UNI wrestling powered by hard work as experienced Panthers seek more improvement

CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa wrestling coach Doug Schwab recalled the final day of last season.

All but one of the Panthers’ six NCAA qualifiers watched placing matches from the Enterprise Center seats in St. Louis, Mo. Some witnessed wrestlers they had beat reach the awards stand.

Schwab said he noticed a look in their eye, a desire to come back better. He posed a simple question to them.

“My response to them was what is going to change between now and then,” Schwab said during the program’s annual media day Thursday at West Gym. “What are we going to do between now and then? That’s what is really going to dictate if you’re going to be sitting in the stands and watch on Saturday or wrestle on Saturday.

“As a group, we’ve done a hell of a job. I’ve been very pleased with the work that has been done this spring, summer, and fall.”

UNI returns seven wrestlers with national tournament experience, spearheaded by 184-pound All-American Parker Keckeisen, and looks to improve on last season’s 19th-place NCAA finish. The Panthers open the season Nov. 14 at the Grand View Open in Des Moines followed by South Dakota State’s Daktronics Open in Brookings, S.D., the following week.

UNI has talent up and down the lineup. Sophomore Brody Teske (125), Triston Lara (149), 165-pounder Austin Yant, Lance Runyon at 174 and heavyweight Carter Isley joined Keckeisen as NCAA qualifiers. Teske reached the quarterfinals and Lara, Yant and Isley each won a match. Runyon didn’t get a chance, medically withdrawing before the first round.

Jack Skudlarczyk was an NCAA qualifier in 2020 before it was canceled. Cayd Lara (157) returns with starting experience. Kyle Biscoglia received time in the lineup last season.

“I don’t know right now,” Schwab said. “We have a couple opens to lead us off and that will kind of dictate our lineup, going into Missouri and Virginia Tech …”

Schwab has been impressed with the work that the Panthers have made in the time from witnessing others obtain goals they had for themselves in March. Schwab emphasized it was just punching the clock, but “purposeful” and “focused” work being done.

“It’s as good as I’ve had since I’ve been here, so that’s exciting,” Schwab said. “As good as it has been, it can always be better. We’re going to see it when we compete.

“Our guys are prepared and ready. We still have a few weeks.”

Keckeisen and Yant were voted team captains. Schwab said Keckeisen is a perfect example of consistent work ethic each day, losing a wrestle-off to start last season to placing third at the NCAAs and producing UNI’s best freshman performance since 1952.

Yant noted that the team did not have structured workouts from July to the first day of practice. Schwab left it up to them. It didn’t stop Panthers from showing up and in big numbers. Yant said the room was filled regularly from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The biggest surprise was when he went in to work out at 10 p.m. on a July Saturday that seven teammates were already training in the wrestling room.

“We talk a lot as a team,” Yant said. “We have group chats and stuff. We talk about things we want to achieve. Everyone knows you have to do your part to achieve those goals.

“In order to do that, it takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of work to come in here, especially in July. … It fires me up.”

Teske just missed All-America status and a national semifinal appearance, surrendering a takedown to Central Michigan’s Drew Hildebrandt with seven seconds left in regulation that forced overtime and giving up another takedown with 17 seconds left in sudden victory.

Team camaraderie and the way the Panthers push each other make it easy to work on all the little things that needed to improve from last season.

“We have a group of guys with really high expectations and goals for ourselves,” Teske said. “Each guy comes in with a purpose every day. We’re igniting it and using each other as fire to remind each other of the last 17 seconds left on the clock.”

The attitude is program wide, affecting all 35 wrestlers on the roster. Keckeisen said freshmen are pushing returners, coming in for early morning workouts. He also noted that you can see the improvement from Teske’s scrambling, Yant’s leg attacks to the layers his teammates are adding to their technique and approach.

“Everyone is finding ways to get better and elevate their game,” said Keckeisen, who was 20-1 last season. “Hopefully, we can bring a team title this year.”

“I see everyone doing that and it’s helping us grow. It’s helping us make gains.”