2009-2010
Concluded final season as a Cyclone as a repeat NCAA 197-pound title…finished carrer at Iowa State with a record of 121-10…ended his senior year with an undefeated record of 31-0…recorded 10 major decisions, one technical fall and 10 pins…pushed his career fall total to 42…beat Nebraska’s Craig Brester 5-2 in the 197-pound NCAA final to go 4-0 against the Husker in his senior season… allowed only five points in five matches in the NCAA tournament…earned a first-round major decision by a score of 17-3 over Matt Casperson of Boise State and followed that victory with a 10-1 major decision over Riley Orozco of Cal-State Bakersfield… followed with shutout victories over Sonny Yohn in the quarterfinals (4-0) and Cam Simaz in the semi-finals (6-0)…earned his second Big 12 crown with a 5-2 victory over Brester of Nebraska…pinned Minnesota All-American Sonny Yohn in 6:59…pinned Oklahoma State All-American Alan Gelogaev in 4:43…scored a 19-1 technical fall over Cornell All-American Cam Simaz…won his second Midlands Championships title with a 6-1 decision over Wynn Michalak of Chippewa WC…pinned his first two opponents at the Midlands …defeated Brester of Nebraska 5-3 in the NWCA All-Star Classic…won his fourth Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open with four pins and a major decision, including a pin of South Dakota State’s Tyler Sorenson in 2:27 in the final round…started his final season with a 13-4 major decision of SDSU’s Sorenson.
2008-09
World Team member at 96 kg in freestyle … concluded junior season with the NCAA 197-pound title … ended third ISU season with a 31-2 mark … recorded seven major decisions, one technical fall and 12 pins … pushed his career pin total to 32 … beat Nebraska’s Craig Brester 2-1 in the 197-pound final to push his record to 3-1 against the Husker … gave up seven points in five match victories on his way to the 197-pound title at the NCAA Championships … scored a first-round technical fall of Virginia Tech’s Daniel Bruce by a score of 17-2 (7:00) and followed the victory with an 11-0 major decision shutout of Purdue’s Logan Brown at the NCAA Championships … scored his second victory over Missouri’s Maxwell Askren in the semifinal round by a score of 8-3 … took runner-up honors at the Big 12 Conference Wrestling Championship … notched a major decision of Oklahoma’s Eric Lapotsky, 16-5 … pinned Brent Chriswell of Boise State in 2:50 at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals … took second place at the Midlands Championships … pinned his first three Midlands opponents in the first period of action … scored a fall of North Dakota State’s Drew Ross in 1:16 … notched a major decision of returning All-American Hudson Taylor of Maryland by a score of 13-1 in an exhibition match at the NWCA All-Star Classic … took the crown for the third time at the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open with his first 197-pound title … tallied three falls and a major decision at the Cyclone Open … started his junior campaign with a 2:34 stick of Utah Valley’s Adam Fager.
2007-08
Went 29-1 and registered four major decisions and team-leading seven pins … NCAA 184-pound runner-up … garnered first Big 12 title with a 4-1 decision over Oklahoma’s Josh Weitzel … finished league competition with a 6-0 record and holds an 11-2 career mark against Big 12 opponents … notched back-to-back pins at NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals with a 3:50 fall of Penn State’s Phil Bromberger and a 2:17 stick of Northwestern’s Adil Kolovic … picked up second win of the season over Central Michigan’s Christian Sinnott in the second tie-breaker on a 4-2 decision … first defeated Sinnott in the semifinals of the Midlands Championships via 2-1 decision … avenged 2007 NCAA Championships title-match loss to Northwestern’s former national champ Jake Herbert to take the 184-pound Midlands Championships title in sudden victory, 3-1 … named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week (Jan. 7) for his Midlands performance … meeting for the second time in two weeks, Varner scored a 3-0 decision over two-time All-American Roger Kish of Minnesota … two weeks prior he handed Kish a 2-0 decision at the NCWA All-Star Classic … defeated Rider’s Doug Umbehauer 8-4 in his first dual match of the season … used a major decision and two pins en route to his second Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open title.
2006-07
Posted a 29-7 record … ended rookie season as the 184-pound NCAA runner-up … Big 12 Conference 184-pound runner-up … scored major decisions in first two Big 12 match ups, 10-2 over Nebraska’s Levi Wofford and 11-2 over Oklahoma’s Josh Hinton … placed third at Midlands Championships … won first match in Hilton Coliseum with a 4:05 stick of Arizona State’s Greg Glifford … claimed 184-pound titles at Harold Nichols and Fullerton Opens … won first bout as a Cyclone by pinning Austin Hayes of Buena Vista in 1:07.
2005-06
Redshirted initial collegiate season.
High School
Career record of 159-10, with 132 falls … two-time California high school state champion and four-time state qualifier and 2005 outstanding wrestler … only wrestler in California history to pin all six opponents in the state tournament … 2005 FILA Junior Freestyle World Team member … 2005 second-team Asics All-American … Amateur Wrestling News first-team All-American … 2005 Wade Schalles Award … California recipient of Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award … two-time champion at Reno Tournament of Champions … 2004 Brute Nationals Outstanding Wrestler … coached by Andy Varner.
Personal
Born March 24, 1986 … son of Steve and Renee Varner … criminal justice major.
