University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Iowa State
UNI wrestling falls at fourth-ranked Iowa State
2/15/2026 9:17:00 PM | Wrestling
Downey, Moreno grab wins in loss to Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum. Panthers host Wisconsin for Senior Day next Sunday.
AMES, Iowa --- The 15th ranked UNI wrestling team faced a tough test on Sunday night, falling to in-state rival and fourth ranked Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum in Big 12 dual action by a score of 28-6.
Competing in their final road dual of the season, the Panthers picked up a pair of wins against their conference rivals, including a sudden victory for Ryder Downey at 165 pounds, as well as a win for Izzy Moreno competing one weight class up at 184 pounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Opening the night at 125 pounds, Trever Anderson, fresh off a top-ten upset of West Virginia's Jett Strickenberger on Saturday, stayed competitive in a 4-1 loss to three-time All-American No. 11 Stevo Poulin. Julian Farber would also test Garrett Grice at 133 pounds, but would give up a third period reversal in a 5-4 loss.
Max Brady would push third-ranked Anthony Echemendia at 141 pounds in a high scoring match. Despite trailing 15-4, a strong third period from Brady would feature a pair of takedowns to cut into the deficit to avoid a technical fall, despite a 19-10 major decision loss. Caleb Rathjen would also come up short in an 8-2 loss to No. 11 Jacob Frost at 149 pounds, as did Cael Rahnavardi at 157 pounds against No. 7 Vinny Zerban in a 15-5 major decision loss.
Downey put the Panthers on the board at 165 pounds with their first victory of the dual versus No. 15 Connor Euton. After a scoreless first frame and an escape by Euton to begin the second period, Downey would score his lone takedown of the bout for a 4-1 lead with a third period escape before Euton recaptured the lead. After forcing overtime with an escape, Downey would seal the win in sudden victory with a three-point takedown for an 8-5 win, tying Garret Rinken with his team-leading 18th victory of the season.
Following a narrow sudden victory loss by Jared Simma at 174 pounds to No. 12 MJ Gaitan, Moreno jumped up a weight class to 184 to take on Manny Rojas. Moreno would score a pair of takedowns in the first period and add another in the third to pick up a 12-5 win, his first Big 12 dual victory of the year.
UNI would close out the night against a pair of impressive opponents, as Carson Babcock fell to No. 2 Rocky Elam at 197 pounds, and Grant Stromberg falling to top-ranked Younger Bastida at heavyweight in a 21-6 technical fall loss.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action next Sunday, Feb. 22 for its final dual of the season against Wisconsin. Competition is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CT at the McLeod Center with live coverage of the event available on ESPN+.
Tickets for the 2025-26 UNI wrestling regular season can be purchased online through the UNI Ticket Office, by calling 319-273-4849 or through email at tickets@uni.edu.
FINAL RESULTS [NCAA Coaches ranking] (#Intermat/Flowrestling rankings listed)
No. 4 IOWA STATE 28, No. 15 UNI 6
- 125 | [11] #11/11 Stevo Poulin (ISU) dec. [30] #31/23 Trever Anderson (UNI), 4-1
- 133 | Garrett Grice (ISU) dec. [21] #22/17 Julian Farber (UNI), 5-4
- 141 | [3] #3/4 Anthony Echemendia (ISU) maj. dec. #NR/26 Max Brady (UNI), 19-10 MD
- 149 | [9] #11/8 Jacob Frost (ISU) dec. #32/18 Caleb Rathjen (UNI), 8-2
- 157 | [7] #8/8 Vinny Zerban (ISU) maj. dec. Cael Rahnavardi (UNI), 15-5 MD
- 165 | [6] #6/6 Ryder Downey (UNI) dec. [13] #15/12 Connor Euton (ISU), 8-5 SV-1
- 174 | [12] #13/12 MJ Gaitan (ISU) dec. [13] #12/14 Jared Simma (UNI), 8-5 SV-1
- 184 | Izzy Moreno (UNI) dec. Manny Rojas (ISU), 12-5
- 197 | [2] #2/2 Rocky Elam (ISU) dec. Carson Babcock (UNI), 8-1
- HWT | [1] #1/1 Younger Bastida (ISU) tech falls Grant Stromberg (UNI), 21-6 TF
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
