5 Things to Watch: Iowa State, UNI compete at men’s wrestling’s Collegiate Duals

Iowa State and University of Northern Iowa will return to competition, traveling to Nashville, Tenn., for the Collegiate Duals. The Cyclones will wrestle three duals Monday, while the Panthers take the mat for three meets Tuesday. Here are five things to watch:

CYCLONES CONTINUED SUCCESS

Iowa State had a strong first half of the season, except for its dual loss to rival University of Iowa. The sixth-ranked Cyclones face No. 13 Pittsburgh, Arkansas-Little Rock and No. 5 Cornell. Interestingly, they beat all three teams last season, topping the Big Red at this event held in New Orleans.

Iowa State is 3-1 overall, outscoring opponents 135-3 in their three victories. The Cyclones shut out Davidson and Wisconsin, but the competition will be much stiffer.

Iowa State is coming off its first team title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational since 1996. Heavyweight Yonger Bastida won an individual crown and earned Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, while Evan Frost (133) and Will Feldkamp (184) placed second.

A strong showing here will propel the Cyclones into the second half of the season, which resume Jan. 5 on the road against Arizona State.

UNI LOOKS FOR REBOUND

The Panthers suffered an upset at home against Columbia on Dec. 10. They allowed three pins and a major decision in its only dual of the season. UNI will have to shake that off because its slate is considerably tougher with No. 10 Ohio State, No. 2 North Carolina State and Lock Haven Tuesday.

No. 25 UNI has firepower and can be competitive against higher ranked teams. NCAA finalist Parker Keckeisen leads the way, but Julian Farber (133) and 141-pounder Cael Happel placed at CKLV. Heavyweight Tyrell Gordon, an NCAA qualifier, returned to the line up with a pin against Columbia. Ryder Downey has provided a boost at 157.

The Panthers (0-1) have to solidify their lineup, getting some stability at weights like 149, 165 and 197.

CARR’S SHOT AT REVENGE

Iowa State NCAA champion, two-time national finalist and four-time All-American David Carr is 9-1 this season. His lone loss of the season came to Cornell’s Julian Ramirez in the 165 semifinal at CKLV. Ramirez scored a takedown in the final 15 seconds for a 4-3 decision that ended with some furious scrambles.

The Cyclones and Big Red will face off in the final dual Monday, setting up a rematch and the rubber match for the pair. Carr and Ramirez have split two matches in college. Carr handled Ramirez, 10-5, last season.

KECKEISEN DOMINANCE

UNI’s Parker Keckeisen is one of the most entertaining wrestlers in college wrestling. He has an aggressive and relentless attack on his feet. One of the few wrestlers able to wrestle as hard, if not harder, in the final minute as he does for the first minute of a match.

Keckeisen already as a win over Penn State’s No. 2 Bernie Truax, even though it was considered an exhibition match as part of the NWCA All-Star Classic.

Keckeisen’s results prove how good he has been this season, looking for his fourth All-American finish and improving last year’s national runner-up performance. He is 10-0 this season with two pins, three technical falls and four major decisions. In his matches that haven’t ended in pins, Keckeisen has outscored foes, 131-31.

FAMILIAR FOES

It will be interesting to see how Iowa State and Pitt handle their dual Monday. The reason is the Cyclones host the Panthers in a dual Jan. 14 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames.

The teams may wrestle it straight up or vary the matchups, knowing they will face each other again in less than a month.

Pitt is coming off a huge win over Ohio State on Dec. 10. The Panthers won six matches for a 21-13 victory, resulting in a six-spot jump to No. 13 in the latest NWCA Division I men’s wrestling coaches’ poll.

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