CEDAR FALLS – The ISU wrestling team got a key win before the start of the Big 12 season, beating Northern Iowa 24-15 in Cedar Falls on Sunday.

Kurt Backes’ fall in the 184-pound match sealed the victory for the ninth-ranked Cyclones (8-4), who now turn their attention to next weekend’s road trip.

Iowa State faces Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

“Huge win, big win for us,” said coach Bobby Douglas. “Intrastate rivals: They are tough. They wrestled us really smart. It was a great dual meet – we made some mistakes and overcame some mistakes, so I am pleased with our performance.”

Backes turned a reversal into a fall 3:29 in the match, starting from the bottom position against the Panthers (2-7-1) Dan Dunning in the second period.

The junior All-American didn’t hesitate when Dunning exposed his back to the mat.

“We drill that position every day, and I was pretty confident when he threw his legs around me,” Backes said. “I didn’t know he was pinned, I was just looking for the reversal, so I was pretty surprised myself.”

Nate Gallick (141), Trent Paulson (157) and David Bertolino (174) each scored major decision wins.

Waterloo natives Ben Hanisch (125) and Jason Knipp (149) won tight decisions in front of friends and family.

“This is the only time some people from back home get to see me, so it was nice (to get the win),” Knipp said.

As Douglas described it, the Cyclones will now “jump into the fire” of the conference season.

“It was a good win as a team,” Backes said. “It was a good win to get back on track personally, and team-wise, we are going into the Oklahoma trip pretty confident.”

Competition intensifies as the season wears on.

“We just have to train hard and get even tougher,” Knipp said. “From here on out, it is all preparation for Nationals. We have to take it week by week . We will be a lot better team than we showed today come [March].”