University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Arizona State
Panther wrestling squares off with Sun Devils on Thursday night
1/21/2026 10:30:00 AM | Wrestling
No. 13 UNI wrestling (8-4 / 2-0 Big 12) vs. Arizona State (1-8 / 1-5 Big 12)
- Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026
- 6:30 p.m. CT
- Cedar Falls, Iowa | McLeod Center (6,650)
- WATCH (FloWrestling) [Jeff Bradley: Play-by-Play / Jim Miller: Analyst)
- LIVE RESULTS (FloWrestling)
- TICKETS
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- After a month of non-conference and tournament action, the 13th ranked UNI wrestling team returns to Big 12 Conference dual competition on Thursday night as the Panthers host the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Competition is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. CT inside the McLeod Center with live coverage available on FloWrestling with Jeff Bradley and Jim Miller on the call.
Tickets for this year's event can be purchased online through the UNI Ticket Office, by calling 319-273-4849 or through email at tickets@uni.edu. Fans in attendance are encouraged to wear purple for a Purple Out dual, with spectators also receiving a light up #PantherTrain baton.
Arizona State leads the all-time series against Northern Iowa , 7-3-1 with the Panthers topping the Sun Devils last season in the desert in ASU's first season as a member of the Big 12 by a score of 33-10.
UNI welcomes the Sun Devils to Cedar Falls following a perfect 5-0 dual performance and team title at the NWCA/USMC Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships in the UNI-Dome on Jan. 9-10. The Panthers shutout both Cal State Bakersfield and Ohio on the opening day of action, followed by wins over Bloomsburg and Drexel, plus a championship dual upset win over No. 8 South Dakota State.
UNI won 41 of 50 bouts at the NWCA Duals, including 25 victories in bonus points. Nick Fox (184 pounds) earned two pins in his four wins, while Ryder Downey (165 pounds) also went 4-0 on the weekend to improve to 13-2 on the year.
In addition to the NWCA Duals, UNI saw six wrestlers this past weekend at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open in Ames. Brothers Austin and Logan Paradice both medaled for the Panthers, with Austin taking third at 157 pounds and Logan fifth at 149 pounds.
SCOUTING ARIZONA STATE
In its second season as a member of the Big 12 Conference, Arizona State has struggled in dual competition in the last year, losing 17 consecutive duals before snapping its skid with a 27-16 win at Northern Colorado on Sunday.
Led by 12th year head coach Zeke Jones, the Sun Devils return five athletes from last year's Big 12 Championships, led by their lone returning NCAA qualifier in Nicco Ruiz, who placed sixth at the Big 12s in 2025.
Arizona State boasts multiple top ranked wrestlers, including brothers Kaleb (157 pounds) and Kyler (133 pounds) Larkin, both ranked in the top-five nationally in their respective weight classes. The Sun Devils also bring experience at 197 pounds with Colton Hawks, who used to compete at 184 pounds at Missouri.
PROJECTED MATCHUPS (#Intermat/FloWrestling rankings listed)
- 125 | #31/25 Trever Anderson (UNI) vs. Damian Moreno (ASU) OR An'ee Vigil (ASU)
- 133 | #25/18 Julian Farber (UNI) vs. #6/5 Kyler Larkin (ASU) OR Carter Dibert (ASU)
- 141 | Connor Thorpe (UNI) OR Max Brady (UNI) vs. #29/26 Pierson Manville (ASU)
- 149 | #32/19 Caleb Rathjen (UNI) OR Ethan Basile (UNI) vs. Daniel Miranda (ASU)
- 157 | Cael Rahnavardi (UNI) OR RJ Weston (UNI) vs. #2/3 Kaleb Larkin (ASU) OR Chance McLane (ASU)
- 165 | #6/6 Ryder Downey (UNI) OR Jack Thomsen (UNI) vs. #13/12 Nicco Ruiz (ASU)
- 174 | #14/14 Jared Simma (UNI) vs. Cael Valencia (ASU) OR Leo Tukhlynovich (ASU)
- 184 | Nick Fox (UNI) OR #26/26 CJ Walrath (UNI) vs. Aziz Fayzullaev (ASU) OR Shay Addison (ASU)
- 197 | John Gunderson (UNI) OR Carson Babcock (UNI) vs. Colton Hawks (ASU)
- HWT | Adam Ahrendsen (UNI) OR Grant Stromberg (UNI) vs. #18/18 David Szuba (ASU)
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
