The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) wrestling team, ranked 15th nationally, was defeated by fourth-ranked Iowa State in a Big 12 dual meet at Hilton Coliseum on Sunday. The final score was 28-6 in favor of Iowa State.
UNI secured two victories during the event. Ryder Downey won at 165 pounds with an 8-5 sudden victory over Connor Euton, marking his team-leading 18th win of the season. Izzy Moreno, competing one weight class higher than usual at 184 pounds, earned a 12-5 decision against Manny Rojas for his first Big 12 dual win this year.
The meet began with Trever Anderson narrowly losing to Stevo Poulin at 125 pounds by a score of 4-1. Julian Farber also lost a close match at 133 pounds to Garrett Grice, falling 5-4 after giving up a reversal in the third period.
At 141 pounds, Max Brady faced Anthony Echemendia and lost by major decision, but managed to avoid a technical fall through late takedowns. Caleb Rathjen and Cael Rahnavardi were both defeated in their respective matches at 149 and 157 pounds.
Jared Simma came up short in sudden victory at 174 pounds against MJ Gaitan. Carson Babcock lost to Rocky Elam at 197 pounds, while Grant Stromberg fell to Younger Bastida by technical fall in the heavyweight division.
Following this road loss, UNI will conclude its regular season with a home dual against Wisconsin on Sunday, February 22. The event is scheduled for a 1 p.m. CT start at the McLeod Center and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Tickets for upcoming matches can be purchased through the UNI Ticket Office online or by phone.
“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.”