A season plagued by injuries and misfortune got a reprieve for the ISU wrestling team.

Two weeks of rest followed the NWCA National Duals Midwest Regional for the Cyclones (4-13, 0-6 Big 12), who will begin their full swing of preparation for the Big 12 Championships on March 3.

“It’s been an opportunity to really let these guys rest and recover without worrying about getting injured in competition,” said coach Kevin Jackson. “We haven’t had that all year.”

Luke Goettl was one of the wrestlers Jackson said best utilized the down time, recovering from re-aggravating his LCL in his knee during his 9-1 major decision against Wisconsin’s Thomas Glenn during the national duals.

Goettl, who is 11-9 this season, said he wanted to wrestle fourth-ranked Mike Mangrum of Oregon State in the team’s next dual despite being injured. However, teammate Andrew Sorenson gave him a different perspective.

“I just wanted to upset another guy, that’s what I really wanted to do, and I was just really bummed out,” Goettl said. “Andrew came up to me and [said], ‘Hey man, this isn’t the goal. The goal is Big 12s and NCAAs and you’ve got time, you’re in shape, you’ve got to take the time and let it heal. Otherwise it’s going to be a horrible end to your season.'”

Sorenson, the senior team captain, knew from experience that training through an injury before the conference and national championships was not conducive to success on the mat come tournament time.

“The good thing about having these two weeks off is he can rest and get better,” Sorenson said. “Jon [Reader] got hurt right before Big 12s his junior year and he didn’t rest any, he tried to train through it.

“Now having those experiences helps our younger guys just to know that if they listen to coaches, they will be ready.”

Sorenson and Reader, who is now a volunteer coach with the team, were training partners two years ago when they were both banged up before the NCAA tournament.

“Me and Jon both trained through it and we got up to Big 12s and we didn’t have that great of showings,” Sorenson said. “Instead of [easing] off the pedal a little bit and letting the injuries heal, we just pushed through it.”

Sorenson went 0-2 in his showing as the 157-pound qualifier for Iowa State while Reader fell one match shy of All-America status at 165.

Jackson also said Jerome Ward was reaping the benefits of the time off, preparing for a possible fourth berth in the NCAA Championships after sitting out for almost the entire season due to a serious back injury.

“He couldn’t even stand up straight a majority of the season,” Jackson said of Ward. “So how all of the sudden that just clicked in and he’s able to be where he’s at now, it’s a blessing.”

Ward returned to the mat during Iowa State’s 27-12 loss to Oregon State in the second round of the national duals, defeating then-No. 17 Taylor Meeks in the 197-pound match. As a result, Ward garnered a No. 15 ranking in InterMat’s top 20 polls.

“It was a big win for him,” Jackson said. “He did come out of that match healthy, even though he did get his back tweaked a little bit.

“But after the match, he said if he had to go another match, which [would be against] the Big 12 Conference, he could do it. The next day, if he had to wrestle the NCAA tournament, he could do it.”