UNK Athletics
Kearney, Neb. – The fifth-ranked Nebraska Kearney wrestling team will take on NAIA power Grand View Thursday night in Des Moines.
The dual, beginning at 7 p.m., will air live on Iowa Public Television (PBS). The dual is part of the network's "College Wrestling Series" which includes five non-Division I duals this season. Fans not located in Iowa can watch the broadcast via a livestream or YouTube. Veteran college wrestling broadcaster Tim Johnson and Division III champion coach Jim Miller will be on the call.
Last year in Kearney, the Lopers managed an 18-17 win thanks to consecutive wins between 174-197 pounds (11 total team points). UNK also posted two wins in sudden victory to help avenge losses to the Vikings in both 2022 (19-18) and 2023 (34-3).
Grand View currently is 8-0 and finished first at last weekend's NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls. GV easily won the NAIA title, outscoring their competition by a 168-12 margin. Their lineup includes four top-ranked individuals in Aden Reeves (125 lbs.), Alex Reynolds (174 lbs.), Garavous Kouekabakilaho (197 lbs.) and Greg Hagan (285 lbs.).
Last year at Buckle Court, Reeves handed redshirt sophomore Zach Ourada (Omaha Skutt) an 11-5 loss with redshirt junior Trenton Munoz (Santa Clarita, Calif.) beating Reynolds, 4-1, in sudden victory. Finally, Hagan handed Crew Howard (Clarinda, Ia.) a rare setback, 4-2.
The Lopers (7-4) have another big dual next weekend at top-ranked St. Cloud State comes to the H&S Center on Saturday (Jan. 25). SCSU and UNK have met only four times since 2011, all at neutral sites and all Husky wins.
In between, some young Lopers will wrestle this Sunday (Jan. 19) at the Roger Denker Open at Central Missouri with the Midwest Duals (Jan. 24) being a high school-only event this year in the H&S Center.