Wyatt Voelker hopes bigger leads to better at heavyweight for Unviersity of Northern Iowa

CEDAR FALLS – Wyatt Voelker’s plate will be full during Thanksgiving.

Probably plenty of turkey, mashed potatoes and rolls. Maybe some extra helpings. He won’t even have to worry about what the scale reads.

Voelker hopes bigger translates to better. The redshirt junior has made the successful transition from 197-pound Big 12 Conference champion and NCAA qualifier that reached the round of 12 last season to University of Northern Iowa’s current heavyweight. He has enjoyed a 3-1 start, capping Sunday’s dual win over North Dakota State with one of his two technical falls.

“I had to cut some weight to make 197 last year, which I did a good job with getting dialed in,” Voelker said. “I just felt after season that my true self was a little bigger and (UNI Coach) Doug (Schwab), the coaches and I talked about it.

“It was like April 1 and he's like let's see how your weight does. And I think by two or three weeks into April, I think I was sitting around 230. He's like, ‘All right, let's do this.’”

Schwab said the initial discussion was funny. They planned to monitor his weight in the early weeks of the spring. A couple weeks later Voelker had bulked up to 220. Soon he was 225 and then 240. Now, Voelker’s 6-foot frame carries 250 pounds.

“So, he’s a heavyweight,” Schwab said. “He’s enjoying it. He’s going to be a handful for anyone to have to wrestle. He can score in a lot of different positions. He's adjusted to it.”

Voelker said, “I feel great, and I I'm getting strong. … I think that's a super important to keep my speed, too.”

Bad weight is easy to pack on but good weight can be a challenge. Voelker focused on beefing up the right way. He consumes about 4,000 a day now but devoured between 5,000 and 6,000 daily calories in the offseason. The menu included a heavy dose of steak, high protein and chocolate milk but he also maintained the right habits for it all to be beneficial.

“I think I hit 260 at one point this summer,” Obviously, not all that's pure muscle. It's hard to do that, but just do it the right way. Be in the weight room, eat a lot of protein, get strong, sleep right, eat right (and) live the right lifestyle.

“No, 250 feels really good on me. If I can stay above 245, I'll be happy. I feel really athletic, really fast and really powerful.”

Wrestling is associated with dropping pounds more than adding them. Voelker has experienced both ends, cutting to make folkstyle weight and for international classes as a member of the U.S. Greco-Roman World team. He recalled having to put on weight as a linebacker for high school football after wrestling in the winter, spring and summer.

“I’m used to cutting weight, but also I really enjoy lifting and being strong,” Voelker said. “When I was down at 197, I don't know if I could just keep that strength for six months. The season's a long time. To keep that for six months, it's hard and now being able to be on full feed and getting strong, I think it'll be able to be the best version of myself at heavyweight.”

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Voelker has used his power and athleticism as an upper weight to his advantage since his high school career as a two-time state champion and four-time medalist at West Delaware. The same strength and quickness allowed him to reach 20 wins and two national tournaments in two UNI seasons.

The key is to rely on the same strengths, even against bigger foes.

“He's got to remember how athletic he is and some of the things that got him to where he was last year,” Schwab said. “He can’t lose those things because it's heavyweight. Obviously, there's a little bit difference at heavyweight in recent years, the type of heavyweight that's out there. He doesn't have to be what I’d call a prototypical heavyweight.

“He could be a guy that can scramble, get to leg attacks and could duck, but he's got to continue to use his athletic ability and speed.”

Voelker has gained confidence in the practice room against other Panther heavyweights. He has learned to drive and shoot through bigger bodies. He has worked on attacks with his head to the outside, getting to his feet and through an opponent.

“I know my hips are powerful. I know how much I can lift in the weight room, so I know I can get a guy off the ground whether he's 220 or 285,” Voelker said. “I'm not worried about that as long as I can get into position, I think I can finish on anybody in the country.”

UNI has had wrestlers make a similar jump. Lance Runyon bumped up three weight classes to close his career at heavyweight. Tyrell Gordon and Blaize Cabell were 197-pounders that moved to heavyweight. Voelker knew what Runyon and Gordon did to compete.

“I told the coaching staff and all my teammates, I'm not worried about gaining a little extra fat or being a little big,” Voelker said. “I know where I want to be in and that's about 250 and I'm very comfortable that weight. I trust everybody here, the team and the coaching staff, that it'll all go according to plan.”

Voelker missed the NCAA awards stand by two points, finishing with a 27-6 record and one win shy of All-American status. He won two matches at the 2024 national tournament. The sting of those endings drives him.

“It's big,” Voelker said. “It burned, going in as the seventh seed and really gunning to make the finals and definitely get on that podium.

“The goal doesn't change. It’s aiming at the top of that podium, no matter what, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get there.”

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