University of Northern Iowa Athletics
2024-25 Wrestling Roster
Roster
Happel, Cael
197
/ Wrestling
149
/ Wrestling125
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/ Wrestling141
/ Wrestling149
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/ Wrestling
141
/ Wrestling
184
/ Wrestling133
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174
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157
/ Wrestling125
/ Wrestling157
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149
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/ Wrestling197
/ Wrestling
285
/ Wrestling174
/ Wrestling285
/ Wrestling165
/ Wrestling149
/ Wrestling197
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/ Wrestling165
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174
/ Wrestling
Cael Happel
- Position:
- 141
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Lisbon, Iowa
- High School:
- Lisbon Community HS
Bio
CLICK HERE FOR MATCH HISTORY
HONORS:
2025: 5th at NCAA Championships (141) | NCAA All-American | Big 12 Champion | NWCA Scholar All-American
2024: NCAA Qualifier (141)
2023: At-Large NCAA Qualifier (141) | Big 12 Wrestler of the Week (Nov. 22, 2022)
2022: First Team Academic All-Big-12
REDSHIRT SENIOR (2024-25): Posted a 28-4 record at 141 pounds with seven major decisions, seven technical falls and two pins and a 12-1 dual record (6-1 in Big 12 duals) ... Finished fifth at the NCAA Championships as the 6-seed to earn All-American honors with a 4-2 record at the national tournament ... Big 12 champion at 141 pounds ... Notched 11 wins over ranked opponents, eight of which were ranked in the top ten, including eventual NCAA runner-up Brock Hardy (Nebraska), No. 3 Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State) twice, No. 5 Josh Koderhandt (Navy) twice at the NCAA Championships, No. 9 Jacob Frost (Iowa State) twice and No. 9 Jordan Titus (West Virginia) ... Grand View Open champion ... Placed eighth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational ... NWCA Scholar All-American.
REDSHIRT JUNIOR (2023-24): Posted a 22-10 record with six major decisions, six technical falls and two falls at 141 pounds ... Notched a 9-4 duals record (5-2 in Big 12 duals) ... Big 12 runner-up ... Went 3-2 at the NCAA Championships as the 7-seed ... Daktronics Open champion ... Fourth place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational ... Picked up nine top-30 wins on the season, including No. 4/6 Brock Hardy (Nebraska) twice, No. 10 Jordan Titus (West Virginia) and No. 8/10 Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State) at both the Big 12 and NCAA Championships ... Rattled off a career-high eight-match winning streak from mid-December to early February ... Won his 50th career match in an 11-3 major decision against Jordan Titus (West Virginia) in a home dual.
REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE (2022-23): Earned an at-large bid for the NCAA Championships seeded 14th at 141 pounds, going 2-2 with wins over 19-seed Matt Kazimir (Columbia) and 29-seed Jordan Titus (West Virginia)... 3-seed at the Big 12 Championships, entering competition ranked No. 8 in the nation ... Tallied 6 wins against top-30 opponents throughout the season, including No. 12 Tom Crook (Virginia Tech), No. 16 Clay Carlson (South Dakota State), No. 18 Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State), No. 28 Jordan Titus (West Virginia) and No. 29 Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin) ... Won his first 8 matches of the year with a pair of falls and two major decisions ... Won the Daktronics Open title to open the season ... Second place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite, falling in the finals to No. 17 Brock Hardy (Nebraska) ... Finished the season with an 18-8 record, going 8-3 in dual competition and 5-2 against Big 12 opponents in duals.
REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (2021-22): Earned an alternate spot at the NCAA championships at 141 pounds ... Knocked off No. 12 Allan Hart (Missouri) in opening dual in a 9-6 decision ... Beat No. 21 Dylan Droegemueller (NDSU) by 15-5 major decision ... Won the Harold Nichols Open ... Took third place at the Daktronics Open at 141 pounds ... Second place at UNI Open ... Seeded sixth and ranked No. 23 heading into Big 12 Championships ... went 17-10 overall and 8-6 in duals ... First Team Academic All-Big 12.
FRESHMAN (2020-21 – COVID): Redshirted ... Went 4-1 on the season… Picked up a fall over South Dakota State’s Rylee Mlitot in his first collegiate bout … Earned wins over Charlie Klepps (Iowa State)and Todd Small (Iowa State) ... Happel family received the Bowlsby Family Legacy Award at the Glen Brand Hall of Fame induction in 2021.
HIGH SCHOOL: The 28th four-time state champion in Iowa history ... 217-5 high school record ... Second-most wins in state history ... Bob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year ... Two-time Fargo All-American ... No. 22 recruit nationally by MatScouts.com.
PERSONAL: Son of Dean and Dawn Happel ... His father and brother, Carter, wrestled for the University of Iowa ... Majoring in accounting.
