Northern Iowa
Last season, Northern Iowa had its best NCAA performance since 2003 when they finished 11th and got their first individual national champion since 2000. The Panthers tied for 13th place (40.5 points) with Lehigh. In addition to Drew Foster winning the championship at 184, Bryce Steiert reached the podium, placing 8th in a loaded 165 field. UNI had four other NCAA qualifiers with two making it to the Round of 12.
Northern Iowa went 7-5 in duals (7-1 in Big 12) with losses against Pitt, Cornell, Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma State; with their biggest win coming against Iowa State. They didn’t wrestle against Iowa. The Panthers placed 4th at Cliff Keen, 2nd at Midlands and 3rd at the Big 12 Championship.
This season, in addition to their eight Big 12 duals, the Panthers will be facing Missouri, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Wisconsin but not Iowa. UNI will also be attending the Harold Nichols Open, Cliff Keen and Midlands. Northern Iowa loses Drew Foster and Josh Alber but returns Steiert and three other NCAA qualifiers from last season. In addition, former qualifier Keegan Moore enters the lineup and 2018 AA, Jacob Holschlag is back from injury. They could meet or exceed last year’s results if Holschlag finishes as a high AA, Steiert repeats, Thomsen gets back to the podium and Lujan steps up to the next level.
125
Jacob Schwarm (Sr) <Bettendorf, IA>
Kyle Biscoglia (Fr) <Waukee, IA>
Schwarm will be trying to reach the podium in his final season with UNI. He qualified for the NCAA Championship for the second time last season after placing 5th at the Big 12 Championship (5 allocations). He received the 21 seed and went 2-2. Schwarm’s season record was only 16-12 but when he wins, he usually wins big (he had 12 pins). <Bonus: 50.0%, RPI: .578>
Biscoglia had a very solid redshirt season going 24-5 and getting four wins against NCAA qualifiers at Midlands. Perhaps Biscoglia or Schwarm will move up to 133.
133
Jack Skudlarczyk (So) <Westlake, TX>
Drew Bennett (Fr) <Fort Dodge, IA>
Skudlarczyk went 9-15 as the starter last season but came close to qualifying for the NCAAs after upsetting the 6 and 7 seeds at the Big 12 Championship. He ended up placing 6th (5 allocations). <Bonus: 8.3%, RPI: .531>
Bennett went 14-4 as a redshirt. He only wrestled one NCAA qualifier, a loss to Devan Turner (OrSt).
141
Michael Blockhaus (Fr) <New Hampton, IA>
Blockhaus will be taking over for Josh Alber at 141 this season. He went 20-4 as a redshirt and had one win against a NCAA qualifier, Corey Shie (Army).
Last season, Alber finished his career at UNI as a 4 time NCAA qualifier. After a solid season which earned him the 4 seed at the NCAA Championship, he was upset in the 2nd round by (13) Kyle Shoop (LHU) and then lost in his first wrestleback match to (14) Jamal Morris (NCSt).
149
Max Thomsen (Sr) <Union, IA>
Thomsen is in his last season with the Panthers and trying to get back to the podium for the second time (5th in 2017). Thomsen went 24-10 and grabbed the last Big 12 NCAA allocation, placing 7th at their championship. He received the 15 seed for the NCAA Championship and lost in the Round of 12 to (4) Brock Mauller (Mizzu). <Bonus: 38.2%, RPI: .660>
157
Paden Moore (Jr) <Jackson County Central, MN>
Cayd Lara (Fr) <Fort Dodge, IA>
Last season, Pat Schoenfelder began as the starter and went 6-18. Paden Moore finished as the starter, going 5-7 and 0-2 at the Big 12 Championship. Lara went 20-7 as a redshirt but didn’t have any wins of note (he did have 14 pins).
165
Bryce Steiert (Sr) <Waverly-Shell Rock, IA>
Another starter in his final season with UNI. Last season, Steiert at the 11 seed upset 6 seed Logan Massa (Mich) on the way to reaching the podium for the first time (8th place). He was 26-10 and placed 3rd at the Big 12 Championship. <Bonus: 47.2%, RPI: .676>
174
Taylor Lujan (Sr) <Carrollton, GA>
Lujan is another Panther wrestler that is looking to reach the podium in his final season with the team. He is a three-time NCAA qualifier and has made it to the Round of 12 the last two seasons. Lujan went 26-7 and placed 2nd at the Big 12 Championship getting the 8 seed for the NCAA Championship. After a 5-3 loss to Mark Hall in the NCAA semis, Lujan lost in the Round of 12 to (6) Darren McFadden (VT). <Bonus: 51.5%, RPI: .678>
184
Keegan Moore (Jr) <Jackson County Central, MN>
Moore is a transfer from Oklahoma State where he qualified for the NCAA Championship in 2018 @184 (he went 0-2).
