University of Northern Iowa Athletics
2024-25 Wrestling Roster
Roster
Runyon, Lance
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184
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174
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285
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174
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Lance Runyon
- Position:
- HWT
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Pleasant Hill, Iowa
- High School:
- Southeast Polk HS
Bio
CLICK HERE FOR MATCH HISTORY
HONORS:
2025: NCAA At-Large Qualifier (HWT) | 7th at Big 12 Championships | NWCA Scholar All-American | Academic All-Big 12 Team
2023: Big 12 All-Academic First Team | NWCA Scholar All-American
2022: NCAA Qualifier (174) | 6th at Big 12 Championships | First Team Academic All-Big 12 | NWCA Scholar All-American
2021: At-Large NCAA Qualifier (174)
REDSHIRT SENIOR (2024-25): Posted a 20-8 record at heavyweight with six major decisions, five pins and two technical falls and an 8-3 dual record (4-3 in Big 12 duals) ... NCAA at-large qualifier, earning a consolation round win as the 18-seed ... Placed seventh at the Big 12 Championships ... Rattled off eight consecutive wins to begin the season ... Notched six wins over ranked opponents, including a pin of No. 14 Cory Day (Binghampton) ... Grand View Open champion ... Placed seventh at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational ... NWCA Scholar All-American ... Academic All-Big 12 Team.
REDSHIRT SENIOR (2023-24): Did not compete due to injury.
REDSHIRT JUNIOR (2022-23): Made season-debut at the Collegiate Duals with a 47 second quick pin over Tyler Stotzfus (Lock Haven) ... Pinned Louis Rojas (Cal Baptist) in 2 minutes, 13 second in dual competition ... 7-seed at 174 pounds at the Big 12 Championships ... Finished the season with a 5-7 record ... Big 12 All-Academic First Team...NWCA Scholar All-American.
REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE (2021-22): Earned second trip to NCAA Championships ... No. 18 seed and ended with a 2-2 record ... Earned a 4:14 fall in his first match of the tournament over No. 15 seed Anthony Mantanona (Oklahoma) ... Took sixth at Big 12 Championships ... Entered Big 12 Championships seeded fourth and ranked No. 20 ... Returned to dual lineup midseason, opening with a win over. No. 20 Austin Brenner of North Dakota State ... Won second bout by pinning No. 7 Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State ... While still unranked, he beat No. 18 Joel Devine (Iowa State) at a home dual ... First Team Academic All-Big 12 ... NWCA Scholar All-America.
REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (2020-21 COVID-19): Earned at-large bid for NCAA championships at 174 pounds, but had to withdraw before competition started ... Was 6-5 overall on the year, with final match ending in injury ... Pinned No. 9 Anthomny Mantanona (Oklahoma) and earned a decision over No. 25 Julien Broderson (Iowa State).
FRESHMAN (2019-20): Redshirted ... Competed in two tournaments and won both titles at 174 pounds ... Finished abbreviated season with a 5-0 record ... Recorded pins on his first four bouts.
HIGH SCHOOL: Recorded a 174-23 record… Tallied 122 pins … Won an Iowa high school state championship in 2019 ... Placed in the top five in all four years at the state tournament ... Was a team captain for 2018 and 2019 ... Ranked seventh in the country from FloWrestling at 152 ... Was a four-year Academic All-Conference honoree ... Earned Academic All-State honors in 2019 ... Earned All-American honors at Fargo in 2019 ... Played free safety and running back on the football team.
PERSONAL: Parents are Bob and Suzanne Runyon ... Brother Kalob is also on the UNI wrestling team ... Volunteer for Best Buddies program ... Went on mission trips with youth groups ... helped with youth wrestling camps and practices ... Chose UNI because of the family feel, the philosophy and the campus and faculty ... Favorite wrestling memory is competing at nationals in Fargo ... Majoring in coaching / sport administration / movement and exercise science.
