CEDAR FALLS – An action-filled weekend in the Nevada desert and in the Midwest await the UNI wrestling team as it competes in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Friday and Saturday, as well as Wisconsin-Parkside’s Jim Koch Open in Kenosha on Saturday.
UNI wrestlers look to hit the jackpot against nation’s top competitors at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, as well as the Jim Koch Open in Wisconsin.
No. 16 UNI wrestling at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
Dec. 1-2, 2023
Westgate Las Vegas Event Center | Las Vegas, Nev.
FloWrestling (Watch)
FloWrestling (Results)
No. 16 UNI wrestling at Jim Koch Open
Dec. 2, 2023 | 9 a.m. CT
Frank Petretti Fieldhouse, Kenosha, Wisc.
TrackWrestling (Results)
CLIFF KEEN LAS VEGAS INVITATIONAL
One of the nation’s largest open wrestling competitions, the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational will feature 34 Division I programs from across the country at the Westgate Las Vegas Event Center just off the famous Las Vegas strip. The Panthers finished in fifth-place as a team at last year’s open, its fourth top-five finish in its previous seven appearances.
UNI’s schedule in Las Vegas is as follows:
Friday, Dec. 1
11a.m. CT: Round 1 Pig Tail Championship, Round 2 of (32) Championship, Round 3 Consolation of (32), Round 4 Championship of (16), Consolation 1st of (16) Round 5 Consolation 2nd of (16)
8 p.m. CT: Round 6 Championship Quarter Finals, Consolation Round 1st of (8), & Round 7 Consolation 2nd of (8)
Saturday, Dec. 2
12 p.m. CT: Round 8 Championship Semi-Finals, Round 9 Consolation Semi Finals, Consolation Finals (5th, 6th, 7th & 8th Places)
5 p.m. CT: Championship Finals (1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Places)
The Panthers are expected to send ten wrestlers to Nevada, including top-ranked Parker Keckeisen (184 pounds), fresh off an exhibition win over No. 2 Bernie Truax (Penn State) at last week’s NWCA All-Star Classic in Pennsylvania. Keckeisen placed second in last year’s Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, falling to No. 3 Trent Hidlay in the finals in an 8-2 decision before rattling off 20 consecutive victories en route to an NCAA runner-up finish in March.
Cael Happel, who placed second at 141 pounds in Las Vegas last year, enters this year’s field at 3-0. Happel picked up a pair of top-20 wins during last year’s competition in the desert before falling to No. 17 Brock Hardy (Nebraska) in the finals in a 6-1 decision.
Jared Simma will return to the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational for a second straight year after going 1-2 at the event last season, while Trever Anderson (125 pounds), Julian Farber (133 pounds), Adam Allard (149 pounds), Ryder Downey (157 pounds), Evan Yant (157 pounds), Jared Simma (174 pounds), Wyatt Voelker (197 pounds) and Jose Valdez (285 pounds) will all make their first appearance at the tournament.
2023 UNI PARTICIPANTS & RANKINGS (Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational)
Trever Anderson (125 pounds)
NR/#22 Julian Farber (133 pounds)
#9/17 Cael Happel (141 pounds)
Adam Allard (149 pounds)
Ryder Downey (157 pounds)
Evan Yant (157 pounds)
Jared Simma (174 pounds)
#1/1 Parker Keckeisen (184 pounds)
#23/30 Wyatt Voelker (197 pounds)
Jose Valdez (285 pounds)
(Intermat/FloWrestling rankings listed)
2023 CLIFF KEEN LAS VEGAS TEAMS (NWCA rankings)
#2 NC State
#5 Ohio State
#6 Cornell
#7 Michigan
#8 Iowa State
#9 Nebraska
#10 Virginia Tech
#11 Oklahoma State
#14 South Dakota State
#16 Northern Iowa
#17 Navy
#22 Arizona State
#23 North Carolina
#25 Maryland
#24 Stanford
RV Cal Poly
RV Purdue
RV Northwestern
RV Campbell
Air Force
Appalachian State
Columbia
Harvard
Binghamton
Rider
Wyoming
Utah Valley
Citadel
Hofstra
Long Island
Morgan State
Ohio
Sacred Heart
UNDER SCHWAB AT CLIFF KEEN LAS VEGAS INVITATIONAL
2012: 8th team 62.5 points / 3rd Ryan Loder (184); 4th Levi Wolfensperger (141); 5th David Bonin (157); 7th Cody Caldwell (174)
2013: 6th team 75.5 points / 3rd Joe Colon (133); 4th Cooper Moore (165); 5th Dylan Peters (125); 8th Joey Lazor (141)
2014: 14th team / 4th Cooper Moore (165); 6th Dylan Peters (125); 8th Blaize Cabell (HWT)
2015: 12th team 54.5 points / 5th Josh Alber (133); 6th Bryce Steiert (157); 8th Cooper Moore (165)
2017: 4th team 104 points / 2nd Josh Alber (141); 4th Max Thomsen (149); 4th Taylor Lujan (174); 4th Jacob Holschlag (197); 5th Jay Schwarm (125); 7th Drew Foster (184)
2018: 4th team 84.5 points / 3rd Taylor Lujan (174); 3rd Drew Foster (184); 5th Josh Alber (141); 6th Bryce Steiert (165); 7th Max Thomsen (149)
2019: 4th team 94 points / 2nd Bryce Steiert (174); 4th Taylor Lujan (184); 5th Max Thomsen (149); 5th Carter Isley (HWT); 6th Michael Blockhus (141); 7th Jay Schwarm (125)
2022 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Panther Medalists
133 | Kyle Biscoglia – 3rd
141 | Cael Happel – 2nd
149 | Colin Realbuto – 8th
165 | Austin Yant – 6th
184 | Parker Keckeisen – 2nd
285 | Tyrell Gordon – 5th
JIM KOCH OPEN
Northern Iowa returns to the Jim Koch Open for only the second time, and first time since an impressive outing in 2018.
The Panthers captured three titles with nine pins and seven technical falls during their last trip to Kenosha. Eight of UNI’s ten wrestlers that competed ended up medaling with a combined record of 43-9 and three falls from Bryce Esmoil.
JIM KOCH OPEN
UNI claimed titles at three weights and notched nine falls and seven tech falls. Of the 10 Panthers who competed, eight medaled.
The group claimed 43 wins and just 9 losses overall. Bryce Esmoil led the Panthers in falls with three on the day.
