A rocky season plagued with injuries

and uncertainty will see its finale for the ISU wrestling team on

Friday night when it travels to Cedar Falls to face Northern

Iowa.

Kevin Jackson, in his third season

as coach of the Cyclones (2-12, 0-6 Big 12), said his team will

continue to fight through the season as it heads to the national

duals next weekend.

“I think some of the teams that

we’ve lost to recently were better, were better programs right

now,” Jackson said. “But I do see some positives, especially from

individual performances that we’re going to continue to build

on.”

The Panthers (5-4, 3-1 WWC) feature

two ranked wrestlers in No. 11 Joe Colon (133) and No. 6 Ryan Loder

(184), the latter of whom will pose a major challenge to Iowa

State’s Boaz Beard.

Beard said his injuries have

affected his performance on the mat, having been nagged by chest

and knee injuries while battling illnesses as well.

“It’s affected my training,” Beard

said. “But I just need to overcome it, really. It’s just a fixture

mentally and physically, for the most part.”

Ranked 16th at 184 pounds, Beard is

just 2-2 since the Midlands Championships in late December, getting

pinned in his last match in 1:07 by No. 3 Steve Bosak of Cornell

last Sunday.

Trevor Voelker is slated to make his

second career start after getting pinned by Cornell’s top-ranked

197-pounder Cam Simaz last Sunday.

Jackson said Voelker was discouraged

with his performance, but he will possibly get another shot to

prove himself against the Panthers’ Taylor Kettman.

“He just has to continue to improve

and really get better in his baseline positions, from his stance to

his tie-ups to his baseline defense and to his offensive skills,”

Jackson said of Voelker.

Senior Jerome Ward is also listed on

the roster at 197 pounds as a match-time decision between him and

Voelker.

Ward, who was one match shy of

attaining All-America status at 197 pounds last season, has not

competed this season due to a serious back injury. Jackson said

Ward most likely would not be eligible for a medical redshirt since

the injury does not span two years of persistence.

The season finale dual for the

Cyclones will take place at 7 p.m. at West Gym in Cedar

Falls.