Iowa trio reaches NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships finals; UNI’s Parker Keckeisen makes 3rd title bout

Last year, Drake Ayala was the only University of Iowa wrestler to compete for a national title.

Well, Ayala is back in the finals and this time he has company.

The Hawkeyes went 3-for-3, getting victories from Ayala, Michael Caliendo and Stephen Buchanan, in the semifinals of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on Friday night at Wells Fargo Center. Iowa enters the final day in fourth place with 73 1/2 points.

University of Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen also returns to the national finals for the third straight season.

Iowa boasts three finalists for the first time since 2021. It is the sixth time Iowa has had at least three finalists during the 18-year tenure under Coach Tom Brands. The Hawkeyes have had at least one finalist for the last 35 seasons, beginning Brands’ sophomore season in 1990.

Ayala placed second at 125 last season. He earned his second straight All-American finish, reaching the 133-pound final with a 6-1 decision over Wisconsin’s Zan Fugitt.

“Feels good to be back,” Ayala said. “I'm ready to flip the result from last year.”

Ayala was propelled by a six-point second period, allowing him to break open a scoreless match. Ayala escaped early and initiated a flurry on the edge later in the period, taking control as they rolled out of bounds. No points were awarded, causing him to ask coaches to challenge the call. A replay official determined that Ayala did score, making it 4-0. On the restart, Ayala used a quick tilt for two nearfall before the period expired.

“It's actually funny because I was thinking like, ‘Dang,’ I felt like I was getting to him, like he was getting tired a little bit, I was coming on and he was letting off. And then that review hit. And I wanted the review, but it kind of took a while, so I was like, ‘Dang, we need to get going, we need to get going.’

“But my coaches are always preaching to me, hey, you're not going to get these points. So, I was prepared for the worst, and luckily it came out as three points. I capitalized in the last eight seconds. I got a nearfall there.”

Ayala (20-2) faces a familiar foe in the finals. He takes on Illinois’ top-seeded Lucas Byrd (22-1) in a rematch of the Big Ten Championships finals. The title bout serves as a rubber match with Ayala beating Byrd, 4-2, in the regular-season dual. This was the match he desired.

“I didn't want to win this national title without seeing him,” Ayala said. “He made me a little nervous there in the first or second round, I'm not sure what round that was, but I'm glad he got it done. I'm glad he's in the finals with me.”

Caliendo (165) and Buchanan (197) claimed their first finals berths. Third-seeded Caliendo came out firing from the start, scoring two takedowns that sandwiched three nearfall in the opening period against West Virginia’s No. 2 Peyton Hall. He added a takedown in the third to record a 14-10 decision.

“I think it was a matter of doing what I do best,” said Caliendo, who became a three-time All-American. “Obviously, I got (Hawkeye assistant coaches) Terry (Brands and Ryan) Morningstar in my corner. Like I said, it's what I've been dreaming of since I was a little kid, and it means a lot but the job is not finished.”

Caliendo (24-2) will take on Penn State’s No. 1 Mitchell Messenbrink (26-0) for the championship. They have wrestled five times, including the Big Ten finals. Messenbrink has won all five meetings.

“I think it's more of a matter of how I approach the match and strategy going into it,” Caliendo said. “There is no better time to get the win over him than the national finals, and I'm going to rise to the occasion.”

Buchanan had the most intriguing matchup. He wrestled Cal-State Bakersfield’s No. 3 A.J. Ferrari, a 2021 NCAA champion as a freshman at Oklahoma State, and the brother of Iowa freshman Angelo Ferrari.

Buchanan persevered a hard-fought battle, using a second-period ride out and a penalty point and escape in the third for a 3-0 decision.

“For me it's just another match, Buchanan said. “He comes with a lot of noise, so it was difficult to stay focused, so all the videos that you see online, or whether you're getting ready for a match right beside him. He's a talker and he does a good job of it, and he brings in people to the sport. So I can respect him on that front, but from a competitor standpoint, just another match.

Iowa is the third college stop for Buchanan, who placed third for Wyoming and Oklahoma the last two years. He captured his fourth All-American finish and reached his first final.

“I think that the room and the coaches and the support staff that I have helped me grow as a person on and off the mat,” Buchanan said. “That's helped me develop my skills on the mat to become the wrestler that you guys see today.”

The Hawkeyes posted a 6-1 record overall in Session IV. Patrick Kennedy (174) and freshman heavyweight Ben Kueter won Round of 12 matches to reach the awards stand. Kennedy was 2-0 in consolation bouts, moving him into the top six. Kueter beat Pitt’s Dayton Pitzer, 5-1, but lost to Arizona State five-time All-American and NCAA finalist Cohlton Schultz. Kueter will wrestle for seventh Saturday.

UNI’s Parker Keckeisen became the program’s first three-time national finalist since Bill Koll (1946-48). He secured that spot in a thriller against Minnesota third-seeded freshman Max McEnelly. The pair exchanged escapes in regulation, engaging in multiple flurries without a takedown. The back-and-forth continued into sudden victory. McEnelly almost had a takedown on the edge, leading to another scramble that saw Keckeisen hit a roll and cover McEnelly for the decisive score.

“He got behind me,” Keckeisen said about the final move. “We have been working a lot on defense. I tried kicking away, kind of looked like I was kicking out-of-bounds. Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't.

“He built up above my knee, had to get back into him (and) attacked his hands. I thought he was going to finish and then I just tried to make something happen. I got a roll. Touched his leg, he fell and got a takedown.”

Multiple accounts said the crowd gave Keckeisen and McEnelly a standing ovation. UNI Coach Doug Schwab described it as two competitors going at it and McEnelly did all he could to win the match.

“That’s recognition of two guys putting everything on the line,” UNI Coach Doug Schwab said. “A young guy going after the champ.”

Keckeisen (28-0) extended his win streak to 59 straight matches with his last loss in the 2023 finals. The 2024 184-pound champion became UNI’s first five-time D-I All-American, placing third or better every season.

Keckeisen will try to derail Penn State’s No. 1 Carter Starocci (25-0) from winning an unprecedented fifth NCAA D-I title. The much anticipated matchup is a rematch of the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic bout in November. Starocci scored a takedown in sudden victory for a 4-1 decision in that exhibition match.

“I get to go out there and express what I think wrestling is and that's a very cool opportunity,” Keckeisen said. “So, I'm going to go out there and do that, try to express what I think wrestling is. I get an opportunity to wrestle in the national finals against a four-time national champ and try to take him out. What a sweet opportunity?”

UNI finished with two All-Americans and were in position for its best team finish in this event, sitting in seventh place with 44 ½ points after Day 2. The Panthers’ Cael Happel reached the 141 semifinals but lost an 11-4 decision to Nebraska’s No. 1 Brock Hardy. Happel secured a top-six finish for his first All-American performance.

Iowa State’s Jacob Frost also earned All-American honors at 141. Frost will wrestle for seventh Saturday.

Two former Iowa preps claimed All-American honors for the second straight season. Former Iowa City West prep and Stanford 165-pounder Hunter Garvin moved into the top six for his second medal. South Dakota State’s Cade DeVos, a former Southeast Polk prep, reached the 174 semifinals and clinched a top-six finish.

Penn State led the team race with 135 1/2 points after Day 2. Second-place Nebraska had 101 1/2 , 10 1/2 more than third-place Oklahoma State.

The Nittany Lions were in position to win their fourth straight NCAA team title. They became just the second team to finish with 10 All-Americans, joining the 2001 Minnesota Golden Gophers. Every Penn State qualifier placed sixth or better.

Penn State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Iowa each had three finalists to lead the tournament.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com