The University of Northern Iowa’s wrestling team, currently ranked 17th, is preparing to defend its Division I title at the NWCA/USMC Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships this weekend in Cedar Falls. The event will take place at the UNI-Dome and begins Friday afternoon.
Northern Iowa will open competition against Cal State Bakersfield at 4 p.m. CT and Ohio at 6 p.m. CT on Friday. On Saturday morning, the Panthers are set to face Bloomsburg at 9 a.m. CT and Drexel at 11 a.m. CT as part of Pool B action. Later on Saturday, UNI will compete in a third dual against an opponent from Pool A for final placement. Live coverage and results are available through FloWrestling.
Tickets can be purchased online via the UNI Ticket Office, by phone or email, with options for daily or tournament passes.
Last year, UNI won the Division I men’s title at this same event after victories over Sacred Heart, Ohio, Northern Colorado, and South Dakota State. This year’s championship includes two pools of five Division I teams each and also features programs from other collegiate divisions including men’s Division II, Division III, NAIA levels as well as women’s wrestling teams from various divisions.
UNI enters the tournament after a recent loss to No. 6 Nebraska but saw individual wins from Ryder Downey—who was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week—and Trever Anderson during that dual meet. Additionally, five Panther athletes earned top-eight finishes last weekend at the Soldier Salute tournament.
The projected lineup for UNI includes nationally ranked wrestlers such as Cory Land (#10/9), Ryder Downey (#7/7), Jared Simma (#13/19), Wyatt Voelker (#11/10), among others across several weight classes. Lineups remain subject to change.
Fans can follow UNI wrestling throughout the season on social media platforms including Facebook (University of Northern Iowa Wrestling), X (@UNI_wrestling), Instagram (@uni_panther_wrestling), or visit UNIpanthers.com for updates.