Panther Train set to clash with Bison in Fargo

No. 5 UNI wrestling (11-1 / 5-1 Big 12) at North Dakota State (3-8 / 2-4 Big 12)

7 p.m. CT | Feb. 8, 2025
Scheels Center | Fargo, N.D.
WATCH (GoBison.com)
LIVE RESULTS (TrackWrestling)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI wrestling team's final road dual of the Big 12 Conference schedule is set to take the Panther Train north to Fargo this Saturday as the purple and gold prepare to take on the North Dakota State Bison.

Competition is slated to begin at 7 p.m. CT with live coverage of Saturday night's dual can be found through NDSU Athletics' live streaming platform (gobison.com/watch), with live results also available on TrackWrestling.

The Panthers have won four straight duals against North Dakota State and are 7-1 against the Bison in their last eight meetings. UNI bested NDSU in its last matchup back in Jan. 2022 with a 29-13 win in Cedar Falls.

Northern Iowa enters the home stretch of the season following a 29-10 road win at West Virginia last Saturday, where the Panthers scored seven wins over the Mountaineers. Parker Keckeisen (184 pounds) notably picked up a 20-5 technical fall against No. 16 Dennis Robin in just under three minutes, while Lance Runyon (heavyweight) pinned Wilson Spires in a season-best 95 seconds.

UNI also picked up five titles in Dubuque last Saturday at the Loras Open. Garret Rinken (125 pounds), Cory Land (133 pounds), Carter Freeman (141 pounds), Nick Fox (174 pounds) and Grant Stromberg (heavyweight) all topped the podium for the Panthers as all 13 athletes competing finished in the top-five in their respective weight classes. Northern Iowa notably recorded 18 pins at Loras, including four alone from Freeman.

The Panthers come in ranked fifth in the National Wrestling Coaches Association's (NWCA) weekly rankings for a fourth straight week, seeking its 12th dual win of the season. UNI has won 12 duals twice under head coach Doug Schwab (2011, 2014) and three times since the turn of the century (2003, 2011, 2014).

Saturday's dual is expected to see only a pair of rematches with Julian Farber (133 pounds) facing off with Kyle Burwick for the first time since the 2023 Last Chance Open. Jared Simma (174 pounds) is also expected to take on Dabin Wasley, a rematch from the 2022 Daktronics Open.

Panthers in the rankings [NCAA] (Intermat/FloWrestling) [As of 2/4/25]

125 | Trever Anderson [24] (#29/22)
133 | Julian Farber [18] (#16/22)
141 | Cael Happel [4] (#4/5)
149 | Colin Realbuto [14] (#14/10)
157 | Ryder Downey [2] (#5/5)
165 | Jack Thomsen [18] (#19/19)
174 | Jared Simma [15] (#16/18)
184 | Parker Keckeisen [2] (#2/2)
197 | Wyatt Voelker [12] (#12/12)
HWT | Lance Runyon [14] (#15/15)

SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA STATE
North Dakota State looks for its first win against the Panthers in nine years in the first dual matchup since the 2021-22 season to wrap up a three-dual homestand inside the Scheels Center.

The Bison have struggled to gain momentum in dual action this season sitting at 3-8 on the season. NDSU dropped its last two duals a week ago to Wyoming and Utah Valley.

North Dakota State returns four of its Big 12 Championship competitors from a year ago, led by 149 pounder Maxwell Petersen, who placed eighth in Tulsa last season. Other returners include Gavin Drexler (125 pounds), Brendan Howes (165 pounds) and Adam Cherne (197 pounds), the latter of whom moved up from 184 pounds last season. NDSU's lone NCAA qualifier from 2024 in Gaven Sax, transferred to Oklahoma in the offseason.

Obenson Blanc is in his second season as head coach of the Bison having previously served as NDSU's associate head coach, as well as an assistant coach at North Carolina State. A former athlete at Lock Haven and Oklahoma State, Blanc was a three-time Pan American finalist and an alternate for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.

PROJECTED MATCHUPS [NCAA] (Intermat / FloWrestling rankings listed)

125 | [24] #29/22 Trever Anderson (UNI) OR Kyle Gollhofer (UNI) vs. Tristan Daugherty (NDSU)
133 | [18] #16/22 Julian Farber (UNI) vs. [21] #32/24 Kyle Burwick
141 | [4] #4/5 Cael Happel (UNI) vs. Gideon Cole (NDSU)
149 | [14] #14/10 Colin Realbuto (UNI) vs. [28] #27/31 Gavin Drexler (NDSU)
157 | [2] #5/5 Ryder Downey (UNI) vs. [29] #NR/33 Max Petersen OR Clay Radenz (NDSU)
165 | [18] #19/19 Jack Thomsen (UNI) vs. Boeden Greenley (NDSU)
174 | [15] 16/18 Jared Simma (UNI) vs. Devin Wasley (NDSU)
184 | [2] #2/2 Parker Keckeisen (UNI) vs. [3] #NR/32 Aidan Brenot (NDSU) OR Andrew McMongagle (NDSU)
197 | [12] #12/12 Wyatt Voelker (UNI) vs. Tayshaun Glover (NDSU) OR Aidan Hight (NDSU)
HWT | [14] #15/15 Lance Runyon (UNI) OR Adam Ahrendsen (UNI) vs. Drew Blackburn-Forst (NDSU)

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.

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