FAYETTE, Iowa - Peacock men's wrestling (1-0) opened the home season at Dorman Memorial Gymnasium with a 57-0 win over Ellsworth Community College. This marked the second straight season with a 57-0 win for the Peacocks in their home opener.

Tanner Arjes had the quickest win of the night at 141, winning by fall in 35 seconds over Gabe Brazzel. Brock Shaha also picked up a first-period win by fall at 133 against Aiden Kirk in 2:14. Jackson Heaston at 125, Preston Klostermann at 157, Nick Mueller at 165 and Braxten Westendorf at 184 earned wins for the team via forfeit.

With UIU leading 51-0 heading into the heavyweight match, Jose Del Toro trailed 7-4 in the first period to ECC's Reyce Turner. After Turner extended the lead to 11-4 in the second period, Del Toro worked his way into a reversal and got the shoulders down for the final fall of the match in 4:42. 

Del Toro similarly opened the season last year with a win in dramatic fashion. He trailed 9-5 to Hawkeye CC's Isaac Ericson in the second period before battling to get the fall then, too. This season's win resulted in just as ecstatic a reaction for the crowd as it did a year ago. 

Lawson Losee returned to action at 174 using four takedowns, a four-point nearfall and an escape to earn a tech fall win, 18-3, over Hayden Smith. Owen Denstad added a win by technical fall with seven takedowns in 3:39 to beat Chayton Oxendine, 21-5.

Geoffery Freeman posted UIU's quickest technical fall win at 197 in 2:16 over Jiraiya Fonseca. He tallied five takedowns and a four-point nearfall in the 19-4 win. Westendorf competed in an extra match at 197 against Christian Marrero Melendez, winning with a 21-4 technical fall after posting seven takedowns. 

The Peacocks posted 20 takedowns to Ellsworth's three. UIU had two four-point nearfalls. The Panthers had 14 escapes to Upper Iowa's two. 

Under head coach Heath Grimm, now in his 27th season at the helm of the UIU program, the Peacocks have posted 18 shutouts in 14 different seasons. Upper Iowa defeated Knox College, 54-0, and Illinois College, 57-0, in Grimm's first year at the helm. The Peacocks defeated UNC Pembroke, 47-0, at the National Duals in 2006, Northern State, 45-0, in an NSIC dual in 2007, a perfect 60-0 shutout of Wagner in 2009 at the Sprawl and Brawl Duals and a 41-0 NSIC dual win over MSU Moorhead in 2010. 

During the 2012-13 season, the Peacocks defeated Waldorf College, 53-0, and in 2013-14, UIU claimed three shutouts, including wins over Hannibal-LaGrange, 58-0, Calumet College, 57-0, and Northern State, 47-0. The Peacocks claimed a 45-0 victory over the UMary in January 2015 and a 56-0 win over Truman State in November 2018. UIU defeated Waldorf University, 57-0, and Southwest Minnesota State, 41-0, in 2022. 

The Peacocks picked up a shutout in December 2024, 45-0, over Quincy. UIU posted two shutouts in 2025, with a 57-0 win over Hawkeye CC and a 45-0 win over Quincy. Wednesday's win over Ellsworth marked shutout No. 18.

Upper Iowa has a quick turnaround as they compete in the Luther Open on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 9 a.m. in Decorah. The Peacocks' next dual is against No. 6 Minnesota State on Friday, Nov. 20, in Mankato at 6 p.m.

Upper Iowa 57, Ellsworth CC 0
125: Jackson Heaston (UIU) over (ELCC) (For.)
133: Brock Shaha (UIU) over Aiden Kirk (ELCC) (Fall 2:14)
141: Tanner Arjes (UIU) over Gabe Brazzel (ELCC) (Fall 0:35)
149: Owen Denstad (UIU) over Chayton Oxendine (ELCC) (TF 21-5 3:39)
157: Preston Klostermann (UIU) over (ELCC) (For.)
165: Nick Mueller (UIU) over (ELCC) (For.)
174: Lawson Losee (UIU) over Hayden Smith (ELCC) (TF 18-3 5:17)
184: Braxten Westendorf (UIU) over (ELCC) (For.)
197: Geoffery Freeman (UIU) over Jiraiya Fonseca (ELCC) (TF 19-4 2:16)
285: Jose Del Toro (UIU) over Reyce Turner (ELCC) (Fall 4:42)
Extra: Braxten Westendorf (UIU) over Christian Merrero Melendez (ELCC) (TF 21-4 5:23)