The UNI wrestling team faced Air Force on Friday, Feb. 4, in the West Gym. UNI had won four straight duals, all in Big 12 play, to improve to a 5-5 record overall and a 4-2 record in conference duals. Air Force came in with a 3-4 record and a 1-4 mark in the Big 12. UNI and Air Force had already faced each other in Colorado earlier this season, with UNI winning that matchup. This time around featured a dominant Panther effort, as UNI won 31-6 and eight out of ten matches.

This dual featured a dominant start from UNI, as they won the first six matches out of the gate. In the 125-pound match, Brody Teske got the Panthers started off with an 8-5 decision. Kyle Biscoglia earned a fall at 133 pounds, extending the Panther lead to 9-0, while Cael Happel picked up a 13-4 major decision win in the 141-pound match to lengthen the lead to 13-0. 

The next three matchups included decision wins by Colin Realbuto in the 149-pound weight class, Derek Holschlag in the 157-pound match and Austin Yant in the 165-pound match, giving the Panther men a 22-0 lead. UNI finally lost its first match as Air Force’s Sam Wolf defeated Pat Schoenfelder at 174 pounds in a tight 10-8 decision. However, UNI rebounded as Parker Keckeisen got a technical fall at 184 pounds and John Gunderson picked up another major decision at 197 pounds to extend the lead to 31-3. Tyrell Gordon lost in the heavyweight matchup, but UNI still won 31-6.

On Saturday at the West Gym, UNI faced another Big 12 opponent in West Virginia. West Virginia came in 5-6 overall but 0-4 in Big 12 duals. UNI dropped the first match in a major decision, but rattled off wins in the next four to take a commanding lead. The first win was another fall for Biscoglia. A second fall by Happel extended the Panther lead to 12-4. Realbuto contributed an 8-5 decision, and Holschlag added a 12-2 win to lengthen the lead to 19-4. Yant dropped a 4-2 decision to West Virginia’s Peyton Hall, but UNI won the next three matchups on major decisions by Lance Runyon, Keckeisen and Gunderson. Gordon dropped a 3-1 sudden victory, but it would not prove to be a factor as the Panthers won their sixth-straight dual 31-6.

UNI closes the season in the McLeod Center against Iowa State on Feb. 11 and Wisconsin on Feb. 17.