For the first time since 2010, the ISU wrestling team has stayed undefeated through its first four duals, which is something Kyven Gadson and his teammates could get used to.

Iowa State dominated Midland on Friday night, defeating the Warriors in almost every weight class en route to a 38-3 victory. Iowa State then went on to wrestle West Virginia in a dual that saw the Cyclones win six-straight matches and take home a fourth-straight dual victory by a score of 22-12.

The 4-0 record bodes well for the Cyclones, who will travel to Norfolk, Va., on Sunday, to wrestle Old Dominion.

Gadson, a redshirt junior and All-American at 197 pounds, attributes the strong start to a newfound sense of belief.

“I know the last two years, you could say, we’ve been down and unsure about ourselves just as a whole, and this year we came in with the belief that we are the team to beat,” Gadson said.

First timers

By the end of Friday night, 14 different Cyclones picked up a win. For a few wrestlers, it was their first time getting a chance to wrestle in Hilton Coliseum in front of the home crowd.

All-Americans Gadson and Michael Moreno sat out against Midland as Carson Powell filled in at 165 pounds, and Quinn Wilson got the nod at 197 pounds. Cameron Thomson wrestled at 174 pounds against Midland, the weight usually reserved for Tanner Weatherman.

All three who wrestled were able to register a victory, including the first wins of Powell and Wilson’s careers. Also receiving a first victory as a Cyclone was 125-pounder Earl Hall.

ISU coach Kevin Jackson said getting wrestlers on the mat inside Hilton Coliseum and in front of the fans is an important part of the acclimation process.

“Whether you know it or not, our athletes feel a little anxiety prior to wrestling in Hilton, especially for the first time, so to the opportunity to go out in Hilton in front of the fans and get some wins, it’s important to them, and it will feel like it’s home,” Jackson said.

Wilson managed to impress during his match, securing six points for Iowa State after getting a pin just 51 seconds into the match.

“It was very special for them, especially for Quinn at 197 in his first match under the lights at Hilton to go out and get a pin,” Gadson said of the newcomers. “It’s good for the confidence of the team.”

Weathering the storm

Against West Virginia, 174-pounder Weatherman turned in a scintillating comeback victory in the final period to take a 7-6 decision against Bubba Scheffel.

Weatherman trailed 4-0 and was nearly pinned in the second period before producing a flurry of takedowns in the third, followed by an escape with eight seconds remaining in the match.

“Once he got down by that score, I think you saw the real Tanner come out,” Jackson said. “He knew he had to get out, he knew he had to take that guy down and he knew he had to win that match.”

Moving forward, Weatherman will be looking to be on the offensive for the entire match instead of the final two minutes.

“I just got to stay focused, stick to the game plan and go out and get more offense,” Weatherman said. “Just continue to push the pace for seven minutes.”