Iowa
Wrestling Weekend That Was: UNI logs marquee dual win over Nebraska
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University of Northern Iowa posted a signature win over Nebraska Sunday at the McLeod Center. Iowa City High claimed Zimmerman Invitational title. Clear Creek Amana boys’, Vinton-Shellsburg girls’ earn runner-up finishes in the Wrestling Weekend That Was.
UNI SHUCKS THE CORNHUSKERS
The 10 th-ranked Panthers earned a marquee victory, defeating No. 4 Nebraska Sunday at the McLeod Center. UNI came up one point shy of knocking off the Cornhuskers last season, but this time they left no doubt in their 24-9 triumph, winning seven of 10 bouts.
“They’re really a good team,” UNI Coach Doug Schwab said in the post-dual interview. “That’s a good win for our program. Feel like things have been building and that’s just evidence for everybody we’re building and where we’re going as a program.”
It was UNI’s first win over Nebraska since 1991, tying in 2000 when current Nebraska Coach Mark Manning was the Panthers’ head coach.
“That’s a long time,” Schwab said. “I didn’t know. None of these guys were alive.”
The Panthers had a little fun with the history lesson. They were quick for a quip on the streak-snapping win.
“That’s on Doug,” 157-pounder Ryder Downey said to extract laughs during the news conference.
“That was my parents’ wedding,” said NCAA champion Parker Keckeisen, who had a crucial pin at 184.
Everything seemed to go UNI’s way. Well, the Panthers imposed their will to force things into their favor. They nearly won all of the key toss-up matches and converted key moves, like Trever Anderson’s takedown at 125, a seven-point cradle from Cael Happel at 141, the third-period comeback from Wyatt Voelker at 197, heavyweight Lance Runyon’s reversals, Keckeisen’s pin and overtime takedowns from Downey and 165-pounder Jack Thomsen.
Schwab noted the performances represented the grit, heart and fight of the program and how the wrestlers trust the preparation for competition.”
“As close as the matches were, we found a way to win a whole bunch of them,” Schwab said. “I think that makes it a whole lot of fun.”
Anderson, Happel, Downey and Keckeisen scored wins over highly-ranked foes. Anderson beat No. 5 Caleb Smith, 5-2, with a second-period takedown. Anderson said he takes pride in providing a spark to ignite the rest of the lineup. He lit the powder keg Sunday.
“It’s my job to go out and start it off,” said Anderson, who was third at the Soldier Salute. “I go out and do that just rolls, like a snowball. It just keeps going.
“I think it’s a job that’s under emphasized … I think it helps the other guys.”
Happel, ranked No. 8, extended his win streak over No. 5 Brock Hardy. He trailed 4-0 in the second when he locked up a cradle for a takedown and four nearfall, fending off a late takedown attempt for a 7-5 decision.
In a battle of top-five wrestlers who met for the second time in a month, No. 5 Downey scored a takedown in sudden victory-1 to beat No. 3 Antrell Taylor, 5-2. The win avenged a loss at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December.
Schwab said he isn’t surprised Downey has ascended the ranks and capable of wins over top-tier wrestlers.
“He puts a tremendous amount of time into his craft,” Schwab said. “He works his tail off every day.”
Keckeisen helped set the nail in the Cornhuskers’ coffin that Voelker hammered shut. Keckeisen led 4-1 in the second when he cinched up a cradle for his second takedown and flattened unbeaten and fifth-ranked Silas Allred for a pin in 3:38. Keckeisen was asked if he was looking for a cradle.
“No,” Keckeisen said. “I was just thinking wrestling.”
UNI improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12 Conference. The Panthers have notable dual wins over South Dakota State, Missouri and now Nebraska. They next step is to have the same effort for each dual.
“You’ve seen indications of our team being able to do that,” Schwab said. “I told our team if we’re going to go from a good team to a great team we have to do that in competition and we have to be consistent with it.”
IOWA CITY HIGH WINS ZIMMERMAN INVITE
Iowa City High started 2025 with success. The Little Hawks scored 234.5 points, beating runner-up Iowa City Liberty by 62, for the team title at Maquoketa’s Zimmerman Invitational.
Kendall Kurtz (120), Chase Williams (126) and 190-pounder Blaine Heick each won titles for City High. Kurtz and Williams won each of their matches with bonus points. Kurtz tallied three technical falls, outscoring foes, 57-11. Williams had a pin and two major decisions.
Laith Alawneh (150), Marshall Sheldon (165), Mason Tilley at 175, Raphael Etuma (215) and heavyweight Shaaban Naim all placed second for City High, which wrestle at Cedar Rapids Jefferson on Thursday.
CLEAR CREEK AMANA RUNNER-UP AT VALLEY DUALS
Clear Creek Amana finished second at the West Des Moines Valley Duals on Saturday. The Clippers went 3-1 with victories over Muscatine (71-7), Ankeny Centennial (40-35) and Dallas Center-Grimes (43-33). Indianola went 4-0 to win the team title, topping CCA 41-29.
Iowa City West went 2-2 at the tournament, tying for third.
VINTON-SHELLSBURG GIRLS’ PLACE 2 ND
Vinton-Shellsburg finished second at the Denver Invitational on Saturday. Waverly-Shell Rock scored 198.5 points, 33.5 ahead of the Vikings.
