UNI, MICHIGAN MEET IN FIRST ROUND
UNI and Michigan will meet on the mat in the first round of the 2008 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals presented by CSG Sportscoatings. It will mark the first time since 2003 that the two schools have met on the met.

Michigan holds a 5-3 lead in the all-time series. However, the teams are tied 1-1 all-time when it comes to matchups in the National Duals. UNI scored a 25-16 victory over Michigan in the 2000 National Duals, but the Wolverines bounced back with a 26-14 win in the 2003 National Duals.

UNI-MICHIGAN ALL-TIME RESULTS
1927 - Michigan, 12-11
1969 - Michigan, 18-11
1976 - Michigan, 27-13
1985 - Michigan, 25-17
1986 - UNI, 21-18
1991 - UNI, 22-15 (National Duals)
2000 - UNI, 25-16
2003 - Michigan, 26-14 (National Duals)

FIFTH STRAIGHT TOP-10 OPPONENT
For the fifth time in as many duals this season the Panthers will take on a top-10 ranked opponent. UNI is matched up against No. 7-ranked Michigan in the first round of the National Duals.

UNI picked up a win over No. 10-ranked Chattanooga, tying No. 10 Wisconsin and falling to No. 2 Iowa State and No. 1 Iowa.

UNI'S 10TH NATIONAL DUALS APPEARANCE
The Panthers will be making their 10th appearance in the National Duals on Saturday. UNI has tallied seven wins in its nine previous appearances in the National Duals.

UNI has posted wins over Ithaca, Michigan, West Virginia, Missouri, Iowa State, Hofstra and UC Davis at the National Duals.

UNI's best effort came in the 1991 Duals when the Panthers captured sixth place.

1989
L, 18-17 - Bloomsburg
L, 24-19 - North Carolina

1991
L, 21-14 - Ohio State
W, 48-0 - Ithaca
W, 22-15 - Michigan
W, 23-16 - West Virginia
L, 35-7 - Iowa
L, 24-20 - Nebraska

1993
L, 25-12 - Fresno State
L, 20-18 - Oregon State

2002
L, 27-12 - Minnesota
L, 20-17 - Fresno State

2003
L, 28-10 - Oklahoma State
W, 18-15 - Missouri
L, 26-14 - Michigan

2004
L, 31-9 - Penn State
W, 22-12 - Iowa State
L, 24-16 - Minnesota

2005
W, 22-14 - Hofstra
L, 36-3 - Lehigh
L, 21-18 - Central Michigan

2006
L, 24-9 - Central Michigan
L, 19-15 - Cornell

2007
L, 29-5 - Oklahoma State
W, 30-10 - UC Davis
L, 25-9 - Hofstra

PANTHERS ON THE RADIO DURING NATIONAL DUALS
UNI wrestling fans can follow the Panthers at the National Duals on 99.3-FM (KWAY). Benjamin Hupke (play-by-play) and Benji Dolly (analyst) will have the call.

IPTV TO BROADCAST SEMIS, FINALS OF NATIONAL DUALS
Iowa Public Television will broadcast the semifinals and finals of the 2008 National Duals from the UNI-Dome.

The semifinals will be shown on tape delay at 1 p.m., followed by a live broadcast of the finals at 3 p.m.

Tim Johnson (play-by-play) and Jim Gibbons (color) will have the call of the matches.

MOZA PINS TO WIN
Junior 157-pounder Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) leads the squad this season with 13 total wins and five falls.

Fay is ranked as high at No. 4 at 157 pounds by the Amateur Wrestling News.

Fay reached the Round of 12 at last year's NCAA Championship and will be looking to make his second trip to nationals this season.

He has a career mark of 78-22 entering this weekend's National Duals.

C.J. CLOSES IN ON TOP 20 VICTORY CHART
C.J. Ettelson will take his 85 career wins into this weekend's National Duals. Ettelson needs seven more wins to rank in the top 20 at UNI when it comes to individual victories.

