A former state champion wrestler with Indianola has done well in his second year at the Division I level, earning a chance to compete against the best in the nation soon. Ryder Downey is now a redshirt freshman with the UNI Panthers, and won an overtime thriller over Cody Chittum in a 5-3 matchup to win a Big 12 Championship. Downey entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed, and next wrestle in the NCAA tournament after securing an automatic bid by qualifying for the final match. Downey was a four-time state medalist for Indianola, winning the 145 pound state championship in Class 3A in 2022.