Drew Foster – UNI’s first two-time Big 12 Champion

Release courtsey of UNI Athletics 

TULSA, Oklahoma — UNI wrestling will send six Panthers to the NCAA tournament and crowned one Big 12 champion tonight.

Drew Foster avenged a dual loss by knocking off top-seeded No. 11 Sam Colbray of Iowa State in a 4-1 decision to become the first Panther to earn two Big 12 titles since UNI joined the league last year.

Foster racked up two minutes of riding time after a scoreless first period. He escaped early in the second and snagged a takedown to secure the win.

It was a rematch for Taylor Lujan in the finals against Oklahoma State’s Jacobe Smith, who ended Lujan’s run at the national championships last year with a 10-8 decision. Lujan beat Smith in a 10-7 decision in the semifinals of the 2018 Big 12 Championships. Smith was eighth at last year’s national championships and is a two-time NJCAA champion.

Top-seeded Smith edged out Lujan, 6-4. Lujan won the Big 12 title at 174 pounds last year and is the only Panther to have a Mid-American and Big 12 title.

Panther placewinners:

• 125 | Jay Schwarm – 5^th (NCAA qualifier)
• 133 | Jack Skudlarczyk – 6^th
• 141 | Josh Alber – 3^rd (NCAA qualifier)
• 149 | Max Thomsen – 7^th (NCAA qualifier)
• 165 | Bryce Steiert – 3^rd (NCAA qualifier)
• 174 | Taylor Lujan – 2^nd (NCAA qualifier)
• 184 | Drew Foster – 1^st (NCAA qualifier)

At 141 pounds, Josh Alber avenged a loss that sent him to the consolations. His 7-2 decision over Chris Sandoval of Northern Colorado earned him a spot in the bronze medal match, where he took down Iowa State’s No. 12 Ian Parker, 2-0, earning points on an escape and riding time.

Bryce Steiert earned his first Big 12 medal after redshirting in UNI’s inaugural year in the conference last season. Wins over Logan Schumacher (Iowa State) 16-0 TF (4:34) and No. 9 Branson Ashworth (Wyoming), 2-1, secured a third-place finish and his third trip to the NCAA championships. Ashworth is the highest ranked opponent Steiert has beaten this year.

Jay Schwarm notched his third fall of the Big 12 Championships, pinning No. 17 Rico Montoya of Northern Colorado in 1 minute, 13 seconds. The win secured fifth place at 125 pounds and the final automatic bid for the NCAA tournament, giving Schwarm his second berth to nationals.

He now has 33 falls and is seventh among all Panthers in UNI history with the most career pins. Twenty-three of his falls have come in the first period.

With a deep weight class at 149 pounds, the Big 12 extended the place matches out to eight to determine in the seventh and final NCAA qualifier at that weight. Max Thomsen defeated Jaron Jensen of Wyoming for the second time in the tournament to earn his third trip to the NCAA championships.

Jack Skudlarczyk knocked off the third seed at 133 pounds yesterday but wasn’t able to beat No. 16 Matt Schmitt of West Virginia, who is seeded fourth. His two losses on the day edged him out of the final NCAA qualifying spot.

Taylor Lujan and Drew Foster earned spots in the finals, notching bonus points along the way for UNI at 174 pounds and 184 pounds, respectively. The two both won Big 12 championships last year.

Oklahoma State sealed the team win with seven wrestlers in the finals. Iowa State had four. Oklahoma and North Dakota State join UNI with two wrestlers in the finals. Fresno State, Wyoming and Utah Valley each had one wrestler in the finals.

TEAM STANDINGS

1. Oklahoma State 158
2. Iowa State 114.5
3. UNI 82
4. Oklahoma 78
5. Fresno State 59.5
6. Utah Valley 59
7. Wyoming 58
8. North Dakota State 53.5
9. West Virginia 46
10. South Dakota State 18.5
11. Air Force 18
12. Northern Colorado 17

RESULTS: #NCAA rank
125 |  #24 Jay Schwarm – 5^th place (NCAA qualifier)

• W – Robert Garcia (Fresno State) 3:44 F
• W – #20 Cole Verner (Wyoming) 4:14 F
• L – #9 Brent Fleetwood (NDSU) 8-2

Day 2:

• L – Alex Mackall (Iowa State) 8-5
• W – #17 Rico Montoya (Northern Colorado) 1:13 F

133 |  Jack Skudlarczyk – 6^th place

• W – John Twomey (Air Force) 10-3
• L – #10 Austin Gomez (Iowa State) 15-4 MD
• W – Rylee Molitor (South Dakota State) 8-2
• W – #33 Anthony Madrigal (Oklahoma) 10-6

Day 2:

• L – #16 Matt Schmitt (West Virginia) 15-0 TF (6:52)
• L – Gary Joint (Fresno State) 8-0 MD

141 |  #7 Josh Alber – 3^rd place (NCAA qualifier)

• L – Chris Sandoval (Northern Colorado) 5-3
• W – Sawyer Degen (NDSU) 11-3 MD
• W – #19 Sam Turner (Wyoming) 3-2

Day 2:

• W – Chris Sandoval (Northern Colorado) 7-2
• W – #12 Ian Parker (Iowa State) 2-0

149 |  #9 Max Thomsen – 7^th place (NCAA qualifier)

• W – Jaron Jensen (Wyoming) 17-0 TF
• L – #19 Henry Pohlmeyer (South Dakota State), 5-4
• W – Alec Opsal (Air Force) 12-2 MD
• L – #20 Davion Jeffries (Oklahoma) 15-5 MD

Day 2:

• W – Jaron Jensen (Wyoming) 11-3 MD

165 |  #12 Bryce Steiert – 3^rd place (NCAA qualifier)

• W – Isaiah Hokit (Fresno State) 9-3
• L – #10 Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley) 3-2

Day 2:

• W – Logan Schumacher (Iowa State) 16-0 TF (4:34)
• W – #9 Branson Ashworth (Wyoming) 2-1

174 |  #7 Taylor Lujan – 2nd (NCAA qualifier)

• W – #30 Lorenzo De La Rive (North Dakota State) 17-5 MD
• W – #12 Kimball Bastian (Utah Valley) 3-1

Day 2:
L – Jacobe Smith (Oklahoma State) 6-4

184 |  #10 (2) Drew Foster – 1st (NCAA qualifier)

• W – Zach Carlson (South Dakota State) 11-3 MD
• W – Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) 6-3

Day 2:

• W – #11 Sam Colbray (Iowa State) 4-1

FROM DAY 1
157 |  Paden Moore – DNP

• L – Chase Straw (Iowa State) 11-5
• L – #23 Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma State) 7-3

197 |  Izaak Shedenhelm – DNP

• L – #4 Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) 15-0 TF
• L – #27 Jacob Seely (Northern Colorado) 4-3

285 |  (6) Carter Isley – DNP

• W – #29 Brandon Metz (North Dakota State) 11-0 MD
• L – #26 Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State) 2-0
• L – Robert Winters (Northern Colorado) 5-2