FAYETTE, Iowa - The Upper Iowa men's wrestling team (1-0) will head up the road to Decorah this Saturday to compete in the 2025 Luther Open. The meet will begin at 9 a.m. with wrestlers from 23 schools across six states competing.
LAST TIME OUT
The Peacocks are aiming to continue their impressive start to the 2025-26 season after defeating Hawkeye Community College, 57-0, in the home opener this past Friday.
Upper Iowa's victory consisted of six victories by fall, three by tech fall and one by forfeit. No. 4 Lawson Losee was credited with the victory by forfeit at 174 pounds.
At 125, Treyton Ackman began the match with a victory by fall in just 65 seconds. Dawson Schmit (133), No. 6 Ethen Doty (149), Braxten Westendorf (184), Matthew Marcum (197) and Jose Del Toro (285) rounded out the group of Peacocks that secured six points for the team score.
Tanner Arjes (141), Collin Altensey (157) and Nick Mueller (165) won by tech fall in each of their respective matches. Altensey earned his victory inside the first period, defeating Hawkeye CC's Ben Backes 15-0.
In two exhibition matches following the team-scored dual, Losee and Jonah Luensman each claimed victory. Losee won by tech fall and Luensman secured a victory by major decision (17-9).
LUTHER OPEN INFORMATION
The 2025 Luther Open will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, with gates opening at 7:45 a.m.
Admission is $20 for adults, $10 for students and seniors (65+) and free for children under five. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time online using the link at the top of this article and will be available for purchase on-site.
Parking at the Gerdin Fieldhouse will cost fans $5, with free parking available in the library parking lot. Concessions will be sold in the Gerdin Fieldhouse lobby beginning at 8 a.m.
Alongside Upper Iowa, fellow GLVC school Quincy (Ill.) is among the teams competing at the Luther Open. The Hawks were picked sixth in the GLVC preseason poll, but began their season with a 4-0 weekend at the Loosbrock Duals in Atchison, Kansas.
The full list of 23 schools competing in the open are Augsburg (Minn.), Augustana (Ill.), Coe, Cornell (Iowa), Corland State (N.Y.), Dubuque, Eureka (Ill.), Hawkeye Community College, Joliet Junior College (Ill.), Loras, Luther, Minnesota State, North Iowa Area Community College, Quincy, Rochester Community & Technical College (Minn.), Southeastern Community College, St. Cloud State (Minn.), Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Wisconsin-La Crosse, Wisconsin-Whitewater, Upper Iowa, Wartburg and Westminster (Mo.).
2024 LUTHER OPEN
This will be the fifth-straight year Upper Iowa men's wrestling has competed at the Luther Open, as the Peacocks tallied seven top-10 finishers a year ago.
Returners Doty, Geoffery Freeman, Jackson Heaston, Losee and Schmit all placed seventh or better in last season's elite bracket.
Freeman placed the highest amongst the Peacocks, earning fourth in the 197 bracket after a 2-0 start. Doty took fifth place at 149 with a 4-1 record.
In last season's silver bracket, returners Arjes, Owen Denstead, Mueller and Westendorf all placed third or better. Mueller's 5-0 record on the day earned him a first-place effort in the 165 bracket.
