CEDAR FALLS – UNI wrestling earned bonus points in six of the seven bouts in a 31-10 victory of West Virginia.
The seventh Big 12 dual win extends UNI’s winning streak to six duals. UNI improved to 7-5 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12. West Virginia is now 5-7 overall and 0-5 in the Big 12.
Parker Keckeisen is the only Panther undefeated in the Big 12 and is on an eight-match win streak at 184 pounds.
At 125 pounds, UNI’s Brody Teske gave up the first takedown but was able to escape. However, West Virginia’s Killian Cardinale was able to notch another takedown to lead 4-2 to start the second period. Cardinale escaped off the whistle and took Teske to his back to earn nearfall points and go up 9-2. Teske scored an escape off the third-period whistle, but Cardinale recorded his fourth takedown and secured nearly three minutes of riding time to earn a 12-4 major decision and the team lead for West Virginia, 4-0.
Cardinale was seventh at last year’s NCAA championships and entered the dual lineup midseason. His only loss of the season came last night to No, 17 Kysen Terukina of Iowa State.
Kyle Biscoglia added his seventh fall of the season, which leads the starters. He pinned Garett Lautzenheiser in 2 minutes, 8 seconds. Biscoglia has won eight of his last nine matches at 133 pounds. Of his 16 wins this season, 13 have come with bonus points. The bonus points gave UNI the 6-4 lead over the Mountaineers.
At 141 pounds, Cael Happel was working on a major decision with five takedowns, leading 12-4 before he turned Caleb Rea to earn his second fall of the season. Happel pinned Rea in 5:28 to give the Panthers the 12-4 lead.
Colin Realbuto was the first to strike and never gave up the lead to WVU’s Jeffrey Boyd at 149 pounds. Realbuto grabbed three takedowns and added riding time to win with an 8-5 decision. The Panthers continued to lead, 15-4.
Derek Holschlag gave the Panthers their second major decision and fourth set of bonus points at 157 pounds. Holschlag had a slow start, leading just 2-0 after the first period. By the end of regulation, Holschlag had four takedowns and drew two stalling penalties from WVU’s Alex Hornfeck. His 12-2 major decision took UNI into intermission with the 19-4 lead.
Austin Yant’s seven-match win streak at 165 pounds came to an end with a 4-2 sudden victory loss to Peyton Hall of WVU. Hall also beat Yant, 5-4, in the opening round of the Big 12 Championships last year, to take fourth as a true freshman and earn his first berth to the NCAA championships. Hall (19-1) is the only Mountaineer who is undefeated in dual competition this season.
Just the second win for WVU, UNI continued to lead 19-7.
Lance Runyon was the third Panther to secure a major decision. The fifth set of bonus points came at 174 pounds. Runyon blanked Dennis Robin, 8-0, and tacked on more than four minutes of riding time.
Runyon returned to the lineup late January after suffering an injury in the first round of the Big 12 Championships on March 6, 2021. In just three matches at 174 pounds, he had two top-20 wins, including a fall against No. 7 Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State.
UNI All-American Parker Keckeisen won his eighth consecutive match with a major decision over Anthony Carman. Keckeisen has earned bonus points in six of the eight matches. He had five takedowns and nearly five minutes of riding time to earn a 12-3 major decision. That pushed the team score to 27-7, Panthers.
UNI saw the debut of John Gunderson in the Panther lineup last week when head coach Doug Schwab pulled his redshirt to step in at 197 pounds. This weekend, Gunderson notched his first two dual wins as a Panther. After a scoreless first period, Gunderson got on the board with a second-period escape. Jackson Moomau chose down for the third period, and Gunderson earned six points off turns. Moomau narrowly escaped a fall at the whistle, and Gunderson won 8-0 with his riding time point.
Heavyweight Tyrell Gordon faced his 10th top-25 opponent of the season, the most of any Panther in the active lineup. He took Michael Wolfgram to sudden victory, but lost 3-1.
In extra matches, heavyweight Carter Isley grabbed his fastest career fall in 14 seconds. It also marks the fast fall of any Panther this season.
#22 UNI OVER WEST VIRGINIA, 31-10
(NCAA / Intermat rankings)
125: 6 / 5 Killian Cardinale (WV) maj. dec. 11 / 13 Brody Teske (UNI) 12-4
133: 29 / 19 Kyle Biscoglia (UNI) pinned Garett Lautzenheiser (WV) 2:08 F
141: 20 / 23 Cael Happel (UNI) pinned Caleb Rea (WV) 5:28
149: 31 / 33 Colin Realbuto (UNI) dec. Jeffrey Boyd (WV) 8-5
157: Derek Holschlag (UNI) maj. dec. Alex Hornfeck (WV) 12-2
165: 9 / 16 Peyton Hall (WV) dec. 17 / 9 Austin Yant (UNI) 4-2 SV1
174: NR / 21 Lance Runyon (UNI) maj. dec. Dennis Robin (WV) 8-0
184: 4 / 4 Parker Keckeisen (UNI) maj. dec. Anthony Carman (WV) 12-3
197: John Gunderson (UNI) maj. dec. Jackson Moomau (WV) 8-0
285: 21 / 23 Michael Wolfgram (WV) dec. Tyrell Gordon (UNI) 3-1 SV1
EXTRA MATCHES
165: Scott Joll (WV) pinned Pat Schoenfelder (UNI) 2:45
285: Carter Isley (UNI) pinned Tristan Kemp (WV) 0:14
Officials: Derrik Lark and Jacob Frias
Attendance: 663
UP NEXT
The Panthers wrap up the regular season at home with two duals in the McLeod Center. Single-dual tickets are on sale for the matchups between No. 5 Iowa State at 7 p.m. Feb. 11 and No. 9 Wisconsin at 7 p.m. Feb. 17.
Iowa State is the only Big 12 team still undefeated in the conference at 6-0. The Cyclones cap the dual season with No. 12 Missouri.
