A three-month season, countless hours of training and – for two seniors – a career culminates next week at the NCAA Tournament in Oklahoma City.

Starting Thursday, Nate Gallick and Jesse Sundell begin to end their time as Cyclone wrestlers. Juniors Trent Paulson, Travis Paulson and Kurt Backes round out the five-man tournament team.

Gallick is the leading contender in the 141-pound weight class, ranking first in all major polls after completing a perfect 30-0 senior campaign. He has bested all of his biggest rivals – most notably conquering Oklahoma’s defending national-champion Teyon Ware three times this season.

Gallick, the ISU team captain, said teammates now have to focus on their individual goals.

“I want my teammates to win and do good, but in order for all of us to do well, we will need to take care of ourselves,” he said. “Individually, we have to be a little selfish.”

He isn’t approaching his senior tournament trip any differently. In his past two tries, Gallick has placed second and fifth, respectively.

“I’m going in like I have in the past, like any other big tournament,” Gallick said.

“I’m going into the tournament with the mindset that I’m going to win. There is no reason why I can’t or shouldn’t.”

Trent Paulson (157) garnered the No. 1 ranking in his weight class in the final coaches’ poll. The junior is coming off a Big 12 Championship – as are Gallick and Backes – and is 22-2 on the year.

Minnesota’s C.P. Schlatter, the only wrestler to have beaten Trent Paulson in a full match this year, upset Illinois’ previously top-ranked Alex Tirapelle in the Big 10 Tournament.

“When you get a great opportunity like this, it is a chance to show everyone what you have been training for. You’ve just got to seize the moment,” Trent Paulson said. “I feel like I’m ready to do that. I feel like all five of us are.”

Backes (184) is ranked fifth and finished the season at 20-5. With his weight class lacking a clear favorite, the junior is looking to emerge from the competition.

“I’m ready,” Backes said. “I’m ready to compete, just go out there and wrestle the best I can for seven minutes – and have fun out there . I believe that I can be on top of the medal stand – national champion.”

Coach Bobby Douglas said he always looks forward to the national tournament.

“My expectation is that we wrestle well and everything else will take care of itself,” Douglas said. “If we go out there and do what we are trained to do, then there shouldn’t be any problems. That’s what our objective is.”

All five wrestlers have NCAA Tournament experience. Gallick, the Paulson brothers and Backes are making their third appearance, while Sundell is making his second.

“This is how you want to go out – you want to go out in the NCAA Tournament,” Sundell said. “When you go down there, anything can happen . This is the last chance that I will ever be able to wrestle in college and stuff, so I’ve got to give it everything I’ve got. There is no looking back now.”

The first session will start 11 a.m. in the Downtown Arena in Oklahoma City.