Last season, Drew Foster finished his career on top with winning the first individual championship for the Panthers since 2000. He went 28-5, won the Big 12 Championship and was the 6 seed at the NCAA Championship. Foster was a three-time qualifier and two-time AA, also placing 7th at 184 in 2017. He was 15-19 as the starter @174 in 2015/16. I wonder how many wrestlers who began their collegiate careers with losing records ended up as champions? Fun fact: Mark Hall isn’t the only eventual national champion wrestler that was beaten by Alex Meyer. (It just took Foster a little longer.)
197
Jacob Holschlag (Sr) <Union, IA>
Holschlag is back after missing last season due to injury. He placed 5th at 197 in 2018. A pin by Kyle Conel sent Holschlag to the 5th place match where he beat 2 seed Ben Darmstadt (Corn). {I would think Holschlag would be able to get another season if he wanted it.}
Last season, sophomore Izaak Shedenhelm filled in for Holschlag and went 10-17 overall and 0-2 at the Big 12 Championship. (I don’t see him listed on the UNI roster anymore.)
Heavy
Carter Isley (Jr) <Albia, IA>
Isley went 14-7 last season and 1-2 at the Big 12 Championship, not qualifying for the NCAA Championship. <Bonus: 23.8%, RPI: .594>
New Faces
With four (perhaps five) outgoing seniors, UNI needed to bring in some recruits. And they have:
Kyle Gollhofer <Woodland, GA>
Gollhofer is a 4-time Georgia 5A state champion. He is ranked #11 at 120 by InterMat.
Lance Runyon <Southeast Polk, IA>
After third place finishes in his sophomore and junior years, Runyon won the Iowa state 3A championship at 152 in 2019. He is ranked #11 at 152 by InterMat.
Parker Keckeisen <Nicolet, WI>
Keckeisen went undefeated in his last two seasons winning the Wisconsin state championship at 170 in 2018 and at 182 in 2019. Keckeisen is ranked #1 at 182 by InterMat.
Last season, Northern Iowa had its best NCAA performance since 2003 when they finished 11th and got their first individual national champion since 2000. The Panthers tied for 13th place (40.5 points) with Lehigh. In addition to Drew Foster winning the championship at 184, Bryce Steiert reached the podium, placing 8th in a loaded 165 field. UNI had four other NCAA qualifiers with two making it to the Round of 12.
Northern Iowa went 7-5 in duals (7-1 in Big 12) with losses against Pitt, Cornell, Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma State; with their biggest win coming against Iowa State. They didn’t wrestle against Iowa. The Panthers placed 4th at Cliff Keen, 2nd at Midlands and 3rd at the Big 12 Championship.
This season, in addition to their eight Big 12 duals, the Panthers will be facing Missouri, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Wisconsin but not Iowa. UNI will also be attending the Harold Nichols Open, Cliff Keen and Midlands. Northern Iowa loses Drew Foster and Josh Alber but returns Steiert and three other NCAA qualifiers from last season. In addition, former qualifier Keegan Moore enters the lineup and 2018 AA, Jacob Holschlag is back from injury. They could meet or exceed last year’s results if Holschlag finishes as a high AA, Steiert repeats, Thomsen gets back to the podium and Lujan steps up to the next level.
125
Jacob Schwarm (Sr) <Bettendorf, IA>
Kyle Biscoglia (Fr) <Waukee, IA>
Schwarm will be trying to reach the podium in his final season with UNI. He qualified for the NCAA Championship for the second time last season after placing 5th at the Big 12 Championship (5 allocations). He received the 21 seed and went 2-2. Schwarm’s season record was only 16-12 but when he wins, he usually wins big (he had 12 pins). <Bonus: 50.0%, RPI: .578>
Biscoglia had a very solid redshirt season going 24-5 and getting four wins against NCAA qualifiers at Midlands. Perhaps Biscoglia or Schwarm will move up to 133.
133
Jack Skudlarczyk (So) <Westlake, TX>
Drew Bennett (Fr) <Fort Dodge, IA>
Skudlarczyk went 9-15 as the starter last season but came close to qualifying for the NCAAs after upsetting the 6 and 7 seeds at the Big 12 Championship. He ended up placing 6th (5 allocations). <Bonus: 8.3%, RPI: .531>
Bennett went 14-4 as a redshirt. He only wrestled one NCAA qualifier, a loss to Devan Turner (OrSt).
