In a time of turmoil for ISU wrestling, Max Mayfield showed up.

The redshirt sophomore from Davenport took ninth-ranked Jamal Parks to two sudden victory periods before giving up the match-deciding takedown to lose, 6-4, in Iowa State’s (6-7, 0-3 Big 12) 29-13 loss to No. 6 Oklahoma State (8-2-1, 3-1) on Sunday.

“I guess you’re always aware [of the opponent’s ranking], but it doesn’t really matter,” Mayfield said. “You’ve just got to go out and wrestle your match no matter who it is. So I didn’t care if he was ranked or what he was ranked.”

After being scraped earlier in the match, Mayfield had gotten a bloody nose, which called for a medical timeout. Toward the end of the third period, tied 3-3 in front of an excited crowd, he took the bloodied coil out of his nose and tossed it at the media table.

“It was bothering me a little bit,” Mayfield said of his bloody nose. “I’ve just got to work through it and keep wrestling. I wasn’t too worried about it, I just wanted to get the distraction out of there.”

Despite ultimately losing the match, coach Kevin Jackson said Mayfield’s effort was one of the most positive aspects of the dual.

“I’m proud of Max as far as his effort is concerned,” Jackson said. “That’s all we ask our guys to do is to go out there and compete to the best of their ability. I can take those losses because he competed to the best of his ability.”

Andrew Sorenson also gave a valiant effort in his 5-3 decision over Dallas Bailey to avenge a 4-3 loss to the Cowboy grappler earlier this year at the National Duals.

“I had to have some payback, especially after the way I looked Friday,” said Sorenson, who lost to Oklahoma’s Tyler Caldwell in a 9-1 major decision Friday.

After a scramble toward the end of the second period resulted in a reset in the middle, Jackson yelled, “Single-leg works,” at Sorenson, which was immediately followed by a single-leg attack that went for a takedown for the junior 165-pounder to go up, 4-2.

“That’s one of my areas that I need to get better at is finishing single-legs,” Sorenson said. “I end up there a lot and I knew I needed finish those single-legs. The key is just getting it up quick and turning the corner hard. If I finish those shots, the match is that much easier.”

Sorenson had been in a similar situation in his loss to Bailey at the National Duals. The only difference from last time was the way Sorenson finished his attack.

“He had the guy in the same situation last time and he didn’t finish his attack,” Jackson said of Sorenson. “I think he recognized that he can get to the guy’s legs, but he just has to finish once he gets there.”