No. 6 Upper Iowa opened their home slate with a Northern Sun Conference dual against the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University on Thursday night in Dorman Memorial Gymnasium. The Peacocks won eight of the ten matches including one by fall and one by major decision to claim a 28-6 victory and improve to 3-0 overall and 3-0 in the NSIC. SMSU falls to 0-2 overall and 0-2 in the conference after the loss.
 
Redshirt freshman Philip Ihde opened the dual for the Peacocks at 125 pounds with a first period takedown and added another takedown in each period while building enough ride time to score an additional point and secure an 8-2 decision.
 
Senior Justin Folley, who is ranked No. 4 nationally, dominated his match up at 133 pounds over Brock Buyse. Folley scored a three takedowns and over two and a half minutes of ride time while working for a tilt to put together a 9-2 decision.
 
SMSU's Justin Sampson led 3-1 heading into the final period of the 141-pound match over senior Ryan Schmalen, but the Peacock wrestler escaped early to pull within one, 3-2, with a minute and a half to go. Schmalen put together a wild flurry in the final seconds but the potential winning takedown came after the final buzzer giving Sampson the 3-2 decision.
 
With UIU ahead 6-3, redshirt freshman Chance Throndson toed the line against Robert Shields. Throndson broke a scoreless tie midway through the second period with an escape, but Shields got the equalizing escape in the third. Shields came out of a scramble on top for a takedown and built up enough for a ride time for a 4-2 win to tie the match at 6-6.
 
Mac Spotts and Nathan Moore each scored in the opening frame of the 157-pound match. Moore picked up a takedown and reversal, while Spotts scored a reversal and an escape. After Moore pushed his lead to 5-3 with an escape in the second, but Spotts got the point back in the third with an escape of his own cutting the gap to one. The Peacock redshirt junior scored a takedown and held on for a 6-5 decision to put the home team back in the lead 9-6.
 
A pair of first-period takedowns in the 165-pound bout gave Brock Benitz an early 4-1 lead. The redshirt junior added an escape and a takedown before registering his first bonus-point win of the season. Benitz, who is ranked No. 4 nationally, won by fall at 3:53 over Kevin Bostwick get back to 3-3 on the year.
 
Dalton Nelson scored an immediate takedown and built nearly two minutes of ride time and added a four-point nearfall before Hayden Voxland got a reversal to end the opening period. A stall-point and a ride time point for Nelson added to his tally for an 8-5 decision.
 
UIU's Dalton Hahn and SMSU's Cole Hennen locked up in a physical bout at 184 pounds. Hennen scored a first period takedown and took a 2-1 lead. Hahn tied the score at 2-2 with an escape in the second period and then rode Hennen for the whole third period earning a 3-2 decision on a stall-point to increase the home team's lead to 21-6.
Nick Baumler, ranked No. 1 nationally, controlled the 197-pound match against Jackson Ryan. The West Union product scored four takedowns, an escape and a ride time point with over two and a half minutes on top. Baumler improved to 16-1 on the year and notched his ninth major decision of the season with the 10-2 victory.
 
Andrew Petersen took a 1-0 lead into the final period of the heavyweight match, but the Peacocks' Triston Westerlund had over a minute of ride time in his pocket. Westerlund got an escape early in the third period to preserve his ride time point and win 2-1.

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Up Next… The Peacocks will head to Las Vegas, Nev. for the Desert Duals on Dec. 22. UIU is scheduled to face Simon Fraser University, the University of North Carolina-Pembroke, Cloud County Community College and Embry Riddle University.

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Upper Iowa 28 – Southwest Minnesota State 6
125: Philip Ihde (UIU) over Ben Emrich (SMSU) (Dec 8-2)
133: Justin Folley (UIU) over Brock Buysse (SMSU) (Dec 9-2)
141: Justin Sampson (SMSU) over Ryan Schmalen (UIU) (Dec 3-2)
149: Robert Shields (SMSU) over Chance Throndson (UIU) (Dec 4-2)
157: Mac Spotts (UIU) over Nathan Moore (SMSU) (Dec 6-5)
165: Brock Benitz (UIU) over Kevin Bostwick (SMSU) (Fall 3:53)
174: Dalton Nelson (UIU) over Hayden Voxland (SMSU) (Dec 8-5)
184: Dalton Hahn (UIU) over Cole Hennen (SMSU) (Dec 3-2)
197: Nick Baumler (UIU) over Jackson Ryan (SMSU) (MD 10-2)
285: Triston Westerlund (UIU) over Andrew Petersen (SMSU) (Dec 2-1)