After a cold streak, the UNI wrestlers brought the heat to their Kent State meet Sunday in Kent, Ohio. Not only did they earn a victory that landed them fourth in the MAC, the Panthers upset two Kent State wrestlers ranked in the top 15 of the conference.

Starting out the evening was Dylan Peters from the 125 pound weight class. Peters won by a fall in the second period against KSU’s Del Vinas, the fall gave the Panthers 6 points to begin the meet.

The next victory and first major upset of the night came from Jarrett Jensen at 157 pounds. Jensen faced Kent State’s Ian Miller, who is ranked fourth in the wrestling NCAA, and fought hard through the tight match—coming out on top with a final score of 5-4.

UNI’s Cooper Moore secured his season’s perfect dual competition in the 165 pound bout. He beat his opponent with a 7-2 decision, moving his victories to 6-0 in the MAC and 10-0 in duals. 

Curt Maas’ match upset the crowd as he took down KSU’s 174 pound Caleb Marsh, ranked 15 in the wrestling NCAA. The final 6-1 decision was well deserved, and gave the Panthers just enough momentum to push through to the last two matches.

A loss following Maas’ match put UNI’s heavyweight Blaize Cabell in a tight spot going into the last bout of the night. Kent State’s Mimmo Lyte put up a fight but not anything Cabell couldn’t handle, as he took home his seventh MAC victory and stayed undefeated in duals for the season.

The Panthers left Ohio with a 21-16 victory over KSU, ending their cold streak and moving their MAC victories to 4-3. 

The Panthers will head to Ames Sunday to take on the Cyclones at 2 p.m. Following Ames, UNI will host Old Dominion for Senior Night February 20th in the West Gym.

This meet marked the last of the competitions for UNI before the MAC Championships, which is taking place March 7-8 in Columbia, Missouri.