The No. 15 Peacock wrestling team closed out their home schedule with a 36-8 victory over No. 17 Minnesota State University, Mankato on Senior Night in Fayette. Upper Iowa recognized and thanked their three seniors, Myron Crawford, Ryan Faught and Bodie Garnier, prior to the match. With the win, UIU improves their dual record to 5-5 overall and 2-3 against NSIC opponents.
 
In the dual, the Peacocks won eight of the ten matches with one win by fall, three wins at open weights for the Mavericks and four decisions. Upper Iowa claimed a 16-11 advantage in takedowns on the night.
 
The dual opened at 125 pounds where UIU's Dakota Henry met MSU's Tanner Cook. Henry came out of a tangle with a takedown and built up nearly a minute of ride time in the first period. After beginning the second period in the neutral position, Henry scored another takedown and then quickly got a turn and subsequent fall (3:39) just 39 seconds into the second period.
 
The Peacocks then added 18 points to their team score with three-straight wins at 133, 141 and 149 pounds as the Mavericks were open at those weights. Kaden Anderlik (No. 5), Tate Murty (No. 7) and Eric Faught (No. 10) registered the wins in succession to put the Peacocks ahead 24-0.
 
The action resumed at 157 pounds where MSU's Cooper Siebrecht faced off against UIU's Chase Luensman (No 7). Siebrecht scratched the scoreboard first with an escape to open the second period, and Luensman knotted the score at 1-1 with an escape to open the third frame. Luensman hit a high-crotch shot to score a takedown with under a minute to go and added a second takedown after Siebrecht escaped to pick up a 5-2 decision.
 
Ryan Steffen got out to an early lead thanks to a takedown in the first. After a pair of escapes by the Mavericks' Brody Nielsen, Steffen scored a second takedown and pushed his ride time to nearly two minutes heading into the third period. Steffen added a third takedown and a ride time point in the final frame to win by decision 7-5.
 
Senior Ryan Faught got on the mat for the 174-pound bout against Trevor Turriff (No. 8). Turriff controlled the first period with a takedown and a two-point nearfall. Turriff added another takedown and added to his ride time in the second before securing an 11-1 major decision for Minnesota State's first win of the night.
 
Senior Myron Crawford jumped out to a quick lead in his match at 184 pounds with a pair of takedowns in the first period. Crawford added three more takedowns in the second period to claim a 10-5 lead heading into the third period over Gavin Christoffersen. One last takedown in the final period sealed a 12-6 win for Crawford and pushed the team score to 33-4.
 
UIU's third senior, Bodie Garnier, kept the momentum rolling with a pair of takedowns early in the first period at 197 pounds. After a Garnier escape was the only score in the second, Josh Piechowski escaped in the third to pull within three, 5-2, but the Maynard, Iowa native recorded his third takedown of the bout, added a ride time point, and held on to win 8-5.
 
At heavyweight, the Peacocks' Jordan Baumler took on MSU's Darrell Mason (No. 10). Mason got a throw off a double underhook and scored four nearfall points to jump out to a 6-0 lead. Baumler escaped, but Mason scored another takedown to take an 8-1 lead into the second period. An escape and three takedowns by Mason in the third, along with a ride time point gave the Maverick heavyweight a 16-4 major decision.
 
Upper Iowa will be on the road for their final dual of the season at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Wednesday, Feb. 16. UIU will then turn their attention to the NCAA Super Region V Championships in Moorhead, Minn. on Saturday, Feb. 26.