141
Michael Blockhaus (Fr) <New Hampton, IA>
Blockhaus will be taking over for Josh Alber at 141 this season. He went 20-4 as a redshirt and had one win against a NCAA qualifier, Corey Shie (Army).
Last season, Alber finished his career at UNI as a 4 time NCAA qualifier. After a solid season which earned him the 4 seed at the NCAA Championship, he was upset in the 2nd round by (13) Kyle Shoop (LHU) and then lost in his first wrestleback match to (14) Jamal Morris (NCSt).
149
Max Thomsen (Sr) <Union, IA>
Thomsen is in his last season with the Panthers and trying to get back to the podium for the second time (5th in 2017). Thomsen went 24-10 and grabbed the last Big 12 NCAA allocation, placing 7th at their championship. He received the 15 seed for the NCAA Championship and lost in the Round of 12 to (4) Brock Mauller (Mizzu). <Bonus: 38.2%, RPI: .660>
157
Paden Moore (Jr) <Jackson County Central, MN>
Cayd Lara (Fr) <Fort Dodge, IA>
Last season, Pat Schoenfelder began as the starter and went 6-18. Paden Moore finished as the starter, going 5-7 and 0-2 at the Big 12 Championship. Lara went 20-7 as a redshirt but didn’t have any wins of note (he did have 14 pins).
165
Bryce Steiert (Sr) <Waverly-Shell Rock, IA>
Another starter in his final season with UNI. Last season, Steiert at the 11 seed upset 6 seed Logan Massa (Mich) on the way to reaching the podium for the first time (8th place). He was 26-10 and placed 3rd at the Big 12 Championship. <Bonus: 47.2%, RPI: .676>
174
Taylor Lujan (Sr) <Carrollton, GA>
Lujan is another Panther wrestler that is looking to reach the podium in his final season with the team. He is a three-time NCAA qualifier and has made it to the Round of 12 the last two seasons. Lujan went 26-7 and placed 2nd at the Big 12 Championship getting the 8 seed for the NCAA Championship. After a 5-3 loss to Mark Hall in the NCAA semis, Lujan lost in the Round of 12 to (6) Darren McFadden (VT). <Bonus: 51.5%, RPI: .678>
184
Keegan Moore (Jr) <Jackson County Central, MN>
Moore is a transfer from Oklahoma State where he qualified for the NCAA Championship in 2018 @184 (he went 0-2).
Last season, Drew Foster finished his career on top with winning the first individual championship for the Panthers since 2000. He went 28-5, won the Big 12 Championship and was the 6 seed at the NCAA Championship. Foster was a three-time qualifier and two-time AA, also placing 7th at 184 in 2017. He was 15-19 as the starter @174 in 2015/16. I wonder how many wrestlers who began their collegiate careers with losing records ended up as champions? Fun fact: Mark Hall isn’t the only eventual national champion wrestler that was beaten by Alex Meyer. (It just took Foster a little longer.)
197
Jacob Holschlag (Sr) <Union, IA>
Holschlag is back after missing last season due to injury. He placed 5th at 197 in 2018. A pin by Kyle Conel sent Holschlag to the 5th place match where he beat 2 seed Ben Darmstadt (Corn). {I would think Holschlag would be able to get another season if he wanted it.}
Last season, sophomore Izaak Shedenhelm filled in for Holschlag and went 10-17 overall and 0-2 at the Big 12 Championship. (I don’t see him listed on the UNI roster anymore.)
Heavy
Carter Isley (Jr) <Albia, IA>
Isley went 14-7 last season and 1-2 at the Big 12 Championship, not qualifying for the NCAA Championship. <Bonus: 23.8%, RPI: .594>
New Faces
With four (perhaps five) outgoing seniors, UNI needed to bring in some recruits. And they have:
Kyle Gollhofer <Woodland, GA>
Gollhofer is a 4-time Georgia 5A state champion. He is ranked #11 at 120 by InterMat.
Lance Runyon <Southeast Polk, IA>
After third place finishes in his sophomore and junior years, Runyon won the Iowa state 3A championship at 152 in 2019. He is ranked #11 at 152 by InterMat.
Parker Keckeisen <Nicolet, WI>
Keckeisen went undefeated in his last two seasons winning the Wisconsin state championship at 170 in 2018 and at 182 in 2019. Keckeisen is ranked #1 at 182 by InterMat.
