Parker Keckeisen works for his legacy beyond the wrestling mat
Parker Keckeisen works for his legacy beyond the wrestling mat
When you ask Parker Keckeisen about March 23, 2024, he shows some emotion, but not much.
“It was a cool day,” he said. “It was just a day in my life, though. It's not that big in the grand scheme of things, but it was a cool moment.”
You might never guess that this was the day Parker finished a perfect season as a Panther wrestler, winning the NCAA 184-pound wrestling national championship in Kansas City.
The response coincides with Parker’s general attitude toward his wrestling. It’s certainly a key part of his UNI experience and plays an important role in his life. Yet, it’s not the way he wants others to remember his time as a Panther.
“I hope people don't know me for winning a national title,” he said. “I hope they know me for just being there for them and being a caring person. I'm sure most people will know me because of wrestling, but I’d rather have them know me for their interactions with me, that I cared about them and was intentional with them and I showed love.”
The Glendale, Wisconsin native grew up as the youngest of three siblings. Parker’s two older sisters may have contributed to his toughness, as he recalls his early childhood filled with memories of being outnumbered. His parents own their own business, and their work ethic quickly rubbed off on him.
“I just follow their lead,” he said. “With my parents, I saw how hard they work. That's the expectation. So it's like you're gonna work hard and try to be good at what you do. You're gonna give your all.”
Parker’s parents, Lynne and Jim Keckeisen, are proud of all their son has accomplished on the mat, but they are even more proud of the man he’s become.
“He is a competitor on the mat, but off the mat, he is just an incredible person who cares so much about others and his faith and just being a leader,” Lynne said of her son. “He's become such a great leader, and really mentally, he's developed so much in the sport and as a person and in his faith. That really all comes from being at UNI and the Panther Train in the community that has been created there.”
He is a competitor on the mat, but off the mat, he is just an incredible person who cares so much about others and his faith and just being a leader.
Of course, a lot of Parker’s childhood centered around wrestling. A youth coach taught him the motto of “no quit.” Between this advice and the resilience his parents modeled, Parker grew up knowing that giving up is not an option.
Jim Keckeisen recalls Parker living this motto out when he finished second place in a state tournament as a sophomore in high school. It was a pivotal moment for his son.
“When he lost in the finals, he took that picture of the wrestler who won and put it on his phone, and that was his screensaver for a year,” said Jim. “That was his whole motivation to win the next year, which he did win the next two years.”
“That’s life — you’re gonna fail,” said Parker. “With wrestling, you're gonna fail. You're gonna miss shots. You're gonna get taken down. Are you gonna get back up on the horse? I think that's what UNI is all about and Coach Schwab and the Panther Train. How are you gonna respond, even in those short moments?”
In addition to the coaches at UNI, the facilities have certainly contributed to Parker’s wrestling experience, most notably the West Gym. Parker is in the bittersweet position of being one of the last UNI wrestlers to train in the facility.
As UNI looks ahead to its next wrestling training facility, Parker reflects on the special times he’s had.
“That’s what’s so cool about the West Gym — you had people trying to win youth state titles to people trying to win Olympic championships training there,” he said. “This new facility will be the next thing where you have the same thing — you got youth to people trying to win Olympic titles, NCAA titles, and it's just super cool. I think UNI’s got a great history. So keeping the legacy of our wrestling history, we're going to try to build a new place in the future and try to make it West Gym 2.0.”
Upon graduation, Parker will earn a degree in construction management. He’s been able to draw numerous parallels between wrestling and his major.
“I look at wrestling like building a house — you have to have a good foundation and build whatever you want on top of that,” he said. “So I’ve always liked building things.”
Parker credits his faith with keeping him mentally tough. It has been a cornerstone in his life, leading to Tuesday night Bible studies and the perspective that wrestling championships are just a small part of life.
Small part or not, Parker is back on the mat for one more wrestling season this next year with UNI. He’s even thinking about the 2028 Olympics and would love to train for the games at UNI.