^ COVID YEAR
HONORS:
2025: 5th at NCAA Championships (141) | NCAA All-American | Big 12 Champion | NWCA Scholar All-American
2024: NCAA Qualifier (141)
2023: At-Large NCAA Qualifier (141) | Big 12 Wrestler of the Week (Nov. 22, 2022)
2022: First Team Academic All-Big-12
REDSHIRT SENIOR (2024-25): Posted a 28-4 record at 141 pounds with seven major decisions, seven technical falls and two pins and a 12-1 dual record (6-1 in Big 12 duals) ... Finished fifth at the NCAA Championships as the 6-seed to earn All-American honors with a 4-2 record at the national tournament ... Big 12 champion at 141 pounds ... Notched 11 wins over ranked opponents, eight of which were ranked in the top ten, including eventual NCAA runner-up Brock Hardy (Nebraska), No. 3 Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State) twice, No. 5 Josh Koderhandt (Navy) twice at the NCAA Championships, No. 9 Jacob Frost (Iowa State) twice and No. 9 Jordan Titus (West Virginia) ... Grand View Open champion ... Placed eighth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational ... NWCA Scholar All-American.
REDSHIRT JUNIOR (2023-24): Posted a 22-10 record with six major decisions, six technical falls and two falls at 141 pounds ... Notched a 9-4 duals record (5-2 in Big 12 duals) ... Big 12 runner-up ... Went 3-2 at the NCAA Championships as the 7-seed ... Daktronics Open champion ... Fourth place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational ... Picked up nine top-30 wins on the season, including No. 4/6 Brock Hardy (Nebraska) twice, No. 10 Jordan Titus (West Virginia) and No. 8/10 Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State) at both the Big 12 and NCAA Championships ... Rattled off a career-high eight-match winning streak from mid-December to early February ... Won his 50th career match in an 11-3 major decision against Jordan Titus (West Virginia) in a home dual.
REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE (2022-23): Earned an at-large bid for the NCAA Championships seeded 14th at 141 pounds, going 2-2 with wins over 19-seed Matt Kazimir (Columbia) and 29-seed Jordan Titus (West Virginia)... 3-seed at the Big 12 Championships, entering competition ranked No. 8 in the nation ... Tallied 6 wins against top-30 opponents throughout the season, including No. 12 Tom Crook (Virginia Tech), No. 16 Clay Carlson (South Dakota State), No. 18 Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State), No. 28 Jordan Titus (West Virginia) and No. 29 Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin) ... Won his first 8 matches of the year with a pair of falls and two major decisions ... Won the Daktronics Open title to open the season ... Second place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite, falling in the finals to No. 17 Brock Hardy (Nebraska) ... Finished the season with an 18-8 record, going 8-3 in dual competition and 5-2 against Big 12 opponents in duals.
REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (2021-22): Earned an alternate spot at the NCAA championships at 141 pounds ... Knocked off No. 12 Allan Hart (Missouri) in opening dual in a 9-6 decision ... Beat No. 21 Dylan Droegemueller (NDSU) by 15-5 major decision ... Won the Harold Nichols Open ... Took third place at the Daktronics Open at 141 pounds ... Second place at UNI Open ... Seeded sixth and ranked No. 23 heading into Big 12 Championships ... went 17-10 overall and 8-6 in duals ... First Team Academic All-Big 12.
FRESHMAN (2020-21 – COVID): Redshirted ... Went 4-1 on the season… Picked up a fall over South Dakota State’s Rylee Mlitot in his first collegiate bout … Earned wins over Charlie Klepps (Iowa State)and Todd Small (Iowa State) ... Happel family received the Bowlsby Family Legacy Award at the Glen Brand Hall of Fame induction in 2021.
HIGH SCHOOL: The 28th four-time state champion in Iowa history ... 217-5 high school record ... Second-most wins in state history ... Bob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year ... Two-time Fargo All-American ... No. 22 recruit nationally by MatScouts.com.
PERSONAL: Son of Dean and Dawn Happel ... His father and brother, Carter, wrestled for the University of Iowa ... Majoring in accounting.
| YEAR | OVERALL | DUALS | BIG 12 DUALS | MD | TF | PINS | QUICK PINS |
| 2020-21 ^ | 4-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 4:38 |
| 2021-22 | 17-10 | 8-6 | 6-3 | 5-1 | 0-0 | 2-0 | 3:47 |
| 2022-23 | 18-8 | 8-3 | 5-2 | 3-1 | 1-0 | 4-0 | 0:56 |
| 2023-24 | 22-10 | 9-4 | 5-2 | 6-1 | 6-0 | 2-1 | 3:30 |
| 2024-25 | 28-4 | 12-1 | 6-1 | 7-1 | 7-0 | 2-0 | 4:30 |
| CAREER | 85-32 | 37-14 | 22-8 | 21-4 | 14-0 | 10-1 | 0:56 |
^ COVID YEAR
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