DES MOINES – Northern Iowa had about as good a first round as possible today at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships inside Wells Fargo Arena.

The Panthers’ four qualifiers went 5-0 with 141-pounder Joey Lazor picking up a pair major decisions, including a first-round whipping of Penn State’s Bryan Pearsall.

“We came here and we’re going to shock the world,” Lazor said.

UNI coach Doug Schwab wasn’t so  bold, but said he was not surprised by the first-round performance.

“It’s what we expect,” he said. “It’s a good start for our team.”

Now, he said, the Panthers have to carry that into tonight’s second round.

“We’ve got to keep it rolling,” he said.

In addition to Lazor’s two wins, UNI also got a pin from Levi Wolfensperger at 133 and decisions from David Bonin at 157 and Ryan Loder at 184.