University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
South Dakota State
Panther wrestling tops South Dakota State for second time this season
2/8/2026 3:44:00 PM | Wrestling
UNI grabs tenth dual win of the year in 19-13 win over Jackrabbits. Panthers host West Virginia on Saturday.
BROOKINGS, S.D. --- The 19th-ranked UNI wrestling team on Sunday scored its second dual victory of the season over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, escaping First Bank & Trust Arena with a narrow 19-13 win.
In a rematch of last month's NWCA National Duals Championship in the UNI-Dome, the Panthers prevailed in six of ten bouts, with heavyweight Adam Ahrendsen upsetting SDSU's top heavyweight performer for a second time this season to hold on for the team win. The victory also marks the first time Northern Iowa has won ten or more duals in consecutive seasons since 2009-10 and 2010-11.
HOW IT HAPPENED
At 125 pounds, Brandon Paez dropped the opening match of the dual against Daniel Guanajuato, 5-0. Julian Farber got the Panther Train on track with a top-25 win over No. 21 Derrick Cardinal at 133 pounds. Following a scoreless first period, Farber was able to earn an escape in the second and added a takedown to take a 4-0 lead. Maintaining his hold of his lead, Farber ended the match with a 10-1 major decision victory.Â
Connor Thorpe fell in a 14-3 major decision against No. 19 Julian Tagg at 141 pounds. Caleb Rathjen would steady the ship for UNI at 149 pounds, capitalizing on a first period takedown to defeat Colin Dupill, 10-6.
At 157 pounds, Cael Rahnavardi came up short in an 8-2 win over No. 18 Cael Swensen after conceding an early takedown. Ryder Downey would top Jacob Herm at 165 pounds, scoring a takedown in the second period and an escape and second escape in the third for a 7-1 victory.
Jared Simma edged out No. 14 Marcus Espinoza-Owens in a narrow 5-2 win at 174 pounds, while Nick Fox broke a 1-1 tie with a third period takedown for a 4-1 win over Brock Fettig at 184 pounds.
Carson Babcock took on No. 5 Bennett Berge at 197 pounds. With impressive defense from Babcock in the first period, the New Hampton, Iowa native gave up an escape and takedown in the second frame and earned an escape in the third, but was ultimately unable to score, finishing the match with a 4-1 loss.
At the heavyweight bout, Ahrensden took on No. 25 Luke Rasmussen in a close match up. Ahrendsen was able to secure the first takedown leading 3-0 into the second period. Giving up an escape in the second, Ahrensden held his two point lead into the third. Conceding a reversal, Ahrensden scrambled to earn a reversal of his own, flipping the script late for a 5-3 decision win.
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UP NEXT
The Panthers return to dual action on Saturday, Feb. 14 when they host No. 16 West Virginia. Competition is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CT at the McLeod Center with live coverage of the event available on FloWrestling and CFU Channel 15.
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.
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FINAL RESULTS [NCAA Coaches ranking] (#Intermat/Flowrestling rankings listed)
No. 19 UNI 19, No. 14 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 13
- 125 | Daniel Guanajuato (SDSU) dec. Brandon Paez (UNI), 5-0Â
- 133 | [21] #25/17 Julian Farber (UNI) maj. dec. #21/NR Derrick Cardinal (SDSU), 10-1 MD
- 141 | [11] #19/19 Julian Tagg (SDSU) maj. dec. Connor Thorpe (UNI), 14-3 MDÂ
- 149 | #32/18 Caleb Rathjen (UNI) dec. Colin Dupill (SDSU), 10-6Â
- 157 | [15] #18/21 Cael Swensen (SDSU) dec. Cael Rahnavardi (UNI), 8-2Â
- 165 | [6] #6/6 Ryder Downey (UNI) dec. Jacob Herm (SDSU), 7-1Â
- 174 | [12] #12/13 Jared Simma (UNI) dec. [14] #17/14 Marcus Espinoza-Owens (SDSU), 5-2
- 184 |#29/21 Nick Fox (UNI) dec. Brock Fettig (SDSU), 4-1Â
- 197 | [6] #6/5 Bennett Berge (SDSU) dec. Carson Babcock (UNI), 4-1Â
- HWT | Adam Ahrendsen (UNI) dec. [24] #25/26 Luke Rasmussen (SDSU), 5-3
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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
