Iowa Wrestling Weekend That Was: University of Northern repeats as NWCA Duals champions

The National Wrestling Coaches Association Multi-Divisional duals were packed with memorable performances and results, including University of Northern Iowa’s title defense. Iowa State ends road trip with a win at North Dakota State and assorted high school results in the Wrestling Weekend That Was.

UNI defends NWCA multi-divisional duals title

The Panthers repeated NWCA Division I duals champions, defeating South Dakota State in the finals for the second straight year. UNI’s Adam Ahrendsen posted a 10-7 decision over 20th-ranked Luke Rasmussen at heavyweight to secure the No. 17 Panthers 20-14 dual victory over the No. 8 Jackrabbits.

This marked just the second year since the NWCA resurrected D-I competition at the multi-division event that also included NCAA D-II and D-III and NAIA brackets for men and NCAA, NCAA D-III and NAIA brackets for women.

UNI dominated pool competition, blanking Cal State-Bakersfield and Ohio University, 44-0 and 43-0, respectively, on Friday. The final day opened with a 42-6 win over Bloomsburg and a 22-16 triumph over Drexel.

Against SDSU, UNI won six matches. Ethan Basile had a technical fall at 149 pounds and Julian Farber (133), Max Brady (141), Ryder Downey (165) and Nick Fox (184) each added decisions. Ahrendsen, a former Union Community state champion, has replaced Wyatt Voelker, a 2025 Big 12 champion at 197 who bumped up to heavyweight this season.

UNI Coach Doug Schwab said Voelker is out for the remainder of the season after injuring his shoulder at the end of a win against Missouri in December. Ahrendsen, like Voelker, started at a lower weight and will be asked to fill the heavyweight hole in the lineup. UNI was also without Jared Simma at 174, 141-pounder Cory Land and Iowa transfer Caleb Rathjen at 149 in the final. A strong showing considering the Panthers were not at full strength.

Iowa State downs NDSU

The Cyclones have been road warriors for 2026. Their first three duals of the new calendar were on the road, winning at Stanford and Arizona State. Iowa State can add Sunday’s win against North Dakota State in Fargo, N.D., to the list.

The Cyclones won nine weights and thumped the Bison, 36-3. M.J. Gaitan recorded a fall over Max Magayna, a former Waterloo Columbus and Waterloo East prep, at 174, and Anthony Echemendia (141) and heavyweight Yonger Bastida won by technical fall to lead Iowa State.

Some good news for the Cyclones. All-American Evan Frost, who did not wrestle against Stanford and Arizona State, returned to the lineup and shut out No. 30 Tristan Daugherty, 9-0. Outside of top-ranked Rocky Elam at 197, Iowa State seems to have their full lineup intact for the upcoming Big 12 slate.

Oh, Roanake!

The NWCA weekend was filled with surprises. Coming in a close second to North Central (Ill.) College’s victory over University of Iowa, sixth-seeded Roanoke (Va.) College was a shocker to win the NCAA Division III men’s bracket. The Maroons toppled perennial powers No. 2 Augsburg and No. 1 Wartburg in consecutive rounds to win the title. Roanoke beat Augsburg, 23-11, in the semifinals. The Maroons followed with a 19-16 win over the Knights, taking six of 10 bouts including a major decision win from 174-pounder Xavier Preston and a victory-sealing decision by Hunter Moore at 197.

Roanoke, who beat third-seeded University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the quarterfinal, is just the fourth team to win this event since it started in 2002, joining Wartburg, Augsburg and La Crosse.

McDonough sets mark, earns honor

According to Luther Sports Information, Norse top-ranked 165-pounder Clayton McDonough set the program’s career pins record. He tallied pins in each match at the NWCA duals, giving him 56 total falls. He surpassed the old mark of 55 by Garrett South (2002-05). McDonough set the new record with a pin over Wabash’s Cooper McCloy in 1:46 in his final match Saturday.

McDonough is 24-0 with 19 pins this season. He has 128 career wins, which is also top-10 all-time in school history.

McDonough was named American Rivers Conference Male Athlete of the Week on Monday.

Wartburg wins women’s title

Wartburg went 4-0 overall, beating No. 16 Simpson, 31-13, for the NCAA D-III women’s division of the NWCA Duals. The Knights won eight bouts, including a pin from former Cedar Rapids Prairie two-time state champion Mackenzie Childers at 131 and a decision from former Decorah prep Chloe Sheffield.

Wartburg also defeated No. 23 Aurora , 23-21, in the semifnal. Rewa Chababo secured the win with a pin for the Knights at 235.

Wartburg’s Aniya Kelly (145) went 3-0 and earned A-R-C Female Wrestler of the Week honors. She pinned No. 3 Zoey Haines in a quarterfinal win over Eastern University. Kelly also had a key technical fall against Aurora and has 13 wins this season.

Don Bosco wins Benton Bobcat

Don Bosco crowned seven champions and scored 249 points to win the Benton Community Bobcat Eckenrod Invitational on Saturday in Van Horne. The Dons beat runner-up Dallas Center-Grimes by 51 points. Independence was third with 181 1/2 points.

The Bobcats celebrated a hometown champion. Brady Patterson claimed the 150-pound title for Benton. He scored a takedown with 54 seconds left to defeat Independence’s Kam Kremer, 10-7, in the final. Patterson improved to 15-2 this season.

Other Gazette area champions included West Delaware’s Jarrett Engel at 132, Anamosa’s Hudson Scranton at 157 and West Liberty’s Briggs Collins, who avenged a loss to Independence’s Christopher Meyer to claim 165.

Alburnett wins at Highland

Alburnett scored 235 points and win the Gary Curtis Invitational on Saturday at Highland. The Pirates scored 235 points, 12 1/2 more than runner-up Wilton.

Alburnett received titles from Tyler Gerhold (106), Atlee DeWitt (120), 144-pounder Owen Henriksen Cooper Franklin at 157 and heavyweight Eaghan Fleshman, who had three first-period pins in a total of 2 minutes, 50 seconds. Fleshman, a sophomore, is 25-1.

Cedar Rapids Prairie wins at Anamosa

Prairie’s girls team won the team title at Anamosa Saturday. The Hawks amassed 229 points, beating Decorah by 58 1/2 points. Cedar Rapids Jefferson was third with 170 points.

Marie Burns (105), Marlee Peyton (130) and Emelia Reyes (235) won titles for Prairie. Jefferson’s Josephine Budederi won the 130-pound championship, pinning Iowa Valley’s Kodie Holcomb in 1:03 of the final.

Iowa City High’s Shaona Emmanuel was first at 155 and the host Blue Raiders received a title from Kasey Frommelt at 190.

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