UNI’s Cabell has grown on and off the mat

Blaize Cabell has pressed as a wrestler for the University of Northern Iowa.

The growth on the mat rivals that off it in his time with the Panther program.

The junior heavyweight admitted he made some mistakes with some personal decisions in the past, but turned things around, which also resulted in wrestling success.

Cabell is making his second straight trip to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, beginning Wednesday, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. Seventh-seeded Cabell (26-5) is the best-seeded of UNI's four national qualifiers and opens with Illinois' Brooks Black (17-14) in the first round.

For Cabell, it isn't so much making mistakes, but learning from them in the long run.

'It almost got to the point where I was pushing if I'd be able to wrestle here at UNI,” said Cabell, declining to delve into the specific situations he faced in the past. 'The coaches went to bat for me. They told me I had to straighten my act up and that helped put me on the right path. It opened up my eyes.”

Cabell said he was dismissive at times when coaches tried to provide advice. He has made the most of his opportunity, moving into the heavyweight spot as a sophomore. He reached the NCAA tournament last season, falling to Minnesota's 2014 national finalist Tony Nelson, 1-0. The support from UNI Coach Doug Schwab and his staff struck a chord with him, driving himself harder because coaches have his back.

'It means a lot because it shows they're not just here to help us as wrestlers, but they are here to help us progress as men, as well,” the former Independence prep said. 'Anytime you have coaches looking to help you become a better person on and off the mat, it's really critical to success in college and after it when you go out into the real world.

'I feel the values they have here and the way it's a team and a family that it transcends through it all, making us tighter as a group.”

So, what advice would Cabell give to anyone walking down the same path he once traveled?

'I would say listen to your coaches,” Cabell said. 'They may be hard on you but being hard on you shows that they care.”

The strides on the mat coincide with his personal development. He was 17-11 during his red-shirt season, but was 10-12 as a red-shirt freshman at 197 pounds. Cabell was 22-14 last season, placing third at the Mid-American Conference Championships.

'I know that he has made a big jump,” Schwab said at UNI's media day. 'He isn't a whole lot bigger weight-wise, but he is way stronger. He has rounded out a lot more in more positions.”

Schwab had faith in his big man from the beginning of the season, observing how he improved on riding opponents and takedown finishes. Even as he entered the year on the periphery of some national rankings, Schwab asserted Cabell would earn a spot among the country's best.

'I feel he has progressed to a whole other level, but we'll see,” Schwab said in the preseason. 'I don't see him in any of those rankings and that's fine with me. I'm going to tell you he will end up in those rankings. No doubt in my mind about that.”

One of the reasons is a close relationship with Panthers' volunteer coach Tolly Thompson, an NCAA champion at Nebraska and bronze medalist at the 2005 World Championships. Cabell said he has learned some of the tricks of the trade from working with a world-class competitor daily.

'He shows a lot of basic things to me,” Cabell said. 'You don't need a lot of flashy things to win, but good basic technique and be able to be in the right position to defend and score at any time is huge.”

Cabell improved on his MAC finish, reaching the finals and placing second this year. He fell to Missouri's Devin Mellon, snapping a 15-match win streak. Cabell is ready to work on another this week.

'Blaize doesn't like losing,” said Schwab in an online story on the UNI wrestling website. 'He won a lot of matches in a row, so he will rebound from his one loss at the MAC tournament.”

Cabell is focused on determining a game plan, following it and wrestling hard. He has confidence with wins over top-10 talent this season and he plans to continue his progress.

'I'm looking to be on the top of that podium when it's all said and done,” Cabell said. 'There's no other reason to go down there. I'm going to be looking for a gold medal and a plaque, and bring it back home.”

He will be joined by 125-pounder Dylan Peters, Cooper Moore (165) and Basil Minto at 197. Peters is a returning All-American, placing sixth last season to become UNI's first freshman to achieve the feat since 1996. he is seeded ninth.

Moore advanced to the NCAA meet for the second straight year, while Minto is making his national tournament debut.

'We're going to get those guys ready to win national titles,” Schwab said.

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