When Shayden Terukina was trying to decide on a college three years ago, there was only one criteria.

He just wanted to wrestle.

“I was looking to go out and wrestle somewhere in college,” Terukina said. “I was trying to contact coaches from all around the country, and Iowa State got back to me real quick. I was surprised myself that they got back to me. Once they gave me a decent offer, I was like, ‘I guess I’m going to Iowa State.’”

The redshirt sophomore from Hawaii started out this season at 141 pounds, but after talking with his coaches, they decided to make a change. Terukina started working to drop to 133 pounds, so he could wrestle in the lighter weight class.

“I talked with my coaches kind of late into the season, and they got me down to 133,” Terukina said. “I really bought into that, and it came out successful for me.”

Dropping a weight class during the season and still finding success is a feat not accomplished by many, however Terukina may have found just that.

Terukina wrestled last week in the Cyclones’ dual against Rutgers’ at 133 pounds, a spot usually filled by redshirt freshman Dakota Bauer.

Prior to that match against the Scarlet Knights, Terukina consulted All-American Kyven Gadson, looking for advice.

“He said, ‘I’ve seen you in this position where you don’t feel your best, yet you still go out there and get the job done,” Gadson said of his conversation with Terukina. “And I told him to lock it in. You didn’t lose all of that weight to go out there and lose. I think he really toughened up last week. It wasn’t the prettiest thing, but he got the job done.”

Terukina didn’t let his lack of experience at 133 pounds affect him and he came out firing, winning the match 3-2.

“I just stayed into my basic positions and did what I knew,” Terukina said. “I went in there with the right mindset that it’s a fight. I realized that it’s only seven minutes, and after that it’s done, so I just stayed strong. It came out successful for me.”

But it’s not just the 133-pound spot where the Cyclones have been able to switch in guys and still have success; it’s all across the board.

Throughout the season there have been several positions without a set wrestler, yet the Cyclones are still able to win matches, something that has members of the team excited about where the program as a whole is headed.

“We’re really building this program that’s going to rise up and continue to grow,” Gadson said. “Being able to have a non-starter that can come in and there’s no drop off, then you will have one of the better teams in the nation. That’s what we are working towards.”

But with Terukina, people see him only going forward. He is 4-5 on the year, and is slated to wrestle Jan. 24 when the team heads to Stillwater, Okla., to take on Oklahoma State.

“He just needs to keep after it in practice, and maybe get his weight a little better under control,” Gadson said. “He needs to go out there with the mindset that I’m going to go and get this done, and score points for my team.”