Coach Cael Sanderson and the top-ranked ISU wrestling team make a habit of downplaying the results of dual meets, emphasizing the experience gained instead of the wins and losses.

But, during the week before Sunday’s dual with fourth-ranked Iowa, even Sanderson broke away from the party line.

“It is important to me, and it’s important to these guys,” said the second-year coach. “It’s important to our athletic department and our boosters. It’s important to everybody.”

Bragging rights, pride and the Cyclones’ first No. 1 ranking since 1999 will be put on the line in front of a sellout crowd at Hilton Coliseum this weekend.

Iowa State (6-0) enters the meet favored in the rankings but is historically the underdog in the rivalry.

Iowa has won 54 of the 72 dual meets between the schools since 1916, including 30 straight from 1987 to 2003.

Sophomore Nick Gallick (133) was in Hilton Coliseum on Dec. 9, 2003, when former ISU 165-pounder Nick Passolano pinned Iowa’s Cole Pape in 36 seconds to break the losing streak.

He said that while watching the rivalry dual, he thought, “I can’t wait till I’m there doing it.” Gallick (8-3), ranked 12th, said the dual versus Iowa is the biggest meet of the season other than the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments.

Iowa State lost 8 of 10 matches to Iowa last season in a 24-6 defeat in Iowa City.

“I didn’t like any of my losses last year, but definitely the ones at the NCAAs, that dual, those hurt the most,” Gallick said. “But those definitely sting. They don’t feel good. Those are the types of things that you think about in the summer when you’re training.”

Six of the eight losses to Iowa last year were by two points or less. The Cyclones lost four starters from that team, while Iowa lost three.

The Hawkeyes added five starters to their current roster with the transfer of most of coach Tom Brands’ 2004-05 Virginia Tech recruiting class, which came to Iowa with the coach. The class was ranked second nationally, behind Iowa State’s class.

Iowa will be without a key starter for this meet, defending 165-pound NCAA champion Mark Perry. The senior Hawkeye was disqualified from a match against Old Dominion’s Chris Brown for improper conduct and, due to NCAA guidelines, must sit out his next match.

Sanderson’s keys to victory on Sunday are basic.

“We need to just get in there and get after them and just win,” Sanderson said. “We need to outfight ’em, outhustle ’em and beat them technically. We just need to get out there and attack and, most of all, just have some fun out there and wrestle hard and enjoy the atmosphere this dual meet brings.”

The meet starts at 2 p.m. Sunday and will be televised live on Iowa Public Television.