UNI's progress proven by early NCAA results

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The signs of progress emerged for the University of Northern Iowa wrestling program Thursday.

By the end of the first session of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Scottrade Center, the Panthers had already surpassed their point total for the entire tournament last year.

UNI was tied for 18th after the first round, advancing three to the second round. The Panthers had nine points after the first session, 3 1/2 more than last year and a half-point shy of the 2010 total.

Second-year head coach Doug Schwab said he will hold judgment until the end Saturday.

“The tournament's not over,” Schwab said. “I can tell you a lot more in how we finish.”

They won the matches they were supposed to win, claimed a win others may not have expected and almost pulled out another in overtime.

“You can see it in the product, though,” Schwab said. “The product is better. Our guys are battling, even for not winning. We're trying to stay in the match and find ways to score and doing the things necessary to be in and win the national tournament.”

The Panthers' eighth-seeded Ryan Loder faced University of Iowa's Grant Gambrall, who placed third in the NCAA tournament last year, in a marquee matchup of the first round at 184.

Loder pulled out a 2-1 victory with a second-period escape and a point for an 1:24 riding-time advantage. It was his third win over Gambrall in four matches.

“It's a big win because we beat Iowa. That always feels good,” Loder said. “A huge win for me. My first match is not always the best. You can see it through everything. I don't know what it is. It's first-match jitters or something.”

The furious finish included Gambrall getting in on a takedown attempt and nearly earning the winning points.

Loder will take the win, but wants to avoid tight scores. Loder said he was worried and that an official could have possibly awarded Gambrall points.

“I shouldn't have let him out,” Loder said about Gambrall's escape with 24 seconds left. “I was getting drilled on the way over here about holding position. All I had to do was stall, but that's not what I'm good at. I'm good at scoring, moving and everything else but stalling and waiting for the other guy to do something.”

Loder was sleeping in the locker room before the bout when teammate David Bonin woke him. An energized Bonin had just pinned fourth-seeded Walter Peppelman of Harvard in his opening 157-pound match.

Loder received a motivational boost from his teammate's big victory.

“You feed off his emotions,” Loder said. “He was fired up.”

Bonin scored the first takedown, but gave up a reversal to Peppelman. He then caught Peppelman on his back with a Peterson roll, getting a fall with about five seconds left in the first period.

It also demonstrates how far Bonin has come after being eliminated by Peppelman in last year's tournament.

“It was sweet. It was nice,” Bonin said of avenging the loss. “I was excited for this match. Why not go against one of the top-ranked guys right off the bat. I didn't mind it. It's a little payback from last year.”

Fifth-seeded Joe Colon added a major decision over Nebraska's Ridge Kiley at 133.

It has helped to have a full summer working with Schwab, who presses for them to do the right things in training.

“We're constantly building,” Loder said. “You can see it in our matches.”

Bonus points

Coming into the NCAA tournament, an added emphasis was placed on bonus points with four teams - Penn State, Minnesota, Iowa and Oklahoma State - contending for a title.

The defending champion Nittany Lions moved into an early lead powered by those same bonus points, scoring nine and a half extra points for four major decisions, two pins and a technical fall. The Golden Gophers kept pace with nine bonus points behind three pins and three major decisions.

Iowa, which managed just 5 1/2 extra points at the Big Ten Championships, notched three bonus points in the first session. Iowa Coach Tom Brands the Hawkeyes have to convert on bonus point opportunities, but remain smart to avoid problems caused by pressing for points.

“It's something we have to work toward,” said Brands, noting winning is the top priority. “We have to get bonus points. Absolutely.”

Iowa's Matt McDonough won by fall over Eastern Michigan's Jared Germaine in his first match at 125. Hawkeyes 157-pounder Derek St. John scored a 9-1 major decision over Drake Houdashelt of Missouri.

McDonough impressed Brands, who watched the Hawkeyes post an 8-1 record in the first session.

“He got the first takedown against him (but) kept wrestling,” Brands said. “I haven't seen double-chicken wing since Jay Borschel. I love it.”

Iowa State woes continue

The Iowa State Cyclones had a rough start to their 2012 national tournament. Five Cyclone qualifiers managed one win in the opening round.

Iowa State's third-seeded 165-pounder Andrew Sorenson captured the only win, beating Drexel's Joe Booth, 9-5.

“All the matches are real tough,” Iowa State Coach Kevin Jackson said. “You have to find a way to win in this environment and advance.

“(Sorenson) did that.”