Wrestling: Northern Iowa upsets 10th-ranked Oklahoma State at McLeod Center

Cody Goodwin
Des Moines Register

CEDAR FALLS, Ia. — Doug Schwab might bring his team back to the McLeod Center more often after Saturday night.

The Northern Iowa wrestling team normally wrestles its home duals at the hot-and-rowdy West Gym on campus, but the 10th-year coach decided to move the Panthers’ home dual against mighty Oklahoma State across the street to McLeod. He sought a bigger turnout and a greater environment for one of his team’s best home meets of the year.

The crowd delivered — the announced attendance was 4,006, the program's largest since 5,831 came to McLeod to watch Northern Iowa wrestle Iowa in 2006 — and so, too, did the Panthers.

With the crowd on its feet as the final seconds ticked down, 15th-ranked Northern Iowa defeated 10th-ranked Oklahoma State, 19-15, on Saturday night. It marks the Panthers’ third win ever over the perennial wrestling power, and the first since Feb. 10, 1991.

“I wanted to show that we could get a big crowd,” Schwab said. “There was some good energy in here. Proud of my team. This is a good win for us and this is something to build on.”

The dual was a thriller from start to finish, featuring two ties and three lead changes. Oklahoma State actually totaled more match points than Northern Iowa, 65-61, and more takedowns, 17-13. But the Panthers ultimately prevailed — they are now 5-3 overall and 4-1 against the Big 12 — thanks to winning six of 10 bouts, and none was bigger than the one at 157 pounds.

There, redshirt sophomore Keaton Geerts rolled up three takedowns in an 8-6 win over 27th-ranked Wyatt Sheets, igniting the same rowdy Panther fans that fill up the West Gym each winter. He scored two in the first period and another in the third, flashing the explosiveness that Schwab raved about before the season.

“I stayed consistent with it,” Geerts said. “I didn’t just go out and get one takedown right away and back off. I tried to keep my offense high and stayed in good position. I think I wrestled probably one of my better matches of the year.

“I woke up this morning and was like, ‘Why not go beat someone that you’re not supposed to?’ Anything can happen. It’s a wrestling match. Anybody can win on any given day. You just have to believe in yourself.”

Geerts’ win was the Panthers' third in the first five matches, enough for a 9-6 lead at the dual’s midway point. A second big win, a 10-5 decision from Jack Skudlarczyk over 19th-ranked Reece Witcraft at 133 pounds, buoyed Northern Iowa’s upset efforts. The Cowboys were favored in both, but the Panthers had other plans.

A pair of top-five ranked Cowboy wrestlers — Nick Piccininni, No. 4 at 125 pounds by Trackwrestling, and Boo Lewallen, No. 3 at 149 — won by decision to help the visitors stay close. After the break, 11th-ranked Travis Wittlake went for six takedowns in a 14-5 major decision over Austin Yant at 165 to give Oklahoma State a 10-9 lead with four matches to go.

By then, Northern Iowa had a handle on the match with its best wrestlers on deck. At 174, Bryce Steiert steamrolled Joseph Smith, 13-2 — thanks to a trio of takedowns, a full set of back points and two stalling points — to give the Panthers the lead for good. Taylor Lujan followed with a dominant 4-0 win over Anthony Montalvo in a battle of top-25 184-pounders.

Oklahoma State closed in again thanks to 8th-ranked Dakota Geer's 19-4 technical fall over Noah Glaser at 197. Glaser fought off a potential pining sequence in the second period, which would’ve tied the dual with one to go. The stakes were all the same, as the five team points brought the Cowboys within 16-15 entering the final bout.

There, 15th-ranked Carter Isley scored a pair of third-period takedowns to defeat Austin Harris, 5-2, and send the Panther fans into a frenzy. As Oklahoma State scurried off to the locker room and onto the team bus — the Cowboys face Iowa State in Ames on Sunday afternoon — the Panthers celebrated with their fans on Robert J. McCoy Court. 

“Coach came back before the match and said, ‘I don’t know of a better closer I want finishing this,’” Isley said. “I was like, 'Mariano Rivera was a pretty good closer.' He was like, ‘All right, go be like Mariano Rivera.’

“This is awesome. This is the first time we’ve beaten Oklahoma State since 1991. That’s a big eye-opener for other programs — like 'Wow, UNI is the real deal. They just knocked off Oklahoma State.' We’re here, and we’re going to keep on knocking.”

The post-dual celebration featured hugs and smiles and autographs. Schwab stood proudly under the lights, but his mind was already looking forward — the Panthers, now winners of four in a row and five of their last six, wrestle at Oklahoma next Saturday, but he also specifically mentioned the Big 12 Championships in March.

“Since the South Dakota State dual, there’s been a good response,” Schwab said. “We have to continue to build on that. It’s been 29 years? That’s way, way too long. But now we have to beat these guys at the Big 12s.

“Beating them in the dual is one thing. We have to out-point them at Big 12.”

Schwab was then asked about the atmosphere. Saturday night's attendance was nearly double what the West Gym can even hold, but, well, he couldn’t help himself.

“I love the West Gym,” he said and smiled. “The West Gym is an incredibly unique experience for everybody. It’s home and it always will be.

“But hopefully we hooked a few new wrestling fans tonight.”

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.

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No. 15 Northern Iowa 19, No. 10 Oklahoma State 15

  • 125: No. 4 Nick Piccininni (OSU) dec. No. 26 Jacob Schwarm (UNI), 9-6
  • 133: Jack Skudlarczyk (UNI) dec. No. 19 Reece Witcraft (OSU), 10-5
  • 141: No. 16 Michael Blockhus (UNI) dec. Dusty Hone (OSU), 4-3
  • 149: No. 3 Boo Lewallen (OSU) dec. No. 8 Max Thomsen (UNI), 5-2
  • 157: Keaton Geerts (UNI) dec. No. 27 Wyatt Sheets (OSU), 8-6
  • 165: No. 11 Travis Wittlake (OSU) maj. dec. Austin Yant (UNI), 14-5
  • 174: No. 5 Bryce Steiert (UNI) maj. dec. Joe Smith (OSU), 13-2
  • 184: No. 4 Taylor Lujan (UNI) dec. No. 21 Anthony Montalvo (OSU), 4-0
  • 197: No. 8 Dakota Geer (OSU) tech. fall Noah Glaser (UNI), 19-4
  • 285: No. 15 Carter Isley (UNI) dec. Austin Harris (OSU), 5-2

Rankings from Trackwrestling.