The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team, ranked 17th nationally, has retained its National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)/USMC Division I Men’s National Dual Meet title. The Panthers secured victories over Bloomsburg, Drexel, and No. 8 South Dakota State during the event held at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
Northern Iowa completed an undefeated weekend with five dual wins. The team opened with a dominant 42-6 win against Bloomsburg, followed by a closer 22-16 victory over Drexel. The final match against South Dakota State was decided in the heavyweight bout, where UNI clinched a 20-14 win.
In the opening dual against Bloomsburg, Trever Anderson and Garret Rinken both earned technical fall victories at 125 and 133 pounds respectively. Cory Land pinned his opponent at 141 pounds in the first period. Caleb Rathjen added a major decision at 149 pounds. Additional wins came from Cael Rahnavardi at 157 pounds, Jack Thomsen with a technical fall at 165 pounds, and CJ Walrath’s technical fall at 184 pounds. Carson Babcock secured a decision at 197 pounds.
Against Drexel, Anderson lost his bout at 125 pounds while Julian Farber achieved a technical fall at 133 pounds. Cory Land dropped his match at 141 pounds. Ethan Basile contributed a major decision win at 149 pounds, but Rahnavardi was defeated at 157 pounds. Ryder Downey won his match at 165 pounds; Jared Simma and Nick Fox also secured victories for UNI in their respective weight classes. John Gunderson concluded with an individual win at 197 pounds.
The Panthers’ final dual of the weekend saw Bowen Downey lose to Brady Roark of South Dakota State before Farber took control for a win in the next match. Freshman Max Brady made his collegiate dual debut with a victory over Julian Tagg at 141 pounds. Basile continued UNI’s momentum with another technical fall win while Rahnavardi fell to Cael Swensen of SDSU.
Ryder Downey picked up another victory for Northern Iowa; Izzy Moreno was defeated in his bout while Nick Fox managed to secure points late in his match for a close win. John Gunderson lost his bout but Adam Ahrendsen finished strong for UNI by defeating Luke Rasmussen.
The Panthers will return to Big 12 Conference action on Thursday, January 22 against Arizona State inside the McLeod Center beginning at 6:30 p.m., with live coverage available on FloWrestling.
Tickets are available online through the UNI Ticket Office or by contacting them directly via phone or email.
Fans can follow University of Northern Iowa wrestling throughout the season on social media platforms including Facebook (University of Northern Iowa Wrestling), X (@UNI_wrestling), and Instagram (@uni_panther_wrestling). Updates and news are also posted on UNIpanthers.com.