Northern Iowa wrestlers let one slip away in a 19-17 loss to No. 16 Oklahoma State

CEDAR FALLS — The Northern Iowa wrestling workforce eyed its third dual-meet win in 4 years over mighty Oklahoma State on Saturday night time, however as an alternative let a winnable convention contest slip away in a 19-17 loss to the 16th-ranked Cowboys.

Bonus factors stood up because the distinction on this night time. Each groups received 5 matches, however Oklahoma State prevailed thanks partially to Carter Younger’s 15-7 main determination over Cael Happel at 141 kilos and Wyatt Sheets’ gorgeous pin over Austin Yant at 165.

The Panthers countered with a pair main choices — from Kyle Gollhofer, a 14-5 winner over Zach Blankenship at 125, and Parker Keckeisen, in a 20-6 win over Gavin Stika at 184 — however finally dropped to 4-3 general and 2-2 towards Huge 12 opponents.

“For us, I believe we gave that one away,” Northern Iowa coach Doug Schwab stated afterward. “Within the matches we misplaced, we don’t plan on giving up bonus factors in these conditions.”

A enjoyable rivalry could also be brewing between these two packages. Traditionally, the Panthers have solely overwhelmed Oklahoma State 4 occasions in 33 all-time conferences, however two have come within the final 4 years: a 19-15 win right here in 2020, then a come-from-behind 19-15 win in Stillwater final season.

On Saturday, the introduced 3,102 right here on the McLeod Middle was handled to a different thrilling, back-and-forth contest. There have been three separate lead adjustments, and the twin was additionally tied 7-7 after the primary 4 weights. However Sheets’ pin, within the first match out of the intermission, gave the Cowboys a 13-10 lead. They by no means trailed once more.

The Cowboys, now 9-1 and 5-0, are a youthful workforce this 12 months, however showcased glorious battle towards Northern Iowa, scoring the primary factors in 9 of 10 matches. The Panthers punched again viciously, ending with 19 whole takedowns to Oklahoma State’s 10. Additionally they scored extra whole match factors, 61-56, all through the twin.

“They got here with a function tonight,” Schwab stated. “You possibly can inform they weren’t going to get out-fought in matches. The final couple of occasions, after we beat them, in some conditions, we out-hustled them and out-fought them.

“They had been getting us to return out of our stance. They cam able to battle tonight.”

So this twin was even, and unfolded as such, too. As a result of even regardless of two of Northern Iowa’s prime wrestlers taking robust losses on this night time, the Panthers nonetheless had a shot to knock off the Cowboys in the long run.

After Gollhofer’s win, Oklahoma State rallied with back-to-back wins for a 7-4 workforce lead. Daton Repair took Kyle Biscoglia to his again early and received 8-1 at 133, then Younger constructed a 12-1 first-period lead en path to his third win over Happel within the final two years.

The Panthers responded with a pair of hard-fought wins for a 10-7 lead at half. Colin Realbuto rallied for a 5-4 win over Victor Voinovich at 149, due to a third-period takedown and 90 seconds of using time. Derek Holschlag adopted with a 6-4 win in sudden victory over Eleventh-ranked Kaden Gfeller at 157.

“These are wars,” Schwab stated. “That was thrilling wrestling.”

However then got here Sheets’ pin over Yant. Tied 1-1 with lower than a minute left within the third interval, Yant dropped right into a head-outside shot and picked up Sheets’ proper leg. Sheets grabbed Yant’s head, laced his left arm beneath Yant’s proper arm, rolled by means of Yant’s end try and put Yant on his again. The ref referred to as the pin at 6:24.

The McLeod crowd fell silent whereas the Cowboy bench erupted. It was the primary time Yant had been pinned since January 2020, and simply the third time in his faculty profession that he’d misplaced by fall. On this night time, it swung the twin in Oklahoma State’s favor.

“Yant was attempting to complete a maintain,” Schwab stated. “His butt got here out just a little bit, he obtained beneath the arms, so we have to be just a little extra disciplined there. However I’m not going to be upset a couple of man who’s attempting to assault and win a match.”

The Panthers had been down, however not out, at the least not till the Cowboys received two of the following three matches, a 7-3 win for Dustin Plott over Lance Runyon at 174 — final 12 months, Runyon pinned Plott to totally ignite Northern Iowa’s rally in Stillwater — then a 2-1 win for Luke Surber over true freshman Wyatt Voelker, making his twin debut, at 197.

Even then, Tyrell Gordon’s big-move functionality gave the Panthers hope at heavyweight. Within the third interval, Gordon got here up with a double overhook tie and took Konner Doucet to his again on the sting. Doucet rolled by means of, so Gordon solely scored a reversal. He received 3-2, however for a quick second, the McLeod crowd woke again up.

“Oklahoma State is an effective workforce,” Schwab stated, “but when we need to be an amazing workforce, we have now to persistently beat these groups and persistently present up.”

The excellent news is that Schwab and the Panthers can flush this dangerous style rapidly. Oklahoma, contemporary off a 25-12 loss to No. 6 Iowa State on Friday night time in Ames, involves city on Sunday afternoon. A win over a sneaky Sooner squad could not absolutely ease the sting of Saturday night time’s loss, however it’ll make it simpler to digest the entire weekend.

“We’ll begin seeing what your workforce has, what sort of grit and endurance,” Schwab continued. “Can we buck up and reply? Or will we tuck our head?

“I do know what sorts of (guys) are on our workforce. I understand how they prepare, how they’ve been raised, how they put together, and they’re going to reply.”

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and highschool sports activities for the Des Moines Register. Comply with him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.

No. 16 Oklahoma State 19, No. 18 Northern Iowa 17

• 125: Kyle Gollhofer (UNI) maj. dec. Zach Blankenship (OSU), 14-5
• 133: #2 Daton Repair (OSU) dec. #11 Kyle Biscoglia (UNI), 8-1
• 141: #32 Carter Younger (OSU) maj. dec. #8 Cael Happel (UNI), 15-7
• 149: #14 Colin Realbuto (UNI) dec. #20 Victor Voinovich (OSU), 5-4
• 157: #26 Derek Holschlag (UNI) dec. #11 Kaden Gfeller (OSU), 6-4 (SV)
• 165: #26 Wyatt Sheets (OSU) pinned #10 Austin Yant (UNI) in 6:24
• 174: #6 Dustin Plott (OSU) dec. #13 Lance Runyon (UNI), 7-3
• 184: #2 Parker Keckeisen (UNI) maj. dec. Gavin Stika (OSU), 20-6
• 197: #18 Luke Surber (OSU) dec. Wyatt Voelker (UNI), 2-1
• 285: #13 Tyrell Gordon (UNI) dec. #24 Konner Doucet (OSU), 3-2