Wrestling fans were waiting for an Iowa-Iowa State rematch at the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s National Duals on Saturday and Sunday.

Seeded on the same side of the tournament bracket, the bitter rivals were on a collision course to meet for a third time this season. But, just two matches into first round, the third-ranked ISU wrestling team had their plans re-routed.

Hoftstra’s eighth-ranked Lou Ruggirello pinned fourth-ranked Nick Fanthorpe 1:37 into the first period of their 133-pound match – the eventual deciding factor in a 19-18 first round upset.

“Fanthorpe’s tough. He is a competitor, and things like that happen,” said coach Cael Sanderson. “It’s wrestling, it’s sports – sometimes things don’t go your way, and you’ve got to bounce back and come back with some fight, and he did.”

The 12th-ranked Pride won half of the matches of the dual, which was tied 18-18 after the final match. In dual tournaments, however, the team with the most wins by falls, injuries, or forfeits is awarded the victory.

The Cyclones responded with two convincing wins in knocking host Northern Iowa (31-3) out of the tournament before winning eight of 10 matches against fourth-ranked Central Michigan (24-6).

Iowa State (10-3 overall) lost to No. 1 Penn State, 22-16, Saturday night, then returned 12 hours later to beat eighth-seeded Northwestern, 26-16.

Wrestlers and coaches said the importance of the meet laid in preparation.

“It just came down the key matchups,” Sanderson said. “We’re not frustrated or disappointed – we just need to make some minor adjustments, and everybody needs to give us what it takes to take a step forward between now and March. We’ll be all right.”

Choosing the man

True freshman Tyler Clark wrestled at 125 pounds for Iowa State during this weekend’s national dual tournament, taking him out of his redshirt season.

Clark beat redshirt sophomore Mark Kist and senior Ben Hanisch in wrestle-offs earlier in the year, but Sanderson waited on his decision.

Kist started in the team’s seven prior duals. Clark went 2-3 over the weekend, but all three losses came to opponents ranked in the top 10. He scored a 6-2 victory over Central Michigan’s 14th-ranked Luke Smith, who pinned Kist two weeks earlier at the Midlands Open.

“It was real simple,” Sanderson said. “It had nothing to do with anybody being injured or anything. It’s just that he’s been doing real well, and he has a great attitude.”

Repeat – of sorts

In the final days of 2006, the ISU wrestling team won its first Midlands Open team title since 1982.

Iowa showed the capabilities of their rebuilt lineup in their win against Iowa State at the Midlands Open on Dec. 29-30, 2007, in Evanston, Ill.

The Hawkeyes won the tournament for the first time since 2002, pulling away from the Cyclones in the final two rounds and scoring 185 team points. Iowa State scored 139 points, and Jake Varner (184) beat Northwestern’s Jake Herbert to win an individual title.

Varner lost to Herbert in last March’s NCAA finals. Freshman Jon Reader (165) lost to Iowa senior Mark Perry in the finals, while Nick Fanthorpe (133) and Cyler Sanderson (157) placed third.

Only Reader and Varner of the six wrestlers advanced to the finals. Iowa’s five semifinalists each won tournament titles.