The #8 Upper Iowa wrestling team improved to 11-1 overall and 4-0 in the Northern Sun Conference with a 34-16 victory at Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D. on Friday night. The Peacocks won seven of the ten matches including five with bonus-points including a fall, three tech falls and a major decision. UIU used a 21-5 advantage in takedowns to fuel their win on the road.
Lincoln Monroe got the dual going at 125 pounds with a 5-2 decision thanks to a takedown in each of the first two periods. After the Peacocks left their 133-pound weight open,
Jordan Roths toed the line at 141 pounds and controlled his match for a 14-5 major decision; he scored four takedowns and added six points of nearfall to secure his win and give UIU a slim 7-6 lead. NSU's Tyler Stenberg got the four team points right back in the 149 pound match claiming a 15-6 major decision over
Damian Penichet to return the home team to a 10-7 lead.
Upper Iowa, who has leaned on their middle weights for consistency in duals, secured the victory with four straight bonus-point wins.
Jordan Rinken (157) got the ball rolling with a 17-2 technical fall, his fifth of the season, which included three takedowns, a pair of four-point nearfalls and a two-point nearfall.
Zak Benitz, the #6 ranked wrestler by the NWCA at 165 pounds, followed with a 23-8 technical fall featuring 10 takedowns in a match that ended at the close of the second period.
Colbey Vance made it two straight wins by fall in his last two duals with his first-round pin (1:38) at 174 pounds.
Dalton Westerlund closed out the Peacock run with a 16-1 technical fall at 184 pounds thanks to a takedown, a reversal and three separate four-point nearfalls.
The Wolves got their final win at 197 pounds with their NCAA All-American Joe Gomez, who pinned
Ryan Parmely in the final twenty seconds of the match. NSU left the heavyweight match open so
Avery Jacobs got the win which set the final score at 34-16.
The Peacocks will return to Fayette for two duals next Friday and Saturday, Jan. 29-30. Upper Iowa will host the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University and Minnesota State University, Mankato next weekend. Both duals will begin at 7 p.m. in Dorman Gym.
