Penrith is in his 10th year as the head wrestling coach at University of Northern Iowa. The Panthers had their wrestle-offs last Saturday in the West Gym on the UNI campus and will begin the regular season on Saturday at the Loras College tournament in Dubuque, Iowa. Two of the top returnees for UNI are sophomores Christian Brantley (285) and Trent Washington (141), both NCAA qualifiers last season. Originally from Windsor, New York, Penrith was a three-time NCAA finalist as a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes, including winning the 1986 NCAA title at 126 pounds. He also won a silver medal at the 1991 World Championships.
Grimm begins his 10th season as the head wrestling coach at Upper Iowa University and the Peacocks are the only NCAA Division II wrestling team in the state of Iowa. Upper Iowa placed 10th in the nation last year and looks to improve on that performance this season. The Peacocks will be led by All-American seniors Travis Eggers (2nd, 157) and Mitch Norton (5th, 174). Grimm hails from tradition rich Osage, Iowa and he was a two-time NCAA Division III All-American for Luther College in the early 1990s. Upper Iowa will open their season on Saturday at the NIACC Open in Mason City, Iowa.
Miller’s Wartburg Knights won the NCAA Division III championship last season, their seventh title in the last 14 years. Wartburg returns three All-Americans from last year’s squad, junior Mark Kist (3rd, 125), junior Matt Kelly (3rd, 133) and junior John Helgerson (3rd, 285). Wartburg has captured the last 17 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships, considered by many as the toughest league in the nation for Division III wrestling. The Knights have also won their last 132 conference dual meets, dating back to 1994. A Waterloo, Iowa native, Miller was a two-time NCAA Division II Champion at 134 pounds for UNI in the mid 1970s where he also placed second and fourth in the NCAA Division I tournament. This is the 19th season Miller has been the head coach at Wartburg.
"On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum and can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show.
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