Jared Simma woke up the college wrestling world on March 21, 2024. 

That was the day the Northern Iowa wrestler — then a third-year freshman — earned a chance to compete in the NCAA Division I Championships in Kansas City as an at-large selection and a #28 seed, upset two higher seeds and was within one victory of earning All-American honors at 174 pounds.

And what made the story even more exciting, especially for family and close friends, was that the Panther accomplished these moments at the T-Mobile Center just 12 miles east of his hometown of Shawnee, Kan.

After taking a traditional redshirt in 2022 and a medical redshirt in 2023, when he snapped his hamstring early in the season, Simma finally found himself a starter in 2024.

“There was a lot of pressure that year that I put on myself, making sure that I could wrestle in Kansas City,” recalled Simma, who eventually earned an at-large selection after he placed seventh at the Big 12 Championships. “Being back in Kansas City was pretty special. I had a bunch of family and friends there supporting me. I also felt like I belonged at the tournament and the results made me realize that I’m good enough to wrestle at this level.”

That’s because he first shut out #5 seed Philip Conigliaro of Harvard, 7-0, then beat #21 seed Tyler Eischens of North Carolina by a 6-5 decision.

Unfortunately for Simma, that’s where his advancement in the bracket ended. He lost 8-7 to NCAA champ Shane Griffith of Michigan before getting bounced from the tournament by Army’s Ben Pasiuk, 9-8, in the bloodround, ending his first varsity season with an 18-10 record.

One year later, Simma officially qualified for the 2025 NCAAs and was seeded #19 but could not match his rookie success, winning one of three bouts in Philadelphia and ending his second season with a 23-15 record.

The 22-year-old Panther, who is listed as a junior, is back again as a starter at 174 and is expected to qualify for his third national tournament. He is 11-5 this season and was ranked #12 in NCAA Coaches Rankings in late January.

Simma, of course, wants to earn his first All-American honor in Cleveland next month. But the question that needs to be asked: Did he consider his 2024 NCAA success a kudos moment or was it a curse to his early college career that placed even more expectations on his shoulders?

“I would say it was more kudos because I don’t really believe in curses,” said Simma, who wrestled with a turf toe injury last winter. Simma also believes that he has not yet enjoyed a highlight moment in his career that will continue through 2027.

“Wrestling accomplishments are awesome, but they don’t define you or who you are around every day, live with, train with, and where everyone on the team is your best friend,” he said. “I would say the highlight of my career was choosing to come to UNI and being around a group of guys and coaches that I get to be around and the family aspect that we have.”

The one thing that has improved in Simma’s life is his religious faith.

“During my first two years, I was that typical college guy — not doing the right things or living the right way by going out and doing dumb stuff, not living a Christian life,” he said. “The (UNI) guys who I got to be around changed my life. When you get into the Word, you quickly realize that the life I was living was not the life I should have been living.

“Everything comes from faith. I believe God puts into (head coach) Doug (Schwab’s) heart and he transfers it to us.”

Brad Simma, Jared’s father and first coach since Jared was age 5, definitely sees a more mature young man than the one who first arrived in Cedar Falls as a two-time Kansas state champ for St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where he compiled a 174-13 prep record with 125 falls.

“I think he’s grown up a ton in college, where he found his faith, " Brad said. “It’s been a big part of keeping him grounded.”

But Brad also sees something from his son that he witnessed back in Kansas.

“He’s always had a good work ethic, and when he got into high school, he understood he was going to have to outwork everyone,” Brad said. When he was younger, he tended to be more of a brawler. He’s become a much better technician at the college level. His wrestling has grown a lot.”

Jared believes he needs to improve his offense to earn a podium spot in Cleveland at the NCAA Championships. 

“I feel great with my conditioning,” he said. “Technique-wise, I have some things to work on, including finishing my singles.“

Simma has also adjusted to having a new assistant coach, Ian Parker, to help him after longtime Panther assistant Lee Roper became the executive director and Senior-level RTC coach at Oklahoma State.

“(Roper) was big in my life, but we added Ian Parker to our staff,” Simma said. “I migrated to him and I think a lot of my conditioning comes from him because he doesn’t stop and tries to instill that in me.”

Simma, who earned his undergraduate degree in exercise science in December, has excelled in the classroom and has twice earned NWCA Academic All-American honors.

“I was never a guy who excelled back in middle school and high school,” he said. “I was barely passing. That’s an aspect of the team that we are accountable for. We are going to get good grades. We are going to go to class just like we go to wrestling practice. If I did not have that guidance, I would have not become an academic All-American.”

Family, whether it’s those in Cedar Falls or those back in Kansas, is always on Jared’s mind and he is quick to credit his parents for his success and positive attitude. That includes his mother, Susan.

“My dad was pretty big in my athletic career, and my mom is also one of my bigger supporters,” Jared said. “She’s helped me a lot with little stuff.”

Brad believes Jared’s legacy will be felt by others in the future.

“(Jared is) very down to earth,” Brad said. “We talk about how many kids would trade places with him even if he never becomes an All-American. There are thousands of kids out there that never get a chance to be a starter or wrestle in venues that he’s been able to wrestle in. His legacy will not be about his won-loss results.”

Jared and his family are looking forward to this year’s Nationals, but admit they are looking down the road to the 2027 NCAAs in St. Louis, which might make perfect in-state bookend to his career that first took off two years ago in Kansas City.

“I don’t know God’s future is for me,” Jared said. “No matter what happens, I am blessed to be wrestling where I am and the career that I’ve had. I’m taking what I’ve learned in wrestling to my outside life."