We have an exciting dual lined up tonight between the Cowboys and Panthers at UNI. This will likely be the toughest dual of the year outside of the matchup with Iowa. Below is the projected lineup, along with key notes for each bout. Let me know your thoughts!
Projected Lineup & Match Notes
- 125: #4 Spratley vs. #30 Anderson
Spratley is coming off two losses to ranked opponents, while Anderson recently upset #7 Smith (Nebraska). Spratley beat Anderson twice last season (7-2, 3-2). - 133: #19 Hughes/Witcraft vs. #20 Land/Farber
Likely seeing Hughes vs. Farber, but that could change. Hughes was recently pushed to OT by unranked Maddox (WVU), while Farber has beaten two ranked opponents in his last three matches. - 141: #4 Jamison vs. #5 Happel
Happel leads the series 3-0. Both own wins over #6 Hardy (Nebraska) this season. Jamison’s only loss this season was to #1 Mendez (Ohio State), while Happel fell to #26 Tagg (SDSU). - 149: #14 Young vs. #16 Realbuto
Young dominated Realbuto 14-4 earlier this season at Cliff Keen. However, Realbuto is coming off a comeback FALL over #19 Vasquez (ASU)—who previously beat Young earlier this season. - 157: #11 Fish vs. #4 Downey
Downey beat #5 Taylor (Nebraska) in early January but lost twice last season to #14 Scott (NC State), whom Fish just handled 12-5. - 165: #6 Amine vs. #21 Thomsen
Their last meeting at Cliff Keen resulted in a 4-1 Sudden Victory win for Amine. - 174: #3 Hamiti vs. #16 Simma
First-time matchup. Hamiti’s best win was a 4-3 decision over #4 Norman (Stanford), while Simma has beaten #11 DeVos (SDSU) twice (6-5, 11-9). - 184: #3 Plott vs. #2 Keckeisen
Keckeisen owns this rivalry (4-0), with two of those wins coming by Major Decision. Their last match at Cliff Keen ended 8-3 in Keckeisen’s favor. - 197: #7 Surber vs. #14 Voelker
Series tied 1-1—Voelker won by FALL in their last meeting. Worth noting that Surber was battling injuries at the time. - 285: #3 Hendrickson vs. #15 Runyon
Runyon has losses to Schultz (ASU) and Trumble (NC State) this season, both of whom Hendrickson has beaten this season.
Takeaways & Score Prediction
This dual features several toss-up matches (133, 141, 149, and 197), making it closer than it may appear on paper. If the Cowboys wrestle to their ranking, they should win comfortably. However, UNI has been wrestling above expectations, especially in duals, and is on a hot streak after:- Dominating #6 Nebraska (24-9) in early January
- Crushing #21 Arizona State (33-10)
Final Prediction:
- My official pick: 28-6 Cowboys
- If toss-ups swing the other way: Closer to 20-15