Efonda Sproles (1979-82) ranks No. 20 on the Panthers' all-time victory list with 92. Kirk Myers (1978-82) and Rich Powers (1988-92) are tied at the top of the list with 134 wins apiece.

UNI IN NATIONAL POLLS
The Panther wrestling team joined the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA national rankings at No. 24 after knocking off No. 10-ranked Chattanooga.

UNI is also ranked No. 29 in the nation according to The Wrestling Report's latest poll.

ANDERSON CONTINUES HIS MIDLANDS SURGE
Junior 197-pounder Andrew Anderson (Sioux City, Iowa) has taken part in three Midlands wrestling championships and placed in the top six in all three. Anderson placed fifth in 2005, sixth in 2006 and then placed sixth again in this year's tournament.

Anderson is now 11-5 on the season and has vaulted into a No. 16 national ranking from the Amateur Wrestling News, W.I.N. Magazine and The Wrestling Report. Anderson is ranked No. 20 in the USA Today/NWCA/InterMat rankings as well.

One of Anderson's biggest wins at the Midlands tournament came in the consolation portion of the bracket when he knocked off highly-ranked Matt Koz of Chattanooga. Koz is a two-time national qualifier.

FAY NAMED WWC WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
University of Northern Iowa 165-pounder Moza Fay has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. This week's honor took into account wrestling action from Dec. 15 through Jan. 6.

Fay compiled a mark of 5-1 from Dec. 15 through Jan. 6, which included three falls and a win over previously undefeated Jon Reader (Iowa State). Fay started his Christmas work with a 9-6 win over Iowa State's Reader in the Panthers' dual with the Cyclones. Fay then added a trio of wins at the Midlands tournament before capping the holiday season with a fall over Chattanooga's Nick Davis in UNI's 21-16 victory over the 10th-ranked team in the country.

Fay picked up falls over Northern Illinois' Scott Wallace (3:23) and Harvard's Matt Button (3:05) at Midlands. Fay is now 13-3 on the season with a team-leading five falls.

PANTHERS KNOCK OFF #10 UTC
The University of Northern Iowa wrestling squad picked up its first dual win of the season by knocking off No. 10-ranked Chattanooga, 21-16. The match took place at Lithia Springs High School in suburban Atlanta.

"Overall we wrestled extremely well," UNI head coach Brad Penrith said. "I'm really proud of how the guys bounced back from the early duals and Midlands."

UNI secured wins from Andy O'Loughlin (184), Dustin Bauman (285), Josh Baldridge (133), C.J. Ettelson (141) and Moza Fay (165).

TICKETS CURRENTLY ON SALE FOR 2008 NATIONAL DUALS
Tickets went on sale Nov. 1 for the 2008 National Wrestling Coaches Association/Cliff Keen National Duals, which will take place Jan. 12-13, 2008, in the UNI-Dome.

Top wrestlers from each collegiate athletic division (Divison I, II, III, NAIA, JUCO, NWCA and Women's) will compete for a national dual title. The NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals is one of the largest collegiate national sporting events in the country, with more than 1,400 wrestlers and 80 teams attending.

UNI has served as the host for the event the past two years and has a combined attendance of more than 28,500 fans (13,380 in 2006 and 15,190 in 2007).

"We are extremely excited to have the largest collegiate athletic event at one of the most capable hosting institutions in the country," said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. "There is such a large representation of Iowa wrestling programs at the event. There are few other places in the country where we could have such a strong fan base. There has been fantastic community support and UNI has shown that is has the resources in place to put on great wrestling events."

Thirteen teams from the state of Iowa will compete, including UNI (I), Iowa (I), Iowa State (I), Upper Iowa (II), Buena Vista (III), Coe (III), Cornell (III), Luther (III), Wartburg (III), Morningside (NAIA), William Penn (NAIA), Northwestern (NAIA) and Iowa Central (NJCAA).

