UNI wrestling extends dual win streak to six

TONI FORTMANN

The Panther Train continued their winning ways taking down Air Force and West Virginia.

DREW HILL, Opinion Columnist

   The UNI wrestling team faced Air Force on Friday, Feb. 4, in the West Gym. UNI had won four straight duals, all in Big 12 play, to improve to a 5-5 record overall and a 4-2 record in conference duals. Air Force came in with a 3-4 record and a 1-4 mark in the Big 12. UNI and Air Force had already faced each other in Colorado earlier this season, with UNI winning that matchup. This time around featured a dominant Panther effort, as UNI won 31-6 and eight out of ten matches.

This dual featured a dominant start from UNI, as they won the first six matches out of the gate. In the 125-pound match, Brody Teske got the Panthers started off with an 8-5 decision. Kyle Biscoglia earned a fall at 133 pounds, extending the Panther lead to 9-0, while Cael Happel picked up a 13-4 major decision win in the 141-pound match to lengthen the lead to 13-0. 

The next three matchups included decision wins by Colin Realbuto in the 149-pound weight class, Derek Holschlag in the 157-pound match and Austin Yant in the 165-pound match, giving the Panther men a 22-0 lead. UNI finally lost its first match as Air Force’s Sam Wolf defeated Pat Schoenfelder at 174 pounds in a tight 10-8 decision. However, UNI rebounded as Parker Keckeisen got a technical fall at 184 pounds and John Gunderson picked up another major decision at 197 pounds to extend the lead to 31-3. Tyrell Gordon lost in the heavyweight matchup, but UNI still won 31-6.

On Saturday at the West Gym, UNI faced another Big 12 opponent in West Virginia. West Virginia came in 5-6 overall but 0-4 in Big 12 duals. UNI dropped the first match in a major decision, but rattled off wins in the next four to take a commanding lead. The first win was another fall for Biscoglia. A second fall by Happel extended the Panther lead to 12-4. Realbuto contributed an 8-5 decision, and Holschlag added a 12-2 win to lengthen the lead to 19-4. Yant dropped a 4-2 decision to West Virginia’s Peyton Hall, but UNI won the next three matchups on major decisions by Lance Runyon, Keckeisen and Gunderson. Gordon dropped a 3-1 sudden victory, but it would not prove to be a factor as the Panthers won their sixth-straight dual 31-6.

UNI closes the season in the McLeod Center against Iowa State on Feb. 11 and Wisconsin on Feb. 17.