CEDAR FALLS – UNI’s Parker Keckeisen has been named the Big 12 Conference’s Wrestler of the Week, as announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon. The selection is the third time that the Panther standout has received the honor, and first time this year.
Keckeisen’s selection comes after the Panther redshirt junior posted another dominant weekend on the mat in UNI’s road duals at No. 5 Oklahoma State and No. 18 Oklahoma. Ranked first in the nation at 184 pounds, Keckeisen took down No. 2 Dustin Plott last Friday night in Stillwater in a highly anticipated matchup between the top-two athletes in the weight class in a 12-6 decision. The following night, Keckeisen picked up a commanding 22-6 technical fall win over Oklahoma’s Carson Berryhill, his seventh technical fall victory of the season.
Keckeisen (pictured at top via UNIAthletics), a three-time All-American and the 2023 NCAA runner-up at 184 pounds, is a perfect 18-0 on the season and is currently riding a 30-match winning streak dating back to last season. Quickly approaching his 100th career win, he is 92-5 all-time in his career with the best career winning percentage in program history (.948), having never lost a match in bonus-points.
Other nominees for Big 12 Wrestler of the Week included Younger Bastida (Iowa State), Noah Surtin (Missouri), Max Petersen (North Dakota State), Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado), Stephen Buchanan (Oklahoma), Daton Fix (Oklahoma State), Bennett Berge (South Dakota State), Cooper Voorhees (Wyoming) and Ty Watters (West Virginia).
Keckeisen, a native of Glendale, Wisconsin, is the son of James and Lynne Keckeisen, and younger brother of Emma and Hannah. He is currently majoring in construction management with minors in coaching and strength and conditioning.
Keckeisen and the 18th-ranked Panthers return to action on Sunday, February 4 as they host the 17th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers in a Big 12 dual. Competition is slated to begin at 2 p.m. CT in the McLeod Center, with live coverage available on FloWrestling and CFU Channel 15.
Tickets can be purchased online at UNIpanthers.com/tickets, or by calling the ticket office at 319-273-4849. The program will also be celebrating Military Appreciation Day and Alumni Day, with complimentary tickets for active and retired military personnel with their military IDs.