Chloe Sanders at 140 and Sadie Burke (170) won championships for V-S. The Vikings’ Ellie Weets (115) and Camden Erhardt (130) posted runner-up honors.
LATE HEROICS FOR INDEPENDENCE
Independence received a pin from 190-pounder Braylen Bieber in the final match against Western Dubuque for a 39-33 dual victory Saturday.
The teams split the 14 weight classes, but Independence won all by bonus points. Western Dubuque stormed back with three straight wins to tie the dual before the final match. Bieber capped the win with a 2:20 pin over David Theisen.
The Mustangs are ranked No. 6 in Class 2A, while the Bobcats are No. 14 in 3A.
Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com
Five people were shot and injured at an Iowa City pedestrian mall near the University of Iowa campus overnight, police said Sunday. Students from the university were among the injured, according to school officials.
The Iowa City Police Department responded to a report of a large fight in the 100 Block of East College Street at 1:46 a.m. early Sunday, the department said in a news release. Arriving officers heard gunfire.
Multiple victims were hospitalized, police said. Police confirmed to CBS News that one person was in critical condition, while the other four victims are stable.
University of Iowa President Barb Wilson said in a statement that three students were among those shot. None of the victims has been publicly identified.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Police said they are seeking information about five “persons of interest associated with this shooting.” The university also shared the request for information.
The pedestrian mall was closed for several hours and reopened Sunday afternoon.
Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for April 13-18. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.
Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 26. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:
Taylor Roose, Pella boys track and field
Roose competed in three events at the Norwalk Invitational, winning all three in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump.
Daxon Kiesau, Urbandale boys track and field
Kiesau swept the throwing events at the Norwalk Invitational, taking first place in the shot put and the discus.
Alex Burger, Southeast Valley boys track and field
Competing at home, Burger dominated, earning four gold medals. He won the 400-meter hurdles and the long jump while running on the winning 4×200-meter relay and shuttle hurdle relay.
Kolby Hodnefield, Clear Lake boys track and field
Hodenfield, a defending state champion, broke the meet, venue and school record in the 200 and the 400 at the Clear Lake Invitational. He added victories as part of the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Both relays also set meet records.
Easton Moon, North Polk boys tennis
Moon has started off his senior season on the courts unbeaten, winning all four matches while dropping just one game in 44 played.
Ava Lohrbach, Gilbert girls golf
One of the top golfers in the state, Lohrbach has had a hot start, firing a 35 in her nine-hole debut and a 72 for her 18-hole opener.
Nathan Manske, Algona boys golf
An elite quarterback and basketball player, Manske is showing his golfing skills this spring, coming out with a state-low 30 in a nine-hole event.
Ella Hein, Tipton girls track and field
Hein set school records in the 400-meter run and long jump at the Tiger/Tigerette Relays while also locking in the Blue Standard and qualifying for the Drake Relays. She won the long jump (18-6) and was second in the 400.
Maeve Bowen-Burt, Iowa City High girls track and field
The sophomore helped the Little Hawks land three Drake Relays events on the last night of qualifying, advancing in the 400 hurdles, along with the sprint medley and 4×400 relays.
About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.
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The late boxing great George Foreman lies buried in a cemetery in the northwestern corner of Iowa – a place he has no connection to outside of a lone visit to the region nearly 40 years ago.
Foreman died March 21, 2025, at the age of 76 in Houston and was buried in Logan Park Cemetery at Sioux City, Iowa, a month later, city officials confirmed. Foreman’s family returned Thursday to his burial site, holding a news conference with Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott to reveal Foreman’s burial place, marked by a large monument that bears an image of him as a teen following his Olympic gold medal boxing win.
The family explained in a statement released by Sioux City officials that he had visited the Iowa city in 1988, and often recalled the sense of peace he experienced there.
After traveling to the city on April 17 last year to bury Foreman, his family said they immediately understood the region’s appeal.
“Our father lived a life of purpose, faith and gratitude,” the family said in a statement released by Sioux City officials. “To see him laid to rest in a place that brought him peace means everything to us.”
Scott joined the family at Foreman’s monument that lies just a few miles north of the Missouri River in an upper Midwest city of nearly 87,000 people. The cemetery overlooks the scenic Loess Hills, created by windblown silt deposits that reach up to 200 feet high (about 61 meters) and line the river along the Iowa border for 200 miles (322 kilometers).
“Their story is a reminder of how one place can stay with someone for a lifetime,” Scott said.
A native Texan, Foreman rose to fame when he made the 1968 U.S. Olympic boxing team, winning gold in Mexico City. He became the heavyweight champion of the world in 1973 by defeating the great Joe Frazier, only to lose the title a year later to Muhammad Ali in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle.”
A full 20 years later in 1994, Foreman became the oldest man to win the heavyweight championship at 45, defeating Michael Moorer in an epic upset.
Foreman retired in 1997 with a 76-5 career record.
He then moved on to the next chapter in his life as a businessman, pitchman and occasional actor, becoming known to a new generation as the face of the George Foreman Grill. The simple cooking machine sold more than 100 million units and brought him more wealth than boxing.
A biographical movie based on Foreman’s life was released in 2023.
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