Sports / Wrestling

WRESTLING: Several Cyclones head to Las Vegas

Iowa State’s Jake Varner trips Iowa’s Luke Lofthouse on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Varner is one of five current Cyclone wrestlers competing in U.S. Senior National freestyle competition. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily

Luke Plansky
April 7, 2009

The ISU wrestling team will test itself against the best wrestlers in the country this weekend.

Five wrestlers and two coaches will compete in the U.S. Senior National freestyle competition in Las Vegas, starting on Friday.

The top seven finishers at each weight class qualify for the U.S. World Team Trials, which are held in Council Bluffs on May 30 and31.

“They all have aspirations of winning this tournament eventually, and being a World Team and Olympic team members,” said coach Cael Sanderson. “Going through the process helps you figure out what it takes.”

Qualifying tournaments will be held on Friday for all but the 121- and 265.5-pound weight classes.

Recent 197-pound NCAA Champion Jake Varner is seeded third at 211.5 pounds, as is ISU volunteer assistant Les Sigman at 264.5 pounds. Sophomore Jon Reader is seeded eighth at 163 pounds.

Several younger wrestlers will compete in the junior FILA division. Sanderson said it’s a good opportunity for them to continue to “try the stuff that we’re working on” against many of their top peers.

“They’re training and preparing. Every match is important, but we’re trying to get these guys to be NCAA Champions,” Sanderson said. “There is a certain attitude that it takes, but you can’t just turn that attitude on and off. It’s something you’ve got to have consistently. That’s what I’m looking for, so that these guys can compete the way we want ‘em to.”

All-American junior David Zabriskie (264.5) said the team’s fitness could be an advantage.

“It’s only been like two and a half weeks since the NCAAs, so it’s a pretty quick transition,” Zabriskie said. “The biggest factor going in is that you’re in pretty good shape going into the tournament, but a lot of the senior level guys aren’t.”

Current and former Cyclones competing in the tournament

U.S. Senior Nationals

60 kg/132 lbs.

Nick Gallick

66 kg/145.5 lbs.

1. Trent Paulson

2. Chris Bono

74 kg/163 lbs.

1. Travis Paulson

8. Jon Reader

Cyler Sanderson

96 kg/211 lbs.