NIACC's Minto signs with UNI
CEDAR FALLS – NIACC's two-time national champion Christian Minto will take his 29-match collegiate winning streak to the University of Northern Iowa.
Minto, who was a perfect 29-0 in his last two seasons at NIACC at 165 pounds and compiled a record of 51-1, recently signed a national letter of intent to wrestle for Doug Schwab's NCAA Division I Panthers. Minto was 16-0 in the 2021-22 season and 13-0 in the 2020-21 season.
"We are excited to have him part of the family," said Schwab, who will begin his 13th season as coach of the Panthers in the 202-23 season.
Northern Iowa placed 20th at last season's NCAA Division I national meet with 28.5 points. It was the sixth top 20 season for the Panthers since Schwab took over as head coach.
UNI placed fifth at the Big 12 Championships with 100 points with seven medalists, who qualified for the national tournament.
Minto and NIACC's Jose Valdez (197) are NIACC's first NCAA Division I wrestlers since Yoanse Mejias signed with Oklahoma after the 2015 season. Valdez recently signed with Northern Illinois University.
Minto, who is from Cape Coral, Fla., claimed his two NJCAA national titles in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Minto became NIACC's fourth two-time national champion and first since Yoanse Mejias (157) and Nosomy Pozo (149) both won back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015.Joe Hatchett also claimed two junior college national titles in 1970-71.
In 2021, Minto topped Iowa Central's Keaton Geerts 13-6 in the 165-pound national title bout.
In 2022, Minto stopped Clackamas' Steele Starren by major decision 14-5 in the 165-pound championship match.
Minto's lone loss at NIACC came in the 2020 championship match when he dropped a 6-4 decision to Iowa Western's Isaiah Crosby.
Minto's brother Basil, who is head NIACC women's wrestling and men's assistant coach, wrestled for two seasons (2013-2015) at the University of Northern Iowa. Basil, who was a two-time all-American at NIACC, was sixth at the MAC Championships in his senior season for the Panthers and qualified for the NCAA tournament.
