Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen Named 2024 Big 12 Wrestler of the Year
IRVING, Texas – Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen was named the 2024 Big 12 Wrestler of the Year by league coaches after becoming the first UNI wrestler since 1963 to finish as an undefeated Division I national champion. He is the second Panther in program history to win the Conference’s Wrestler of the Year, joining Drew Foster in 2019.
Keckeisen accumulated his first NCAA title, fourth straight Big 12 title and the 2024 Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Wrestler accolade in the span of two weeks. The construction management major earned his fourth straight All-American honor to become the sixth Panther in program history to earn at least four selections and the first to earn four Division I All-American recognition. The redshirt junior was the first Northern Iowa wrestler to win the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Big 12 Championship and also added Big 12 Wrestler of the Week on January 30 this season.
The Glendale, Wisconsin native recorded bonus-point victories in 28 of his 31 matches, with 25 of those coming against Division I opponents at 184 pounds. He finished the year with 14 straight bonus-point wins, with five coming in the NCAA Championships. Keckeisen extended his regular season winning streak to 35 matches, which dates back to the 2022-23 season, and set UNI’s single-season win percentage record for athletes with at least 19 wins in a season (1.000). His career winning percentage sits atop Northern Iowa’s record books at .954 (105-5).
