Well as you’ve probably read by now – I’m a little slow getting this up – the #24 UNI Panthers knocked off the #10 Oklahoma State Cowboys in a dual in the McLeod Center Saturday night. The 19-15 win felt like an exorcism of sorts – the last time UNI wrestled in the McLeod Center they lost to Oklahoma and the last time they beat Oklahoma State was 29 years ago.
The dual started out with a bit of a surprise, though not a win for UNI as Jay Schwarm lost by three, 9-6, to #4 Nick Piccininni. Schwarm scored the first points of the match though and rode Piccininni tough throughout, and a lesser opponent probably would have gone over to another Schwarm pin.
UNI scored their first upset of the night when Jack Skudlarczyk won 10-5 over Reece Witcraft. Unlike Schwarm, Skudlarczyk gave up the first points of the period, but then used a four point nearfall in the second to propel him to six more in the third for the win.
Michael Blockhus won a close decision, 4-3, over Dusty Hone. After taking down Hone in the first and going into the third tied at two, he reversed Hone and held on for the win to give UNI it’s first lead of the night.
Then the biggest upset of the night came, as Keaton Geerts, semi-regular starter at 157, came out to take on OSU’s Wyatt Sheets. Geerts scrambled into – and out of – a few takedowns in the match, and wound up with holding Sheets off at the end for the 8-6 win. It really doesn’t do the match justice saying Geerts “scrambled” because it was really a lot more than that. If you can you should go watch it.
A pair of major decisions came for each team coming out of the break. Austin Yant fell 14-5 to #9 Travis Wittlake, giving OSU a brief lead, but Bryce Steiert got things back on track for UNI with a 13-2 win over #12 Joseph Smith in Smith’s first action since the Southern Scuffle. The Panther never let Smith get into the match, taking him down with ease and putting on a punishing ride.
At 184 Taylor Lujan won 4-0 in a match that never felt out of his control. He has a takedown in the first and used an escape and rideout in the third to seal the win.
OSU brought the dual back to within one point as Dakota Geer won by tech fall, 20-4 over Noah Glaser. But then Carter Isley came out for UNI and took down the smaller, lighter, Austin Harris.
With no points in the first and only a Harris escape in the second, Isley put together a pair of takedowns in the third to get the 5-2 win and secure the 19-15 win for the Panthers.
UNI will next be in action next Saturday night as they travel to Oklahoma for a dual with the Sooners.
#24 UNI 19, #10 Oklahoma State 15
125: #4 Nick Piccininni won by decision, 9-6, over Jay Schwarm
133: Jack Skudlarczyk won by decision, 10-5, over Reece Witcraft
141: Michael Blockhus won by decision, 4-3, over Dusty Hone
149: #3 Boo Lewallen won by decision, 5-2, over #12 Max Thomsen
157: Keaton Geerts won by decision, 8-6, over Wyatt Sheets
165: #9 Travis Wittlake won by major decision, 14-5, over Austin Yant
174: #5 Bryce Steiert won by major decision 13-2 over #12 Joseph Smith
184: #4 Taylor Lujan won by decision, 4-0, over Anthony Montalvo
197: #10 Dakota Geer won by tech fall in 5:29, 20-4, over Noah Glaser
285: #11 Carter Isley won 5-2 over Austin Harris
Attendance: 4,006
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Through thick and thin, 25 years as a faithful UNI fan, and this is the first time that I’ve seen them beat Oklahoma State. In all honesty, I thought that I’d never see it.
Now let’s hope that the Sqwawkers stop playing coward and start dualing with UNI again, so that I can someday witness that too!