While referencing his current season, Kurt Backes could just as well have been speaking of his career, as well as those of his teammates.

“It’s not where you begin, it is where you end,” Backes said. “I just want to finish strong, finish with a title. That’s what I’ve been working on with my losses and my wins.”

Top contenders – but not yet champions – the four All-Americans of ISU wrestling are expecting bigger things this March.

Senior Nate Gallick finished the regular-season undefeated and carries the No. 1 ranking in the nation.

Trent Paulson is ranked second and has had only two losses. Travis Paulson is finally entering the post-season healthy, and Backes has been impressive in the second half of the dual season.

But all four ended the 2005 season with a loss.

“Last year is last year,” coach Bobby Douglas said. “We didn’t do what we wanted to do last year, but we hope we aren’t going to make the same mistakes.”

Gallick’s loss – the most obvious postseason disappointment – to Oklahoma’s Teyon Ware in the 141-pound NCAA title match gave him even more motivation this past summer.

He has since beaten Ware twice, and is 6-1 in his career against the Sooner. That one loss isn’t bothering him.

“I don’t think about it a whole lot. I’m ready [for the tournament],” Gallick said.

Trent placed fourth last year. He said now he knows how to handle the scenery and atmosphere of the national tournament.

“They affect me in the sense that I’ve been more ready than I have every been,” he said.

“Going into this year, I’ve got the experience and I know what to expect.”

Backes, ranked fifth at 184 pounds, failed to place at last year’s NCAA tournament after finishing seventh as a freshman.

“I guess I didn’t wrestle up to my capability,” the junior said. “I never really like to think of the past. I got an All-American one year, but I know I could have done better. I didn’t place my second year, I’ve beaten everyone on up and down [that set of] All-Americans.

“It’s just a disappointment, but I’m just worried about today, worried about now.”

Backes missed time because of an injury early in the year. It took some time for him to get back to full strength.

During that time, he was pinned twice, but won his last seven matches of the dual season.

One of those was a 10-2 major decision victory over then-No. 1 ranked Eric Bradley of Penn State.

“He’s back, I guess that is all there is too it,” Gallick said. “He fell into a little slump earlier this year. However he did it, he found himself and is wrestling well again.”

Against Nebraska – the Cyclones final dual of the season – Backes rolled his ankle early in a match against the Huskers’ talented freshman Vince Jones. He was up 4-0 at the time, and used most of his injury time on the mat.

He came back and tech-falled the 11th ranked Jones, but was limping after the dual.

Also against the Huskers, Trent lost his match after tweaking his ankle and injury defaulting. He walked out of the locker room later in the day.

Douglas said he was “a little worried” about the late-season injuries, but Trent Paulson said his injury default was mostly precautionary.

Travis Paulson knows all about injuries.

“I’ve never really felt like I’ve been healthy going into the post-season,” Trent Paulson said. ” My freshman year, I got my knee scoped two weeks before the Big 12s, and last year, I tore cartilage in my ribs and I couldn’t really train the way I wanted to . every time I twisted I couldn’t breathe very well. It wasn’t a very good tournament for me.”

Travis Paulson placed sixth in the 2004 NCAA tournament.

“This is the most confident I’ve felt going into the post-season, just having a healthy body and having a positive mind,” he said. “I feel like I’ve worked on the areas I need to improve. I got extra time in and I feel great.”