Five athletes from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) wrestling team are preparing to compete at the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships, which will take place from March 19 to 21 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
The event marks a significant moment for the UNI wrestling program, as it continues its tradition of sending multiple qualifiers to the national tournament. The Panthers have qualified at least five athletes for the NCAA Championships every year since 2016 and have produced at least one All-American annually during that span.
Four UNI wrestlers are seeded in the top-20 of their respective weight classes. Ryder Downey leads as the 11-seed at 165 pounds, making his third appearance at nationals. Caleb Rathjen is seeded 14th at 149 pounds after finishing as Big 12 runner-up, while Julian Farber holds the 20th seed at 133 pounds following an 18-9 season and a third-place finish at conference championships. Jared Simma enters as the 17-seed at 174 pounds for his third NCAA appearance, and Nick Fox debuts as the 29th seed at 184 pounds. Trever Anderson will serve as an alternate in the tournament.
Opening matchups include Farber facing Jacob Van Dee of Nebraska, Rathjen meeting Brock Herman from Little Rock, Downey taking on Matthew Olguin of Oregon State, Simma wrestling Nick Fine from Columbia, and Fox competing against James Conway of Franklin & Marshall. Several matchups feature first-time meetings between competitors or rematches from previous tournaments.
Under head coach Doug Schwab’s leadership since 2011, UNI has seen consistent success with numerous All-Americans and strong showings at national tournaments. Notable achievements include Parker Keckeisen earning All-American honors five times between 2021 and 2025 and Drew Foster winning a national championship in 2019. The program also adapted during disruptions such as the cancellation of the 2020 championships due to COVID-19.
Fans can follow live coverage on ESPN networks and FloWrestling or access updates through UNI’s official social media channels and website. As competition begins in Cleveland, UNI aims to continue its streak of strong performances on college wrestling’s biggest stage.