Panthers showing more fight

EVANSTON, Ill. - The Northern Iowa Panthers scratched and clawed a little more Wednesday.

UNI may not earned as many wins as it would like, but they showed a lot more fight during the opening session of the Midlands Championships at Northwestern's Welsh-Ryan Arena.

“We're wrestling better today than the last few weeks,” UNI Coach Brad Penrith said. “We avenged a couple losses.”

One of those came at 157 where Tyson Reiner beat Iowa's Aaron Janssen, 6-4. Janssen beat him by major decision Dec. 10.

Reiner was satisfied with that win. He followed it with a 3-1 overtime upset of No. 3-seed Steve Brown of Central Michigan. Reiner said he knew he had a tough test.

“There's a couple takedowns that both of us could have had either way,” Reiner said. “I was just glad to come out on top.”

The pair exchanged escapes in regulation. Reiner then scored off a single leg coming out on top of a scramble on the edge of the mat for the winning score.

“You kind of go with what's given to you,” Reiner said. “As soon as I got that leg, I knew it was sudden death. I gave it everything I had.”

Reiner is within a match of placing at one of the most prestigious meets in college wrestling.

“I go into every tournament knowing I have the potential to be on the podium at the end,” Reiner said. “Even top three.

“I just go out and try to stay positive, telling myself over and over again that I can wrestle with anybody.”

The Panthers reversed three decisions from previous meetings. Alec Hoffman (141) beat Cole Schmitt, 11-7, in the opening round and Andy O'Loughlin, a former Independence state champ, avenged a loss to Purdue's Nick Corpe in the consolations.

Caleb Flores (125) doubled his win total with two wins, including a gutsy 6-4 overtime win over No. 8 seed Jasen Borshoff of American University.

All 10 UNI wrestlers were alive after the first session.