University of Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen ready to put final stamp on successful career

Parker Keckeisen’s wrestling ability and exploits are well documented.

Everyone has witnessed relentlessly offensive competitor, who won an NCAA title last season and is a two-time national finalist with four All-American honors for University of Northern Iowa. He regularly testifies about his faith and Panthers Coach Doug Schwab has repeatedly praised his work ethic.

But there are somethings that may surprise about the UNI super senior.

Keckeisen is the youngest of Lynne and Jimmy Keckeisen’s three children, having to survive two older sisters pick on him as a youth.

The construction management major is calm and chill outside of wrestling, enjoying the outdoors disconnected from the rest of the world or simply spending time with his girlfriend. Keckeisen can be found, playing a round of disc golf when the weather cooperates. He also enjoys time spent on mental health.

“I like going outside and having some time to giving it to God or just relax, sitting in silence a little bit as part of my morning routine,” Keckeisen said. “I’m kind of a weirdo like that.

“I like to see our team therapist at UNI Athletics. I like just chilling. I do enjoy getting out in nature.”

All of those things are intertwined to form one of the best careers ever in a Panthers singlet. Keckeisen will put the final stamp on his legacy when he competes at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., beginning Thursday. He is one of 10 qualifiers for UNI.

Keckeisen has never placed lower than third at the national tournament and enters as the No. 2 seed at 184 pounds with a 24-0 record and 55-match win streak.

“I’m just trying to win the little battles,” Keckeisen said. “Start with a good diet right now. Just be disciplined. Plan to get better at practice, resting and recovering as best as I can.”

From his humble attitude to his unquenchable thirst for points, Keckeisen has garnered attention from his freshman season. His pursuit for back-to-back titles and a possible finals clash with Penn State’s No. 1 seed Carter Starocci, who is attempting to become the first five-time NCAA champion, has produced a bigger spotlight for this last run. He owns a strong perspective on the situation.

“Actually, talked about it with our therapist and just not making it more,” Keckeisen said. “It's just a wrestling match. All the media and all the all the pressure is just for entertainment for the other guys. You need that for the sport but it comes down to it’s just a wrestling match between you and the guy and it's a skills contest.”

Keckeisen seems to find peace and balance away from wrestling, which can dominant one’s life and mind. He leaves his phone behind when he hits a disc golf course. Big Woods Course is nice but Island Park is his favorite place to play. It’s a nice respite from the grind, which he fully embraces.

“If I can throw a disc, it’s something I do enjoy,” said Keckeisen, who played kicker, punter and defensive line for his high school football team, making his longest field goal in a game from about 34 yards. “The weather today is beautiful. So, I'll probably go throw the disc around a little bit.”

Keckeisen likes to play but it also provides an opportunity to be alone with his thoughts, listen to the wind, focus on his spirituality and appreciate nature. He marveled at a recent encounter while playing Island Park recently.

“The other week I played and I saw the most deer I've ever seen,” Keckeisen said. “I saw a big pack of deer, walking behind hole No. 8. Those deer could probably come together and beat me up.”

The family is split on the outdoors, according to the youngest Keckeisen. He said if they went to a ski lodge, his dad and older sister, Hannah, would be hitting trails, biking and swishing down the mount. His mom and oldest sister, Emma, would enjoy the lounge. Keckeisen admits he is content doing either.

“That's a great analogy,” Keckeisen said about the situation. “I definitely have a mix.”

Emma and Hannah did help shape Parker at an early age. Just like any youngest sibling, Parker had to get tough to exist.

“They love me now,” Keckeisen said with a laugh. “My dad would always tell them there will be a day when Parker whips your butt. That day came to say the least.”

Family has been a great source of support for Keckeisen but it hasn’t prevented some good-natured ribbing. Imagine teasing a Hodge Trophy finalist and someone who hasn’t lost since the 2023 NCAA finals about the amount their performance. Only a sister can get away with it.

“Emma still likes messing with me,” Keckeisen said. “You’ve got to score more points.

“You can’t let them win.”

Keckeisen springboarded into the NCAA tournament by winning his fifth Big 12 title, joining Daton Fix as the only wrestlers to achieve the feat. The Panthers also made a run at Oklahoma State for the team title with the Cowboys winning the final match of the tournament for a four-point victory.

The experience was something new for Keckeisen, who jumped around and congratulated practice-partner Wyatt Voelker when his 197-pound conference title win tied the team score.

“I think it was super exciting,” Keckeisen said. “It was fun. It was the first team race I’ve really been in as a wrestler and that’s in high school or college.”

The Panthers have boosted Keckeisen, mixing fun, focus and faith to come together as one. Redshirt sophomores like 157-pounder Ryder Downey and Voelker have demonstrated you can still hone skills during tough workouts and stay loose with good vibes simultaneously. They remind him it’s not life or death on the mat. It’s just wrestling.

This team shares a strong camaraderie and unity, which includes about 27 of them attending weekly bible study together.

“It’s a family and families grow together,” Keckeisen said. “They win and lose together. They have their ups and downs, but I think we just love each other and want to see each other succeed, whether you’re the guy or they’re supporting the guy.”

UNI has been without an on-campus training facility for two seasons. Many Panthers invested their own sweat and effort into cleaning and upgrading the current location, including Keckeisen. Schwab said Keckeisen has been one of the first there and last to leave, working on mat or the space.

In the NIL world, he could have left UNI for better resources and amenities and a bigger pay day. Some of the possibilities were eye-popping but he never really considered leaving this team and this staff, which was one of the first to show confidence in him when he won his first of two state titles at Nicolet High School in Glendale, Wis., and member of Askren Wrestling Academy.

“How much is a relationship worth when you know they're invested in you as a person and not just as a wrestler,” Keckeisen said. “You know you’re going to develop and get better. It's like how much has that worth? I feel like the temptation's always there but also wasn't big. I felt God shut that down really quick.

“You see those big numbers and you're like, ‘Dang,’ You're also like you can't find Doug Schwab, (UNI assistants) Lee Roper, Randy Pugh or Brett Robbins out there. You can't find a team like this, man. We had a good team last year. You saw the growth that we were going to make. You want to be selfish. Selfishly, I wanted to be a part of the best Panther team there has been.”

Keckeisen added, “We know we can reach our goal of getting a team trophy this year (at nationals). That’s exciting and also know there is more work to be done.”

For the first time since 1986, UNI has qualified all 10 wrestlers, including former Lisbon prep and No. 5 seed Cael Happel at 141, No. 6 Downey and No. 7 Voelker, who is from West Delaware. Colin Realbuto is the 10th seed at 149 and former Union Community standout Jack Thomsen is No. 19 at 165 in his second NCAA tournament appearance.

“This team has done a lot of things teams that I’ve had hadn’t done before,” Schwab told Flowrestling after the Big 12 Championships. “They have another chance in Philadelphia to finish it – to me – the right way. They won’t compete any other way than they have all year.”

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