Friday’s UNI Wrestling Meet Features 2 Top 15 Matchups

The University of Northern Iowa Panthers wrestling team will host No. 6 Virginia Tech on Friday, January 16, 2015.  The dual will feature two match-ups with top 15-ranked wrestlers. Competition begins in the West Gym at 7:00 PM.

Virginia Tech expects to wrestle six wrestlers ranked in the top 20, while UNI has three.

“Up and down their lineup, they are pretty strong,” head coach Doug Schwab said of Virginia Tech. “We’ll have our guys prepared, and our guys are excited.”

UNI’s All-American No. 6 Dylan Peters has the opportunity to avenge a loss to No. 4 Joey Dance, who was fourth at last year’s NCAA tournament in the 125-pound weight class.

“Dylan Peters gets to wrestle a kid who has beaten him twice,” said Schwab. “There are not many guys out there who have beaten him multiple times. So he is looking forward to that match.

Dance has given Peters’ his only bonus point loss of his career, pinning Peters in 3 minutes, 20 seconds at the Cliff Keen Invite this season. Peters also lost 10-8 to Dance at the 2014 NCAA national tournament.

“You can point to a lot of matches and say that this match is important, but they are all important,” said Schwab. “Heavyweight will be a good matchup, but 125 is a big one – for seeding for nationals and a lot of reasons. When a guy beats you, you want to show him it won’t happen again.”

Heavyweight No. 15 Blaize Cabell has the series advantage over the Hokies’ No. 7 Ty Walz having beat him at the 2013 Cliff Keen Invite last season, 9-7.

Both Cabell and Walz are NCAA qualifiers. At Cliff Keen this year, Cabell took eighth, and Walz was second.

Cooper Moore has the ranking advantage at 165 pounds. No. 12 Moore is expected to face unranked Chad Strube, a junior who was second at the Hokie Open this year.

“I’m excited to have a full house,” said Schwab. “We appreciate the fans who have come out, but I want that place buzzing.”

MILITARY APPRECIATION NIGHT:
Roling Ford will give fans camouflage hats while supplies last in honor of Military Appreciation Night. At intermission, fans will witness a ceremony from the Iowa National Guard.

“We don’t take that lightly. When we put on those singlets designed to represent the military, it means something to us,” said Schwab.

PROBABLE LINEUPS - VT vs. UNI:

125: #4 Joey Dance, sophomore (20-2) vs. #6 Dylan Peters, sophomore (15-2)

133: #18 Kevin Norstrem, redshirt freshman (15-9) vs. Leighton Gaul, redshirt freshman (7-10)

141: #3 Devin Carter, redshirt senior (21-3) vs. Jesse Etherington, redshirt freshman (8-4) / Jake Hodges, redshirt freshman (9-9) / Tyler Willers, sophomore (10-7)

149: #13 Sal Mastriani, redshirt sophomore (18-7) vs. Gunnar Wolfensperger, sophomore (17-5)

157: Jake Spengler, freshman (1-3) vs. Jarrett Jensen, junior (15-8)

165: Chad Strube, redshirt junior (6-7) vs. #12 Cooper Moore, sophomore (14-3)

174: #9 Zach Epperly, sophomore (14-3) vs. Kyle Lux, junior (9-8) / Curt Maas, sophomore (18-4)

184: Austin Gabel, redshirt junior (11-8) vs. Cody Caldwell, junior (12-2)

197: Jared Haught, redshirt freshman (13-11) vs. Cody Krumwiede, junior (13-9) / Basil Minto, senior (16-7)

285: #7 Ty Walz, redshirt sophomore (20-4) vs. #15 Blaize Cabell, junior (17-4)

# Intermat rankings