NCAA Wrestling Championships: Outlining paths for 10 UNI Panther wrestlers in Philadelphia
As Northern Iowa wrestling celebrated Parker Keckeisen's first national title, smiles and screams of joy were everywhere on the floor of the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
However, coach Doug Schwab still had a message for his team.
"Let's not let him (Parker) be the only one at the party next year," Schwab told the team at nationals. "We're partying with him, but I want other guys to be a part of the party."
As we approach the 2025 NCAA Championships in Philadelphia, the Panthers have put themselves in a good spot to do just that. A 14-1 dual record (best since 1991), 10 NCAA qualifiers (first time since 1986) and five wrestlers seeded 10th or better, UNI has one of the best contingents competing at nationals this season.
If the Panthers are going to be partying hard after a successful NCAAs, here are the paths they will be facing to get there and the keys for each of them.
Northern Iowa wrestling NCAA Championship contenders
Cael Happel - No. 5 seed at 141
Happel's path plays out very, very nicely.
Of his three losses on the season, two of them came to wrestlers who are on the other side of the bracket. He has another loss to Iowa State's Jacob Frost, but that was by medical forfeit and he went on to beat him twice when they actually competed this season.
As the No. 5 seed, he has beaten No. 1 seed Brock Hardy of Nebraska, he placed ahead of No. 8 seed Andrew Alirez (former NCAA champion) at Big 12s this year. The only wrestler of note on his side of the bracket that he has not wrestled or wouldn't be favored over is Josh Koderhandt of Navy (No. 4), whom he could see in the quarterfinals.
In his final go as a Panther, he's got a real path to the finals. If he can get there, it's one match for it all and who knows what could happen.
Ryder Downey - No. 6 seed at 157
Downey is another Panther with a favorable draw, with the first higher-seeded opponent that he could face being No. 3 Antrell Taylor of Nebraska in the quarterfinals. Against Taylor in a dual, he won in a 5-2 sudden victory.
If he can get through that second time, it will, in all likelihood, set him up with the winner of Iowa's Jacori Teemer (No. 18) and Cornell's Meyer Shapiro in the semifinals. Downey is unafraid to get into those wonky positions and scramble like Teemer and Shapiro occasionally.
If he can control that chaos, there's a path to the finals and who knows what could happen from there.
Parker Keckeisen - No. 2 seed at 184
Keckeisen has a 55-match winning streak during in-season competition, winning a title at 184 with an undefeated record last year. His only loss in the last two seasons was in an exhibition with four-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci of Penn State at the NWCA All-Star Classic (4-1 sudden victory for Starocci), who is his top opponent for a national title in his final season.
That will be the storyline all tournament long, and perhaps the finals matchup of the season and beyond. However, keep an eye on his semifinals match with a potential bout with Minnesota's Max McEnelly (No. 3). The talented redshirt freshman took Starocci to overtime and will provide a worthy test to Keckeisen and potentially thwart the Keckeisen vs. Starocci rematch.
If Keckeisen finishes stop the podium, he's a Dan Hodge Trophy contender and will end his career as one of the best Panther wrestlers of all time.
Northern Iowa wrestling NCAA All-American contenders
Colin Realbuto - No. 10 seed at 149
Realbuto's got a bit extra to wrestle for, with his infant daughter Georgia watching him from afar.
He'll have the Citadel's Carson DesRosier first (No. 23, 25-5), who has had a strong year but hasn't wrestled top-tier competition. If Realbuto advances, he'll likely draw Illinois' Kannon Webster (No. 7), who just reached the Big Ten finals and beat Penn State's Shayne Van Ness (No. 3) along the way. With an upset there, he'd likely have a rematch with Nebraska's Ridge Lovett (No. 2) for a spot in the semifinals.
Realbuto's got some nice wins and battles this year, but he's going to have to be ready from the jump to get onto the podium in his final season.
Jared Simma - No. 19 seed at 174
At No. 19 and 21-13 on the year, it may be a bit weird to see Simma here, but it's so hard to count this guy out.
As the No. 28 seed last year, Simma ran all the way to the quarterfinals and nearly defeated former national champion Shane Griffith to get to the semifinals. While he lost in the bloodround and was one win short of becoming an All-American, he still had one of the best runs of the tournament.
With his first round opponent being North Carolina State's Matthew Singleton (No. 14), he'll be the underdog from the jump. That effort he brought to Kansas City in 2024 will need to brought to Philadelphia for 2025.
Wyatt Voelker - No. 7 seed at 197
The Big 12 Champion at 197 pounds is starting to get his flowers for a stellar 2024-25, up to 24-4 on the year.
If he gets through No. 26 Brock Zurawaski of Rider in the first round, things will get tough with a likely matchup with Minnesota's Isaiah Salazar (No. 10) in the second round. Salazar placed sixth at NCAAs last year. A tough win there would set up a bout with No. 2 Stephen Buchanan of Iowa in the quarterfinals if seeding held. Also in his half of the bracket is former national champion AJ Ferrari, who could be waiting in the semifinals.
The 197 class is a tough weight, but the sophomore has had a really good season and could draw some eyes with a strong tournament.
Looking to surprise for Northern Iowa wrestling at the NCAA Championships
Trever Anderson - No. 22 seed at 125
Anderson is appearing in his first NCAAs, coming in with a knack for big wins in his career like he has done against Nebraska's Caleb Smith (No. 9) just this year. This season, he has not lost in bonus-point fashion to any opponent, despite a tough schedule.
Regardless, he's got a tough road beginning with No. 11 Nicolar Rivera of Wisconsin, who defeated Anderson in a 13-8 decision earlier this year. If he can get that match back, Jett Strickenberger of West Virginia (No. 6) is likely next. He beat Anderson by decision this year as well.
Julian Farber - No. 18 seed at 133
Farber has a tough road ahead of him, facing two-time All-American Anthony Noto of Lock Haven (No. 15) in the first round. If he can pull off the upset there, returning NCAA finalist Drake Ayala of Iowa (No. 2) is the next likely opponent.
A lot of work could need to be done on the backside for Farber to have a successful NCAAs, but his third-place finish at Big 12's suggests he can do so.
Jack Thomsen - No. 19 seed at 165
Thomsen is back at NCAAs, once again with a tough road. First, he'll have South Dakota State's Drake Rhodes, who beat Thomsen by decision at the beginning of the season. If Thomsen can reverse that result, his next likely opponent is Michael Caliendo of Iowa (No. 3), who has been one of the best wrestlers in the nation.
Thomsen will either have to do some stellar work in consolations or pull some big upsets early.
Lance Runyon - No. 18 seed at 285
Runyon is wrestling undersized at the weight as a 165-pounder when he arrived at UNI several years ago, but has had a good year nonetheless at 18-7.
First, he'll have Trevor Tinker of Cal Poly, whom he beat by major decision at the Cliff Keen Invitational earlier this year. If he can win again, he would then likely have Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State, who dominated Runyon in the dual earlier this year.
Barring a shocker there, his work will need to be done in consolations, where matchups are key for the newly turned heavyweight.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: UNI wrestling matchups for the NCAA Wrestling Championships
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