CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — A pair of UNI wrestlers will represent the United States in southeastern Europe beginning Monday at the United World Wrestling (UWW) U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania.
Redshirt sophomore Wyatt Voelker will compete in the Greco-Roman competition in the 97-kilogram bracket for Team USA, while senior John Gunderson will wrestle at 86 kilograms in the freestyle competition. Bracket pairing for both competitors have yet to be announced.
Live results can be found on the UWW website. Both athletes’ full competition schedules can also be found below.
Voelker, a Manchester, Iowa native, went a perfect 5-0 in the U23 Greco-Roman field at this summer’s U23 national championships in Ohio, earning him his second consecutive U23 World Championship berth. He previously competed at the 2023 World Championships as a U20 competitor in Greco-Roman, placing fifth in the 87-kilogram bracket in Jordan.
Gunderson, a native of Baraboo, Wisconsin, captured the U23 national title earlier this year with an 8-0 tournament record in Ohio. This will be Gunderson’s world championship debut, going up against a field of 28 other athletes from around the globe.
Voelker posted a 20-8 record at 197 pounds for the Panthers during his redshirt freshman season in 2023-24, recording eight top-30 wins during the year and earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. Gunderson, meanwhile, has posted a 10-9 record in his college career, set to return to competition after sitting out last season.
Â
WYATT VOELKER COMPETITION SCHEDULE (97 kg | Greco-Roman)
- Oct. 21 – 3:30 a.m. CT (Qualification Round)
- Oct. 22 – 2:15 a.m. CT (Semifinal Round)
- Oct. 22 – 5:30 p.m. CT (Repechage Round)
- Oct. 23 – 2:15 a.m. CT (Finals)
Â
JOHN GUNDERSON COMPETITION SCHEDULE (86 kg | Freestyle)
- Oct. 25 – 3:30 a.m. CT (Qualification Round)
- Oct. 26 – 12 a.m. CT (Semifinal Round)
- Oct. 26- 5:30 p.m. CT (Repechage Round)
- Oct. 27 – 2:15 a.m. CT (Finals)
Â
UNI wrestling action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (University of Northern Iowa Wrestling), X (@UNI_wrestling) and on Instagram (@uni_panther_wrestling). Check out the latest Panther news and information online at UNIpanthers.com.