a legend to its coaching staff this season as David Taylor succeeded Oklahoma State legend John Smith as head coach. Taylor was a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion at Penn State, and would go on to win three World Championship titles, as well as an Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
ÂPROJECTED COWBOY LINEUP (Intermat / FloWrestling rankings listed)
- 125 | [3] #4/4 Troy Spratley (12-3)
- 133 | [13] #NR/19 Reece Witcraft (9-2) OR #19/NR Cael Hughes (8-0)
- 141 | [3] #4/4 Tagen Jamison (15-1)
- 149 | [12] #14/12 Carter Young (9-6) OR Cutter Sheets (15-9)
- 157 | [9] #11/13 Caleb Fish (14-4)
- 165 | [6] #6/6 Cameron Amine (9-4)
- 174 | [3] #3/3 Dean Hamiti Jr. (14-0)
- 184 | [3] #3/3 Dustin Plott (12-1)
- 197 |Â [7] #7/7 Luke Surber (15-1)
- HWT | [2] #3/3 Wyatt Hendrickson (13-0)
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SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
The Sooners are coming off their second dual loss of the year last Friday, falling to No. 22 West Virginia by a score of 22-13 at home. Oklahoma also lost to in-state rival Oklahoma State in November. The Sooners will also visit No. 13 Iowa State on Friday night before they visit Cedar Falls.
Oklahoma returns just one of its five NCAA qualifiers from 2024 in 149 pounder Willie McDougald, who placed fifth at last year's Big 12 Championships. OU returns six total conference tournament athletes from last year in addition to McDougald, including Conrad Hendriksen (125 pounds), Kaden Smith (141 pounds), Cael Carlson (165 pounds) and Tate Picklo (165 pounds), who is moving down a weight class from last season.
The Sooners have recorded six dual wins this season heading into the weekend, including Air Force, Wyoming, Central Michigan, Southeast Community College, CSU Bakersfield and Chattanooga.
Head coach Roger Kish is in his second season at Oklahoma, having previously spent 12 years as head coach at North Dakota State, where he won 109 duals.
PROJECTED SOONER LINEUP [NCAA] (Intermat / FloWrestling rankings listed)
- 125 | [25] #29/23 Antonio Lorenzo (10-6) OR Koufax Christensen (1-5)
- 133 | [22] #22/23 Cleveland Belton (9-3)
- 141 | [18] #19/16 Mosha Schwartz (8-3)
- 149 | [11] #13/11 Willie McDougald (14-2)
- 157 | Layton Schneider (3-2) OR Owen Eck (3-6)
- 165 | [27] #30/30 Tate Picklo (11-4)
- 174 | [8] #8/9 Gaven Sax (8-2)
- 184 | [20] #23/22 DJ Parker (13-4)
- 197 | Bradley Hill (7-9)
- HWT | [27] #26/30 Juan Mora (8-4)
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UNI wrestling action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (University of Northern Iowa Wrestling), X (@UNI_wrestling) and on Instagram (@uni_panther_wrestling). Check out the latest Panther news and information online at UNIpanthers.com.
Players Mentioned
