The ISU wrestling team squares off in the marquee dual meet of the season, when intrastate rival Iowa comes to Hilton to prove the Cyclones’ greatest test this season. Iowa, the number one team in the nation, leads Iowa State by 11 points in the USA Today Division I coaches poll and leads the all-time series against the Cyclones 56-16-2.

The Cyclones’ last victory against the Hawkeyes in a dual meet came in 2004 in Iowa City with a score of 19-16. The Hawkeyes have since won four straight against the Cyclones, the last of which was a 20-15 victory in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes come into Ames with a dual meet record of 7-0. With seven returning All-Americans, the Hawkeyes are poised to keep the ball rolling on their season, hoping for a win over the second-ranked Cyclones.

“The team, as a whole, understands that they’re going to come out and go hard, pound on you, and really try to wear on you,” said senior David Zabriskie. “So as a team, we all understand that that’s something that’s going to happen.”

Despite the Hawkeyes being favored in six of the 10 matchups between the two rivals, ISU coach Kevin Jackson does not see them as being superior to his squad.

“They’re the defending champions. They’re the guys that have beaten our guys in the past,” Jackson said in his press conference Monday. “But I would never say that they have an advantage at any weight class. I wouldn’t say it. I wouldn’t believe it.”

Jackson continued by stating that regardless of whether Iowa’s advantages may be overwhelming, his squad is more than capable of giving the Hawkeyes their first dual meet loss of the season.

“I have athletes that are capable of winning at each and every weight class,” Jackson said. “If we go out there and we compete with our heart and mind and tactical and technical approach, then we’re going to compete at a very high level.”

Three Cyclone seniors — Nick Gallick, Jake Varner and David Zabriskie — are on the verge of achieving 100 career wins at the collegiate level, a feat only achieved by 32 wrestlers in the program’s prestigious history. Gallick and Varner are both sitting at 96 wins and Zabriskie at 95 wins on their careers. Gallick’s status for Sunday, however, is still uncertain due to a deep tissue bruise in his thigh, which he sustained during the Harold Nichols Open on Nov. 14.

“I’m ready to go,” Gallick said. “It’s ultimately [Jackson’s] decision, so we’ll see what happens.”

Varner and Zabriskie each earned wins in last year’s dual meet, Varner’s by a major decision, but Gallick fell to then-senior Alex Tsirtsis by a decision of 4-2.

Although the dual meet Sunday has the potential to be the showcase of the entire season, some Cyclone wrestlers are trying to refrain from investing too heavily in this match.

“If you put all your eggs in one basket in just this match and you lose, you don’t want it to ruin your whole season,” Varner said. “It’s something you have to force yourself to bounce back from, win or lose, and learn from it.”

Nick Fanthorpe will make his return to the mats after sustaining a hamstring injury in the preseason. The senior, at 133 pounds, defeated Iowa’s Joe Slaton at last year’s dual meet in a major decision of 12-2.

“I feel comfortable right now,” Fanthorpe said. “I’ve been training and practicing like I’m going to compete, so I do feel good right now.”

Regardless of how the matchups look on paper, the atmosphere Sunday night will be nothing short of electric for the teams as well as the fans.

“We all get pumped up for this dual,” Zabriskie said. “There aren’t too many teams in the country that get to go out there and perform in front of 13-, 14-, 15,000 people, so the extra energy from the crowd kind of gets everyone pumped up.”

The doors open at 5 p.m. and the grappling begins at 6 p.m. Sunday at Hilton Coliseum.

“Our goal is to be at our best in March,” Jackson said. “However, we want to wrestle our best every time we step on the mat, so I’m going to continue to see if we’re making those connections.”