Tickets may be purchased by contacting the UNI-Dome box office at 877-216-DOME or 319-273-4849.

2008 National Duals Ticket Prices
All Session Pass $30
All Session Pass (Senior/Student)* $22
All Session Group Tickets (10+)** $22
Individual Session $20
Individual Session (Senior/Student)* $15
Individual Session Group (8+)** $15

* Must be under 18 or have a valid University of College ID
** Group sales apply to pre-sold ticket purchases only, must be received by Jan. 4, 2008

PLEDGES FOR PINS
Fall means the UNI wrestling season is underway, but it also means its "fall-athon" time: time for our second "Pledges for Pins" drive. But first let's look at what is being accomplished with pledges for last year's team total of 48 pins that brought in nearly $25,000.

A complete makeover of both sides of the West gym's north hallway, including action shots of all UNI national champions. (View the plans at www.thesignpeople.net; click on "Artwork," then enter "wrestling" as the "magic word.")

Coach Brad Penrith's former office now serves as a wrestlers' study and video room and contains a desk for assistant Tolly Thompson. The room's new doors now open into the assistant coaches' office.

A former athletic trainer's room is being updated for the first time in about 30 years to become Brad's office.

Exposed plumbing was covered in a tiny custodial office now used for wrestling supplies.

Why is a Pledges for Pins drive necessary? Panther wrestlers compete in the first-rate McLeod center but sorely lack updated facilities in the West gym, which remains their home. This site pales in comparison to that of nearly every other Division I university, a definite recruiting disadvantage for the Panthers.

In recent years, rising costs and lower state funds have combined to severely limit help from the university itself, so those of us as who care about returning the UNI program to its stature as one of the top in the nation are lending our support.

Any pledge amount, from $1 up, is welcome. Donors may specify a maximum number of pins for their contribution; for example, $20 for a maximum 50 pins ($1,000). Outright donations are also welcome, but PLEASE specify to the UNI Foundation that these are for the Pledges for Pins project. Contributors will be sent a statement at the end of the season, and all contributions are tax-deductible.

Pledges and donations should be sent, via the enclosed card, to Pledges for Pins, UNI Foundation Accounting, 1221 W. 23rd St, Cedar Falls, IA 50614 -0239.

Last year, Panther wrestlers built an elementary school playground, moved a hospital daycare center's playground equipment, donated money for Christmas gifts for a classroom of low-income children (and sang them carols), read to children at area schools, and served as Safe Date escorts during Homecoming Week. And they did all this while posting the fifth-highest GPA in the nation, behind Duke, Stanford, Brown and Princeton! Now we can show them our spirit and concern.

NCAA DIVISION I WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ST. LOUIS
The 78th Annual NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships take place March 20-22, 2008, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

The Gateway City will once again host the tournament for two years as it heads back to the Arch in March.

For tickets to the 2008 championships, visit Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 314/ 421-1888 or 866/ 646-8849 (toll free).

For more information about the 2008 Wrestling Championships visit www.NCAAsports.com or www.stlsports.org/wrestling.

Good seats are still available for the 2008 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Fans can order tickets by calling 866/ 646-8849 or logging on to Ticketmaster.com. Tickets start as low as $60.

Groups of fifteen or more can call 314/ 206-7388 for great ticket discounts and special packages.

THE Brad Penrith SHOW
The Brad Penrith Show will be broadcast each Wednesday on KWAY (99.3-FM) from 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Benjamin Hupke will serve as the show's host.

BOOSTER CLUB MEETINGS
The UNI wrestling Booster Club meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month at the Pump Haus located at 311 Main Street in Cedar Falls.

WEEKLY PRESS LUNCHEONS
The UNI head coach Brad Penrith or a member of his coaching staff will be available at the weekly Press Luncheons held each Monday beginning at 12 noon in the back room of Pepper's Grill and Sports Pub located at 620 East 18th Street in Cedar Falls.