CEDAR FALLS -The ISU wrestling team placed third at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals over the weekend, upsetting teams ranked in the top five and again raising the question that has followed the team this season: What will this team be capable of when the NCAA tournament rolls around in March?

The sixth-ranked Cyclones (6-3 overall) lost to the eventual champion Minnesota Golden Gophers, 24-11, in a competitive, semifinal dual Sunday, but bounced back by beating four-time defending national champion Oklahoma State, 25-9, for the third-place finish.

The dual snapped a five-meet ISU losing streak to the Cowboys, but the win wasn’t the most important facet of the tournament.

The young guns – and most senior starters – of the ISU lineup were impressive in both victory and defeat, validating the Cyclones’ claim as a championship contender.

Soon after the win over Oklahoma State, first-year coach Cael Sanderson said his team was focusing on the future.

“It’s important, real important this tournament, but I mean it’s already old news, you know, it’s history,” Sanderson said.

“We gotta just keep moving forward, and I know these guys will do that.

“We have to close the gap between us and the top couple teams.”

The Cyclones beat 11th-ranked Michigan, 25-15, and third-ranked Hofstra, 25-9, Saturday to set up a rematch with the Golden Gophers, who won a 19-13 dual in Ames in early December.

Similar to the 2006 National Duals, Minnesota beat Iowa State in even more dominating fashion, winning seven of 10 matches despite close matches in all the losses except a forfeit (HWT).

Minnesota went on to beat top-ranked Missouri, 20-16, to win the tournament.

Iowa State responded from the loss by taking seven of 10 matches against the Cowboys, earning upsets from three freshmen against top-15 opponents.

Nick Gallick (133) took down third-ranked All-American Coleman Scott (133) 22 seconds into their match, then tactically defended his lead to earn the biggest win of his young career.

His roommate, Mitch Mueller (141), followed with a comeback win against another third-ranked All-American, Nathan Morgan, rallying from a 3-0 second-period deficit and taking Morgan down in overtime for a 5-3 victory.

Heavyweight David Zabriskie upset Oklahoma State’s 11th-ranked freshman Jared Rosholt, 4-3, by shooting, circling and scoring a takedown with three seconds left.

“This year is just one step in the road to the national championship,” said Zabriskie, referring to the tournament.

“We are able to take everything that we practiced the last three months and we bring it here. We do the best we can, and then we are able to go back and better ourselves.”

The tournament also featured some of the nation’s elite talent.

Second-ranked Travis Paulson unarguably had the toughest matches of the tournament, losing to Michigan’s fourth-ranked Eric Tannenbaum, 3-2, before beating Hofstra’s fifth-ranked Patrovich, 6-4, in the closing seconds. He took down two-time defending national champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State to gain an early lead but lost, 4-3.

Cyler Sanderson (149) had a competitive rematch with No. 1 ranked Golden Gopher Dustin Schlatter but lost, 3-1.

Kurt Backes (197) was the only Cyclone to go undefeated in the tournament.