* REDSHIRT
^ COVID YEAR
HONORS:
2025: NCAA At-Large Qualifier (HWT) | 7th at Big 12 Championships | NWCA Scholar All-American | Academic All-Big 12 Team
2023: Big 12 All-Academic First Team | NWCA Scholar All-American
2022: NCAA Qualifier (174) | 6th at Big 12 Championships | First Team Academic All-Big 12 | NWCA Scholar All-American
2021: At-Large NCAA Qualifier (174)
REDSHIRT SENIOR (2024-25): Posted a 20-8 record at heavyweight with six major decisions, five pins and two technical falls and an 8-3 dual record (4-3 in Big 12 duals) ... NCAA at-large qualifier, earning a consolation round win as the 18-seed ... Placed seventh at the Big 12 Championships ... Rattled off eight consecutive wins to begin the season ... Notched six wins over ranked opponents, including a pin of No. 14 Cory Day (Binghampton) ... Grand View Open champion ... Placed seventh at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational ... NWCA Scholar All-American ... Academic All-Big 12 Team.
REDSHIRT SENIOR (2023-24): Did not compete due to injury.
REDSHIRT JUNIOR (2022-23): Made season-debut at the Collegiate Duals with a 47 second quick pin over Tyler Stotzfus (Lock Haven) ... Pinned Louis Rojas (Cal Baptist) in 2 minutes, 13 second in dual competition ... 7-seed at 174 pounds at the Big 12 Championships ... Finished the season with a 5-7 record ... Big 12 All-Academic First Team...NWCA Scholar All-American.
REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE (2021-22): Earned second trip to NCAA Championships ... No. 18 seed and ended with a 2-2 record ... Earned a 4:14 fall in his first match of the tournament over No. 15 seed Anthony Mantanona (Oklahoma) ... Took sixth at Big 12 Championships ... Entered Big 12 Championships seeded fourth and ranked No. 20 ... Returned to dual lineup midseason, opening with a win over. No. 20 Austin Brenner of North Dakota State ... Won second bout by pinning No. 7 Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State ... While still unranked, he beat No. 18 Joel Devine (Iowa State) at a home dual ... First Team Academic All-Big 12 ... NWCA Scholar All-America.
REDSHIRT FRESHMAN (2020-21 COVID-19): Earned at-large bid for NCAA championships at 174 pounds, but had to withdraw before competition started ... Was 6-5 overall on the year, with final match ending in injury ... Pinned No. 9 Anthomny Mantanona (Oklahoma) and earned a decision over No. 25 Julien Broderson (Iowa State).
FRESHMAN (2019-20): Redshirted ... Competed in two tournaments and won both titles at 174 pounds ... Finished abbreviated season with a 5-0 record ... Recorded pins on his first four bouts.
HIGH SCHOOL: Recorded a 174-23 record… Tallied 122 pins … Won an Iowa high school state championship in 2019 ... Placed in the top five in all four years at the state tournament ... Was a team captain for 2018 and 2019 ... Ranked seventh in the country from FloWrestling at 152 ... Was a four-year Academic All-Conference honoree ... Earned Academic All-State honors in 2019 ... Earned All-American honors at Fargo in 2019 ... Played free safety and running back on the football team.
PERSONAL: Parents are Bob and Suzanne Runyon ... Brother Kalob is also on the UNI wrestling team ... Volunteer for Best Buddies program ... Went on mission trips with youth groups ... helped with youth wrestling camps and practices ... Chose UNI because of the family feel, the philosophy and the campus and faculty ... Favorite wrestling memory is competing at nationals in Fargo ... Majoring in coaching / sport administration / movement and exercise science.
| YEAR | OVERALL | DUALS | BIG 12 DUALS | MD | TF | PINS | QUICK FALL |
| 2019-20* | 5-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-0 | 1:19 |
| 2020-21^ | 6-5 | 4-4 | 4-1 | 1-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 | 1:28 |
| 2021-22 | 11-5 | 5-1 | 4-1 | 2-0 | 0-0 | 3-1 | 1:21 |
| 2022-23 | 5-7 | 4-5 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-0 | 0:47 |
| 2023-24 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | |
| 2024-25 | 20-8 | 8-3 | 4-3 | 6-3 | 2-2 | 5-1 | 1:35 |
| CAREER | 37-25 | 21-13 | 14-9 | 9-3 | 2-2 | 12-2 | 0:47 |
* REDSHIRT
^ COVID YEAR
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