UNI wrestling: Grading the Panthers' 2024-25 season

[ASFN Admin]

Was this one of the best seasons in UNI wrestling history?

The program has plenty of success in the days it was known as Iowa State Teachers College, from 1930 through 1950, so it's not quite the best. But the 2024-25 season was certainly one of the best of the modern era.

Here is how the UNI's season grades out from the regular season, the postseason, the recruiting class and how each weight performed throughout the year:

Grading Northern Iowa wrestling's regular season​

Grade: A

• Nov. 16 - Grand View Open (Five Champions)
• Nov. 24 - South Dakota State (W, 16-15)
• Nov. 26 - Missouri (W, 24-10)
• Dec. 6-7 - Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (One champion, sixth place)
• Dec. 14 - Nebraska-Kearney (W, 35-8)
• Jan. 5 - Nebraska - 1 p.m. (W, 24-9)
• Jan. 11-12 - NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships (1st place)
• Jan. 17 - Arizona State (W, 33-10)
• Jan. 24 - Oklahoma State (L, 14-22)
• Jan. 25 - Oklahoma (W, 26-13)
• Feb. 1 at West Virginia (W, 29-10)
• Feb. 8 - North Dakota State (W, 33-6)
• Feb. 16 - Iowa State - (W, 26-10)
• Feb. 23 - Wisconsin - (W, 28-12)

It was one of the best dual seasons in recent memory for UNI, with a 14-1 record (most wins since 1991) and a National Duals title over a smaller field. Dominant wins over Iowa State and Nebraska were the highlight, while a narrow loss to Oklahoma State was the lone blemish.

Grading Northern Iowa wrestling's postseason​

Grade: B+

This may be a bit of a surprise of a grade, considering it was the first top-10 finish at NCAAs since 1992 and the best under coach Doug Schwab, but there was a bit left on the bone here. Ryder Downey and Wyatt Voelker each fell short of their All-American potential, Parker Keckeisen fell one win short of a second national title.

There was a lot to celebrate, but an even better finish was on the table at NCAAs.

Grading Northern Iowa wrestling's weight classes​

125: B+

Trever Anderson had one of the feel-good journeys of the tournament, losing in the first round, marching all the way back to the round of 12 and knocking out reigning national champion Richard Figueroa along the way. He sets himself up for a promising 2026 run.

133: B

Julian Farber got the nod over Cory Land after Land suffered an injury at the Cliff Keen Invitational. He finished the season with an 18-8 record, highlighted by his first-round win at NCAAs over former All-American Anthony Noto of Lock Haven.

141: A

In his final season, Cael Happel got to the podium for the first time with a fifth-place finish. He also won his first Big 12 championship, ending his career with some impressive hardware.

149: B+

Colin Realbuto put it all on the line in his final season, coming up one win shy of a Big 12 title and going 1-2 at NCAAs. Coming off a knee injury and wrestling this season as a first-time father, he will be pleased with the year he had.

157: B

Downey ranked inside the top-five of 157 for a good bulk of the year but fell short of All-American status. However, the Indianola product finishes his sophomore year with a win over the eventual national champion, Antrell Tyalor of Nebraska, a 27-6 record and will enter his junior season as a title contender.

165: B

Jack Thomsen went 2-2 at NCAAs and ended with a 21-12 record. He beat who he was expected to compete with and lost to guys who were talented in their own right. He met expectations but didn't exceed.

174: B-

At Jared Simma's best, he was defeating eventual All-American Cade DeVos of South Dakota State on multiple occasions, but there were some head-scratching results, too. After reaching the NCAA quarterfinals a year ago and sitting one win shy of All-American honors, Simma was 1-2 at NCAAs this time around.

184: A

Keckeisen didn't get to end his career with a second NCAA title, but it is hard to penalize a wrestler for losing to a five-time NCAA Champion. He ended his career as one of the best UNI wrestlers ever.

197: B

Wyatt Voelker won a Big 12 title in his sophomore season but ultimately suffered a first-round upset at NCAAs. He finished one win shy of the podium following a gritty run through the consolations.

285: A

Lance Runyon began his career as a middleweight and ended it as a NCAA qualifier with a 19-9 record on the year at heavyweight. He made a big sacrifice for his team to help them have 10 NCAA qualifiers for the first time since 1986.

Grading Northern Iowa wrestling's 2025 recruiting class​

Rankings from Matscouts' Class of 2025 pound-for-pound rankings.

Grade: A-

• Logan Paradice - No. 37 (projects at 157)
• Kyler Knaack - No. 55 (projects at 165/174)
• Max Brady - No. 176 (projects at 141)
• Jace Hedeman - unranked (projects at 133)

Paradice and Knaack, in particular, are really nice gets for the Panthers, as both project to win a lot of matches for UNI in the future. Hedeman was a three-time Iowa state champion and a four-time finalist who could be a diamond in the rough for the program at some point as well. Brady was a four-time state champion in Florida.

Grading the 2024-25 Northern Iowa wrestling season​

Grade: A-

UNI had one of its best seasons of the Schwab regime and the best NCAAs finish since reentering the Division I level in 1981. Had Keckeisen won a second national title and they got another guy or two on the podium, it would have been one of the best seasons UNI has ever had.

Regardless, it is one of the best in the modern era of UNI wrestling and bodes well for the future of the program.

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: UNI wrestling: Grades for the Panthers in historic 2024-25 season

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