TULSA, OKLAHOMA — Parker Keckeisen controlled the match from the opening whistle as UNI’s redshirt sophomore became the first Panther to win three Big 12 titles on Sunday at the BOK Center in a commanding 6-2 decision in the 184-pound title bout.
UNI has won the 184-pound championship at the Big 12 titles every year since joining the conference as an affiliate member in 2018, the longest active streak of any Big 12 school at a weight class. Oklahoma State won 8 straight titles at 149 pounds from 2015-22. Drew Foster won back-to-back titles for the Panthers at 184 in 2018 and 2019, while Taylor Lujan won in the interim before Keckeisen’s three championships (2021-23).
Keckeisen’s victory marks the ninth time a Panther has topped the podium at the Big 12 Championships.
In his final match of the weekend, Keckeisen faced off with second-seeded and fourth-ranked Marcus Coleman of Iowa State. Keckeisen took full control of the match from the beginning, gaining two first period takedowns, plus an escape in the second period for a 5-1 lead. The Glendale, Wisc. native tacked on an additional point for riding time to improve to 4-0 all-time against Coleman, who he defeated earlier this season in Cedar Falls in dual competition.
Having earned his third straight berth to the NCAA Championships on Saturday, Keckeisen will enter the field with a record of 22-1, having won his last 16 matches.
Keckeisen vs. Coleman All-Time Series
March 5, 2023 – W, 6-2 (Big 12 Championships)
Feb. 10, 2023 – W, 7-5 (Iowa State at UNI dual)
Feb. 11, 2022 – W, 7-2 (Iowa State at UNI dual)
Nov. 21, 2021 – W, 8-4 (Daktronics Open)
UNI’s All-Time Big 12 Champions (since joining in 2018)
Parker Keckeisen – 2021, 2022, 2023 (184 pounds)
Brody Teske – 2021 (125 pounds)
Taylor Lujan – 2018, 2020 (184 pounds)
Bryce Steiert – 2020 (174 pounds)
Drew Foster – 2018, 2019 (184 pounds)
The Panthers finished seventh in the team standings with 73 points. Missouri took home its second consecutive team title and third overall championship with 148 points. Oklahoma State finished in second place (134 points), with Iowa State taking third place (131 points).
UNI will send at least 5 wrestlers who qualified via conference allocations to NCAA Championships, which will also be held in the BOK Center in Tulsa, March 16-18. The Panthers have sent at least 5 athletes to the NCAA’s every year since 2014. The Big 12 received 65 of 285 allocated spots for the national championships, second-most in the nation behind only the Big Ten (88).
133 | Kyle Biscoglia (4th Place)
149 | Colin Realbuto (5th Place)
165 | Austin Yant (5th Place)
184 | Parker Keckeisen (1st Place)
285 | Tyrell Gordon (4th Place)
The remaining 45 at-large selections and brackets for the NCAA Championships will be announced at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday night on NCAA.com.
UNI RESULTS
(Seed) NCAA/RPI rank listed
125 | (8) NR/#25 Kyle Gollhofer (0-2)
Round 1 | L – Reece Witcraft (OSU), 8-2
Cons. Quarterfinal | L – (2) #19/21 Jore Volk (WYO), 6-2
133 | (2) #16/16 Kyle Biscoglia (2-2) | 4th Place
Quarterfinal | W – Derrick Cardinal (SDSU), 12-2 MD
Semifinal | L – (3) #18/13 Zach Redding (ISU), 3-1
Cons. Semifinal | W – (7) McGwire Midkiff (NDSU), 3-1
Cons. Final | L – #29/25 Wyatt Henson (OU), 9-3
141 | (3) #8/5 Cael Happel (0-2)
Quarterfinal | L – #13/23 Allan Hart (MIZZ), 10-4
Semifinal | L – NR/#33 Casey Swiderski (ISU), 8-6
149 | (2) #14/6 Colin Realbuto (3-2) | 5th Place
Round 1 | W – Alek Martin (SDSU), 8-2
Quarterfinal | W – (7) Chris Sandoval (UNC), 14-1 MD
Semifinal | L – (3) #10/13 Paniro Johnson (ISU), 3-2
Cons. Semifinal | L – (4) #17/11 Kellyn March (NDSU), 11-10
5th Place Match | W – (5) #22/19 Victor Voinovich (OSU), 3-2
157 | (5) #23/14 Derek Holschlag (1-2)
Round 1 | L – NR/#33 Jared Hill (OU), 5-4
Cons. Round 1 | W – Nolan Miller-Johnston (CBU), Fall 0:58
Cons. Round 2 | L – (3) #10/10 Jarrett Jacques (MIZZ), 5-1
165 | #18/14 Austin Yant (3-2) | 5th Place
Round 1 | W – Baylor Fernandez (UNC), 9-0 MD
Quarterfinal | L – (1) #2/2 David Carr (ISU), 21-6 TF (6:33)
Cons. Round 2 | W – Seamus Casey (AFA), 10-0 MD
Cons. Quarterfinal | W – (5) #21/22 Gerrit Nijenhuis (OU), 2-0
Cons. Semifinal | L – (3) #9/11 Michael Caliendo (NDSU), 7-2
5th Place Match | W – (4) #11/16 Peyton Hall (WVU), FFT
174 | (7) Lance Runyon (1-2)
Round 1 | W – Gaven Sax (NDSU), 7-3
Quarterfinal | L – #10/6 Dustin Plott (OSU), 6-2
Cons. Round 2 | L – #27/29 Julien Broderson (ISU), 6-2
184 | (1) #2/2 Parker Keckeisen (4-0) | 1st Place
Round 1 | W – Quayin Short (WYO), 22-6 TF (6:49)
Quarterfinal | W – (8) #31/17 Anthony Carman (WVU), 16-3 MD
Semifinal | W – (4) #25/32 Colton Hawks (MIZZ), 7-5
Final | W – (2) #4/3 Marcus Coleman (ISU), 6-2
197 | Noah Glaser (0-2)
Round 1 | L – (4) #20/13 Luke Surber (OSU), 16-4 MD
Cons. Quarterfinal | L – (6) #23/18 Evan Bockman (UVU), 10-3
285 | (7) #13/21 Tyrell Gordon (4-2) | 4th Place
Round 1 | W – Xavier Doolin (UNC), 5-0
Quarterfinal | L – (2) #7/5 Sam Schuyler (ISU), 6-0
Cons. Round 1 | W – Chris Island (CBU), 2-0
Cons. Quarterfinal | W – (6) #17/11 Josh Heindselman (OU), 9-2
Cons. Semifinal | W – (4) #12/10 AJ Nevills (SDSU), 2-0
Cons. Final | L – (3) #8/3 Zach Elam (MIZZ), 10-4
FINAL TEAM SCORES
1st – Missouri (148)
2nd – Oklahoma State (134)
3rd – Iowa State (131)
4th – Oklahoma (97.5)
5th – North Dakota State (89)
6th – South Dakota State (86.5)
7th – UNI (73)
8th – Air Force (64.5)
9th – Northern Colorado (50)
10th – Wyoming (41)
11th – Utah Valley (37.5)
12th – West Virginia (34.5)
13th – Cal Baptist (1)
