Former Ankeny wrestling star Trever Anderson nearly earned all-American honors in his NCAA Championship debut at 125 pounds.
A redshirt sophomore at Northern Iowa, Anderson bounced back from a first-round loss on Thursday with three consecutive victories in the consolation bracket at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. He advanced to the blood round on Friday night before falling to top-ranked Matt Ramos of Purdue, coming up short of all-American status by one win.
“I feel like I wrestled well, but overall I know there is more in there,” said Anderson, who finished the season with a 20-13 record. “In college wrestling, the margins are so thin and the difference between being an all-American and not being an all-American was one exchange.”
The No. 23 Anderson opened the tournament with a 4-2 loss to Nicolar Rivera of Wisconsin. Rivera struck first with an early takedown, then held on for the win–giving up only a pair of escapes.
Anderson stayed alive in the tournament with a 2-1 decision over Tristan Daugherty of North Dakota State later on Thursday. Following a scoreless first period, Anderson rode Daugherty through the entire second period to lock in a point for riding time, then added an escape in the third.
On Friday, Anderson pulled off a stunning 17-8 major decision over reigning national champion Richard Figueroa of Arizona State, securing a bonus-point victory in the second round of consolation matches.
After giving up two takedowns in the first period, Anderson turned the tables on Figueroa for two near-fall points and added four more in the second period, evening the score heading into the final period. He used a penalty point and a four-point near-fall to take the lead in the third, and after giving up a reversal, Anderson escaped and got a late takedown to seal the win.
Anderson then followed with a 4-3 decision over Cooper Flynn of Minnesota, setting up a bout against 2023 NCAA runner-up and four-time NCAA qualifier Ramos in the blood round.
Ramos scored an early takedown and added four near-fall points, putting Anderson behind 7-1 going into the second period. Despite limiting Ramos’ offense down the stretch and earning an escape, Anderson’s strong defense would not be enough, ultimately dropping an 8-2 decision.
“I feel like I’ve been overshadowed the majority of my career and not talked about much, and I love this tournament because it’s an opportunity to prove I belong–which I feel like I did,” Anderson said.
Anderson helped UNI to a ninth-place finish overall, the program’s highest Division I tournament finish since placing fifth in 1962. The Panthers were led by Parker Keckeisen, who placed second at 184 to become the program’s only five-time Division I all-American.
UNI posted a 14-1 record in dual meets this season, its most wins since the 1990-91 season. Panthers coach Doug Schwab was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s National Coach of the Year.
“This will roll into next year, but taking the advice of my former teammates and UNI G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) Parker Keckeisen, the focus is getting better each day,” Anderson said. “If I do that, my confidence level and wrestling will take care of themselves.”