Northern Iowa Panthers
UniversityUniversity of Northern Iowa
Head CoachDoug Schwab
ConferenceBig 12
LocationCedar Falls, IA
NicknamePanthers
ColorsPurple and old gold[1]
   
Team national championships
3
National championship years
NCAA Single Division – 1950
NCAA Division II – 1975, 1978

The Northern Iowa Panthers wrestling team represents the University of Northern Iowa and competes in the Big 12 Conference. The Panthers are one-time Division I National Champions and four-time National Runners-up. The team is coached by Doug Schwab.

The University of Northern Iowa Wrestling team, founded in 1923, won the NCAA (Single division) national championship in 1950 and the NCAA Division II national championships in 1975 and 1978. They competed in the Western Wrestling Conference until 2012, when UNI became an associate member of the Mid-American Conference since the Missouri Valley Conference is a non-wrestling conference. The Panthers continued to compete in the MAC through the 2016–17 season, after which they moved to the Big 12.[2]

Doug Schwab is the current head coach for the Northern Iowa Wrestling Team. Mission Statement - To communicate with UNI wrestling fans to support, encourage, promote a successful UNI wrestling tradition.[3]

In the 2013-2014 season, head coach Doug Schwab led the Panthers to a perfect 13-0 season in dual meets,[4] the only division one wrestling team to go undefeated.

Northern Iowa Panther Wrestling Team Accomplishments:[5][6][7]

  • NCAA (Single division) Team Champions in 1950[8]
  • NCAA Division II Team Champions in 1975[9]
  • NCAA Division II Team Champions in 1978[10]
  • NCAA (Single division) Team Runner-Up in 1946, 1947, 1949 and 1952
  • NCAA Division II Team Runner-Up in 1970, 1972, 1974 and 1980
  • NCAA (Single division) Team Third Place in 1937
  • NCAA Division II Team Third Place in 1963, 1967, 1969, 1976, 1977 and 1979.

Notable wrestlers:[11][12][13]

  • Olympic Gold Medalist (1952) William Smith wrestled for Iowa State Teachers College (1949 and 1950 NCAA champion)
  • Olympic Silver Medalist (1948) Gerald Leeman wrestled for Iowa State Teachers College (1946 NCAA champion)
  • Pan American Games Gold Medalist (1975) Mike McCready
  • Pan American Games Gold Medalist (1993) Justin Greenlee
  • Pan American Games Silver Medalist (1990) Mark Pustelnik
  • Three-time NCAA Champion (1946-47-48) Bill Koll and member of the 1948 U.S. Olympic team, finishing 5th
  • Three-time NCAA Champion (1947, 1949–50) Bill Nelson and member of the 1948 U.S. Olympic team
  • Three-time NCAA Champion (1949-50-51) Keith Young
  • Three-time NCAA Division II Champion (1976-77-78) Gary Bentrim
  • Three-time NCAA Division II Champion (1978-79-80) and six-time All-American Kirk Myers[14]
  • NCAA Division I Champion 149 pounds (2000) Tony Davis.
  • NCAA Division I Champion 184 pounds (2019) Drew Foster.[15]

References

  1. ↑ University of Northern Iowa Athletics Style Guide (PDF). January 25, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  2. ↑ Ryder, Nic (June 8, 2017). "Official: UNI and Fresno State Joining Big 12". IAWrestle.com. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  3. ↑ "University of Northern Iowa Athletics - 2016-17 Wrestling Coaching Staff".
  4. ↑ "Wrestling Stays Perfect With 21-19 Win Over ODU". UNIPanthers.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-05. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
  5. ↑ "University of Northern Iowa Wrestling 1931-1952". Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  6. ↑ "University of Northern Iowa Wrestling 1953-1964". Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  7. ↑ "University of Northern Iowa Wrestling 1965-1982". Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  8. ↑ "University of Northern Iowa Wrestling 1950 Championship Team". Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  9. ↑ "University of Northern Iowa Wrestling 1975 Championship Team". Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  10. ↑ "University of Northern Iowa Wrestling 1978 Championship Team". Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  11. ↑ "University of Northern Iowa Wrestling NCAA Division I Champions". Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  12. ↑ "University of Northern Iowa Wrestling NCAA Division II Champions". Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  13. ↑ "The 1948 London Olympics: Wrestling Team Experience". Stillwater, Oklahoma: National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
  14. ↑ "Six-Time All-Americans (Div. I and Div. II)". University of Northern Iowa. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  15. ↑ Nelson, Jim. "NCAA wrestling championships: Foster is a champ!". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
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