FAYETTE, Iowa - The Upper Iowa men's wrestling team starts the 2025-26 season against Hawkeye Community College on Friday at 7 p.m. Head coach Heath Grimm is entering his 26th season with 240 career wins. The five-time National Coach of the Year is the second-winningest coach at UIU, only behind Mike McCready with 252 career wins. 
 
Since joining the GLVC, the Peacocks earned co-champion in 2023-24 and won the regular season in 2024-25. Upper Iowa has a cumulative dual meet record of 11-1 in the conference.
 
MEET THE PEACOCKS
Upper Iowa returns both national qualifiers from last season in redshirt junior Lawson Losee and redshirt senior Ethen Doty. Losee was an All-American last season as he took sixth place at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships.
 
"Lawson, as a sophomore last year, reaching the NCAA semifinals is great for a program to have an underclassman with that kind of success on the mat," Grimm said. "He's put the time, effort and energy into it, and it was definitely something that he earned."
 
Doty made the national championships after beating Colby Njos of St. Cloud State in the regional semifinals, 1-0, last season. A match he had lost the previous season to Njos.
 
"That showed some growth, and Ethen is definitely growing," Grimm said. "We definitely expect him to do some big things. He was just a match away last year from being an All-American."
 
This season, Losee is ranked No. 4 at 174 pounds in the preseason by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Doty earned a No. 6 preseason ranking at 149 pounds by the NWCA. Lastly, Geoffery Freeman ranks No. 13 at 197 pounds entering the year.
 
"Very well deserved to be recognized in the national rankings to start the year," Grimm said. "Lawson, Ethen and Geoff are all great young men who are in a position to contend for an individual national championship. There's not a match at this level that they can't go out and win each and every time."
 
The Peacocks return five All-GLVC selections from last season. Losee and Doty earned second team honors along with 133-pounder Dawson Schmit. Jackson Heaston at 125 pounds, Collin Altensey at 165 pounds and Freeman at 197 pounds were recognized on the third team. 
 
This season, Heaston is back for his redshirt sophomore campaign, competing at 125 pounds. Redshirt junior Treyton Ackman is also competing at this weight after being the starter for the Peacocks two seasons ago.
 
Schmit is back after starting at 133 during his redshirt freshman season last year. Redshirt freshman James Lovelady is also competing at that spot after making his way down to 133. True freshman Brock Shaha also provides depth and has been impressive, recently finishing runner-up at the Simpson Open. 
 
At 141, Tanner Arjes is eyeing the role after a solid redshirt season last year, where he beat a NCAA Division II national qualifier. Redshirt sophomore Cael Bridgewater and redshirt freshman Jonah Luensman will also be competing at 141. 
 
Doty is starting at 149, but this is a deep weight class for the Peacocks with Owen Denstad, Kaden Kremer and Cale Nash competing. Denstad won the Simpson Open this past weekend. 
 
At 157, the Peacocks will need to replace six-year man Dalton Schams from last season. Altensey is the frontrunner for the role, moving down to 157 after starting at 165 last season. Altensey will be challenged by Kale Hansen, who saw some varsity action last season, and Preston Klostermann, who placed first at the Simpson Open this past weekend. 
 
Senior Reily Dolan and redshirt freshman Nick Moeller are competing for the 165-pound spot. Losee has a quality challenger in senior Lucas Henderson at 174. Griffin Luke and Braxten Westendorf are battling at 184 pounds. 
 
At 197, Freeman is the returning starter with high expectations. It also boosts three additional competitors: two-time JUCO All-American Matthew Marcum, redshirt senior Hunter Bye and freshman John Arambasich. The Peacocks are a one-man show at heavyweight with freshman Jose Del Toro. 
 
"Jose is a freshman out of Illinois and was a state finalist with a fourth-place finish the year before that," Grimm said. "It's a big ask for him, but I like his swagger and his confidence in himself."
 
MEET THE PEACOCKS: COACHING STAFF
Eric Faught and Carl Broghammer return to the men's wrestling coaching staff. New to the staff this year as part-time assistant coaches are Colter Bye and Ryan Wehner, who competed as athletes for the Peacocks last season.
 
"To have Eric, a former four-year starter for us, along with Carl, Colter and Ryan back is awesome," Grimm said. "Eric and I are the full-time guys, but to have those other three guys chip in is a nice lift for the staff and team as a whole."
 
GLVC POLL
Upper Iowa was picked second in the GLVC preseason poll with 19 points. Last year's champion, McKendree (Ill.), took first with 25 points and five first-place votes.
 
 

Place	School	Points (1st-Place Votes)
1.	McKendree	25 (5)
2.	Upper Iowa	19
3.	Indianapolis	17 (1)
4.	Maryville	15
5.	Drury	9
6.	Quincy	5

 
 
NWCA POLL
The Peacocks are ranked No. 22 in the Preseason NWCA Coaches' Poll. UIU received 22.5 points, tying with GLVC foe Maryville (Mo.). McKendree was the top-rated team from the conference, coming in at No. 13.
 
Nebraska Kearney is ranked No. 1, Lander (S.C.) is ranked No. 2 and Pittsburgh Johnstown (Pa.) is ranked No. 3. The Lopers enter as No. 1 after winning the National Championship last season.
 
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
The Peacocks host four home duals this season. After Friday's dual with Hawkeye Community College, UIU faces Ellsworth CC on Nov. 25, Minnesota State on Jan. 3, Quincy (Ill.) on Feb. 1 and Drury (Mo.) on Feb. 5.
 
Another big date for the Peacocks is the Midwest Classic hosted by UIndy on Dec. 13-14.
 
"The Midwest Classic is something we always highlight on our schedule," Grimm said. "They'll have over 40 Division II teams there. It's a good gauge, and there's a correlation of guys that place out there and place at the NCAA Championships. That's something you try to prepare for and put together a great squad to compete hard out there."
 
This year's NWCA National Duals takes place in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Jan. 9-10.
 
"That's a premiere event for us," Grimm said. "It's an event that we've placed at 14 of the past 17 years. The top 16 teams in the country get invited, and the top eight teams earn placings."
 
The NCAA Super Region V Championships are hosted by Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall, Minnesota, on Feb. 28. The NCAA Division II National Championships are in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on March 13-14.