UNI PANTHERS

Wrestling: Northern Iowa rebounds from Friday’s loss with home win over Missouri

Cody Goodwin
Des Moines Register

CEDAR FALLS, Ia. — Doug Schwab was much happier on Sunday afternoon than he was Friday night.

Two days ago, South Dakota State came into the West Gym here, won six of 10 matches and upset the 11th-ranked Panthers, 25-13. A trio of Iowa natives dotted the Jackrabbit lineup, and their victories ensured Northern Iowa’s third loss of the season.

Sunday went much different. The Panthers won six of 10, including four of the final five, to upend 24th-ranked Missouri, 20-13. Northern Iowa is now 2-3 in duals this season, while the Tigers drop to 6-5.

“It was a good response by our team,” said Schwab, Northern Iowa's wrestling coach. “As always, it could be better. We see some things we need to clean up, but a lot of guys gave themselves a lot of opportunities. That’s what I want.”

Doug Schwab, head coach of the University of Northern Iowa wrestling team, talks to the press during UNI's media day on Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, in the West Gym on the UNI campus in Cedar Falls.

This dual between former Mid-American Conference foes featured four lead changes through the first seven matches. The Tigers won three of the first five to lead 10-6 at recess, a run highlighted by Allan Hart’s 14-2 major decision over Jack Skudlarczyk at 133 pounds.

But out of the intermission, the Panthers took control — first on a 4-3 overtime victory by Austin Yant at 165 pounds, then on a 10-1 major decision from Bryce Steiert at 174. Those back-to-back victories gave the Panthers a 13-10 lead. They would not trail again.

Yant defeated Missouri’s Peyton Mocco thanks to an escape and rideout in the first tiebreaker of overtime. It marks his fourth one-point victory of the season, and his sixth by no more than two. That grit laid the groundwork for a Northern Iowa comeback.

Steiert followed with his 17th win of the season and 89th of his career by defeating 19th-ranked Jeremiah Kent, 10-1. Steiert, ranked fifth nationally, led 3-1 entering the third. He chose bottom, then proceeded to reverse Kent and turn him for four back points and the major. The 1,713 inside the West Gym stood up as the official raised Steiert’s hand.

“Grit,” Steiert said. “Rebound and grit. This is a tough sport. You can’t sit around and lick your wounds. You have to be ready to go. You wrestle in Vegas, at the Midlands, and if you’re on the backside, you have to turn the page and be ready to go.

“We get chances to see results and test our skills so often, especially this month and going forward. Every time is good to turn the page and go. It was more the little areas today, just putting a guy one more time, and staying consistent with those things over time.”

►MORE WRESTLING: Hawkeyes blank Purdue to complete weekend sweep

Taylor Lujan extended Northern Iowa’s lead with a 13-8 win over Missouri’s Dylan Wisman at 184 pounds. After giving up the first takedown, Lujan scored a reversal, gifted Wisman an escape, then rolled up five takedowns of his own.

Wyatt Koelling gave Missouri life in a 6-2 decision over Noah Glaser at 197, making it 16-13, Panthers. The tiebreakers, should it have come to that, were in the Tigers’ favor, too. Carter Isley ensured it would not come to that, scoring four takedowns in an 11-1 major over Jose Diaz at heavyweight.

That victory closed a dual that Schwab was much more pleased with. The Panthers entered this weekend with the potential to go above .500 in duals for the first time this year. Friday’s slip-up ensured they'll stay below .500 despite fielding a team with top-10 potential nationally.

Northern Iowa’s next chance at owning a winning record is next weekend, when it hits the road to wrestle a scrappy Northern Colorado team (on Friday) and a tough Air Force squad (on Sunday). The Panthers will return home to wrestle Oklahoma State the following weekend at the McLeod Center.

If all goes to plan, they’ll be 4-3 when that dual begins. But as this weekend showed, they’ll have to earn it in order to get there.

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.

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No. 11 Northern Iowa 20, No. 24 Missouri 13

  • 125: No. 18 Jacob Schwarm (UNI) dec. Dack Punke (MO), 3-0
  • 133: No. 31 Allan Hart (MO) maj. dec. Jack Skudlarczyk (UNI), 14-2
  • 141: No. 28 Michael Blockhus (UNI) dec. Alex Butler (MO), 5-1
  • 149: No. 5 Brock Mauller (MO) dec. No. 7 Max Thomsen (UNI), 3-1 (SV1)
  • 157: No. 12 Jarrett Jacques (MO) dec. Keaton Geerts (UNI), 8-5
  • 165: Austin Yant (UNI) dec. Peyton Mocco (MO), 4-3 (TB1)
  • 174: No. 5 Bryce Steiert (UNI) maj. dec. No. 19 Jeremiah Kent (MO), 10-1
  • 184: No. 5 Taylor Lujan (UNI) dec. No. 24 Dylan Wisman (MO), 13-8
  • 197: No. 23 Wyatt Koelling (MO) dec. Noah Glaser (UNI), 6-2
  • 285: No. 12 Carter Isley (UNI) maj. dec. Jose Diaz (MO), 11-1

Rankings from Trackwrestling.