Senior David Bertolino had lost all three wrestle-offs he had been in with the ISU wrestling team.

Wednesday night, Bertolino beat sophomore Joe Curran, 7-3, in their 197-pound wrestle-off at the Lied Recreation Athletic Center.

After the win, he wasn’t focused on the potential long-term effects in his competition for a starting role in the lineup. His biggest fan was coming to watch next Thursday’s season-opener versus Northern Illinois.

“My mom told me to win the match because she’s coming out this week,” Bertolino said. “Last year, I lost the wrestle-off, and she came out. She took off work for the first dual, and I wasn’t wrestling in it, so I wanted to get that win for her, because I haven’t seen her in awhile . At least I know I’m wrestling Thursday, and she’ll be there.”

Bertolino’s mom, Debbie, was at home in Ohio when he beat Curran with two takedowns in a reversal. Bertolino rode Curran for over three minutes, but was penalized twice for stalling on top.

The 197-pound weight class is one of three contested roster spots.

At 125 pounds, true freshman Tyler Clark edged senior Ben Hanisch, 2-1, and redshirt freshman Mitch Artist earned six near-fall points to win, 15-7, at 174 pounds over sophomore Chris Pursel.

Head coach Cael Sanderson said the lineup won’t be decided by the wrestle-offs. Bertolino and Artist will start against Northern Illinois. Hanisch will “most likely” be the 125-pound starter for the first meet as Sanderson and the ISU coaching staff decide whether or not to redshirt Clark.

Sanderson said the staff still needs to figure out what is in the best interest of the team and the wrestlers.

“They’re all neck and neck,” said Sanderson of Clark, Hanisch, and redshirt freshman Mark Kist, who Clark beat in a preliminary match to earn the wrestle-off match. “They all have their strong points. In practice, it depends on the day, but we’ll see when we get into these open tournaments, and we’ll give them a chance to go out there and not wrestle each other.”

Clark earned a reversal just over a minute and a half into the second period on Wednesday. In the third, he rode Hanisch until the final second.

Sanderson said the wrestle-off was typically close, like it is in practice.

“That’s a decision as far as who is going to be the man that is going to be made over time,” he said.

As a true freshman, Clark it has been exciting to be able to prove himself in competition. He missed over two and a half months after tearing the lateral and medial meniscus cartilage in his left knee during high school.

Clark was able to start rehabbing in the beginning of June. He said he enjoyed the break since he had been wrestling “all of my life, every summer.”

He said he is hoping to keep his position, but also won’t be bothered if the coaches decide to redshirt him.

“I want to do what’s best for the team, and whatever the coaches feel is best for the team,” Clark said. “And if they want me on the mat, then I’m happy to wrestle, I mean, that’s what I love to do, so . I’m happy to put our team in the best chance for a national championship, and if that’s what the coaches feel, I feel I’m ready so. I’m good to go.”

After a scoreless first period, Artist reversed Pursel and later cradled him twice to earn three-point near falls in the second period. In the third, Pursel had two takedowns two cut the deficit to 9-5 before another takedown and near-fall by Artist.

Sanderson said he didn’t know what to expect out of the 174-pound match.

“They’re both gamers, so it’s hard to say what’s going to happen when they step out on the mat, so that’s what’s fun about these matches and actually getting into the tournaments he said,” Sanderson said.

True freshman Kyle Simonson challenged returning Big 12 Champion heavyweight David Zabriskie, scoring a takedown in the first period and wrestling to a 4-4 tie at the end of the second.

Zabriskie go onto win, 8-4.

Sanderson said the conditioning of the team was good, and that he liked what he saw from the true freshman.

Bertolino said it is more difficult to wrestle a teammate than a wrestler from another team.

“You’re not out to hurt ’em like you are other teams,” he said. “It’s just different because you wrestle them every day, and he knows what you do. So you kind of got to be more strategic, and you’ve got to think more about what you’re going to do. Your shots that you hit every day, you know, that’s he’s looking for.”

Wrestle-off results

125 – Tyler Clark dec. Ben Hanisch, 2-1

133 – Nick Fanthorpe maj. dec. Dalton Jensen, 22-8

141 – Nick Gallick maj. dec. Joey DeMarie, 13-4

149 – Mitch Mueller maj. dec. Brad Kruse, 20-9

157 – Cyler Sanderson tech. fall Mike Finch, 23-7 (5:11)

165 – Jon Reader maj. dec. Andrew Sorenson, 15-2

174 – Mitch Artist dec. Chris Pursel, 15-7

184 – Jake Varner pinned Kamar Gainey, 4:03

197 – David Bertolino dec. Joe Curran, 7-3

HWT – David Zabriskie dec. Kyle Simonson, 8-4