CEDAR FALLS – Parker Keckeisen has the opportunity to become UNI wrestling’s first three-time All-American since 2005 as the Panthers prepare to take the mat this week at the 2023 NCAA Division I Championships.
Keckeisen earned the top seed for the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, the third Panther to do so under head coach Doug Schwab. Taylor Lujan earned the No. 1 seed in 2020 at 184 pounds for the uncontested championship, and Joe Colon was No. 1 in 2014 at 133 pounds.
Keckeisen could join an elite group of Panthers who have earned three Division I All-Americans for UNI. While UNI has more Panthers who earned three-peat All-American status in Division II or combined with Division II honors, just nine have earned All-America honors at Division I.
Bill Koll 1946,47,48
Russ Bush 1946,47,49
Bill Nelson 1947,49,50
Keith Young 1949,50,51
Kirk Myers * 1978 (2), 79 (2), 80 (DII), 82 (DI)
Gary Steffensmeier 1990,91,92
Rich Powers 1990,91,92
Justin Greenlee 1993,94,95
Sean Stender 2003,04,05
Freshmen were not allowed to compete until 1969
* UNI’s only six-time All-American
1978: 1st Division II / 6th Division I
1979: 1st Division II / 3rd Division I
1980: 1st Division II / DNP Division I
1981: redshirted
1982: 5th Division I – no longer in DII
UNI is on a five-tournament streak of having at least one All-America selection, which is the 14th longest streak in the nation.
Seven Panthers qualified for this year’s tournament, and three earned top-15 seeds. Two un-seeded Panthers, including the first under Schwab, have earned All-America honors under Schwab since he started in 2011. The NCAA did not seed the entire field until 2019.
Contested All-Americans under Schwab from lowest to highest seed (NCAA place | name / weight – year (seed)):
4th | David Bonin / 157 – 2013 (unseeded, which ended at No. 12)
5th | Jacob Holschlag / 197 – 2018 (unseeded, which ended at No. 16)
7th | Drew Foster / 184 – 2017 (12 seed)
6th | Joey Lazor / 141 – 2014 (11 seed)
8th | Bryce Steiert / 165 – 2019 (11 seed)
6th | Dylan Peters / 125 – 2016 (9 seed)
5th | Max Thomesn / 149 – 2017 (7 seed)
1st | Drew Foster / 184 – 2019 (6 seed)
7th | Ryan Loder / 184 – 2013 (6 seed)
6th | Dylan Peters / 125 – 2014 (5 seed)
3rd | Parker Keckeisen / 184 – 2021 (4 seed)
3rd | Parker Keckeisen / 184 – 2022 (4 seed)
3rd | Joe Colon / 133 – 2014 (1 seed)
FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS (seeds)
133 | (16) Kyle Biscoglia vs. (17) Joe Heilmann (Rutgers)
Biscoglia is a two-time qualifier. Heilmann was eighth at the Big 10 Championships and has one top-20 win this year, beating RayVon Foley of Michigan State, 4-3. He is making his second trip to the NCAAs after competing in 2022 with North Carolina.
141 | (14) Cael Happel vs. (19) Matt Kazimir (Columbia)
Happel earned his first NCAA berth after serving as an alternate last year. Kazimir is a two-time NCAA qualifier and was fifth at the EIWA Championships. He is part of Columbia’s largest squad of qualifiers in program history.
149 | (16) Colin Realbuto vs. (17) Jackson Arrington (NC State)
Realbuto returns to his second NCAA championship and opens against Arrington, who he beat 5-4 in a dual earlier this year. Arrington, a true freshman, was second at the ACC Championships.
157 | (22) Derek Holschlag vs. (11) Chase Saldate (Michigan State)
Holschlag is a two-time NCAA qualifier with two top-10 wins this season. Saldate is a three-time qualifier. He went 0-2 as the No. 15 seed in 2021 and No. 21 seed in 2022. Saldate took fifth at the Big Ten Championships.
165 | (17) Austin Yant vs. (16) Joshua Ogunsanya (Columbia)
Yant is a three-time NCAA qualifier. This is Ogunsanya’s first NCAA championship and his first year of competition at the collegiate level. His first year at Columbia (2021) was canceled for COVID-19. He was the EIWA runner-up and is part of Columbia’s largest squad of qualifiers in program history.
184 | (1) Parker Keckeisen vs. (33) Anthony Carman (West Virginia) or (32) Jha’Quan Anderson (Gardner-Webb)
Two-time All-American Keckeisen will get the winner of the pigtail, which may include a familiar Big 12 foe. He has three bonus-point wins against Carman, including a 16-3 win at the 2023 Big 12 Championships. Keckeisen has won both dual meetings: 14-4 in 2023 and 12-3 in 2022.
285 | (13) Tyrell Gordon vs. (20) Konner Doucet (Oklahoma State)
Gordon, a two-time qualifier, will open with a Big 12 opponent. Gordon, who took fourth at the Big 12 Championships, has the series advantage. He beat Doucet 3-2 in a dual earlier this year. Doucet will make his NCAA debut. Doucet was fifth at the Big 12 Championships after receiving a forfeit from AJ Nevills of South Dakota State.
THE SETTING:
BOK Center (19,199) | Tulsa, Oklahoma
March 16-18, 2023
MARCH 16 | Session 1 – 11 a.m. CT (Prelims) / Session 2 – 6 p.m. CT (Prelims & Wrestle-backs)
MARCH 17 | Session 3 – 11 a.m. CT (Quarterfinals & Wrestle-backs / Session 4 – 7 p.m. CT (Semifinals & Wrestle-backs)
MARCH 18 | Session 5 – 10 a.m. CT (Consolation Finals) / Session 6 – 6 p.m. CT (Championship Finals)
