The ISU wrestling team is interested in gaining momentum for the national tournament when it heads to Omaha, Neb., for the Big 12 Championships this weekend.

“We’re on schedule,” said head coach Bobby Douglas. “Our guys have trained according to the plan. We’re excited about going into the tournament and wrestling one of the toughest Big 12 tournaments of all time.”

With only five Big 12 wrestling teams, the top three finishers in each weight class advance to the NCAA wrestling championships March 17-19 in St. Louis.

After the Big 12 tournament, a committee will decide which weight classes deserve to have a wild card entered into the national tournament. The fourth-place finisher in those weight classes will receive an at-large bid to the national tournament.

“We need to send at least eight [wrestlers] if we’re going to contend for the national title,” Douglas said. “Our goal is to get eight people to nationals. It’s going to be very difficult because of [how competitive] the Big 12 tournament will be.”

With Iowa State, Nebraska and Oklahoma all in the top 10 nationally, Douglas said a balanced meet is the only way anyone will steal the Big 12 title from top-ranked, two-time defending national champion Oklahoma State.

“The points will need to be divided,” Douglas said. “Oklahoma State can’t be allowed to win five championships. If Oklahoma State can be held to three championships, then other teams will have a chance.”

Junior Nate Gallick leads the team into the postseason. The 141-pounder is undefeated at 23-0 and is the top-ranked wrestler at his weight.

He has beaten Oklahoma’s Teyon Ware the last four times he’s faced him, and is 3-1 all-time against Nebraska’s Matt Murray. Ware and Murray are both ranked in the top five nationally.

Gallick will most likely face Oklahoma State’s Daniel Frishkorn in the semifinals. Collegiately, Gallick hasn’t wrestled the highly touted freshman who beat out Ronnie Delk for the spot at 141 pounds.

“He’s a little more active than Delk,” Gallick said.

“I haven’t seen him wrestle much and don’t know much about him. I haven’t wrestled him since high school, and he’s a lot younger than me.”

Junior 125-pounder Grant Nakamura, the 2005 runner-up at the Midlands Championships, will have to upset someone in a stacked weight class.

Seeded fourth, Nakamura will face freshman Tim Kephart from Missouri. Nakamura major decisioned Kephart in Columbia, Mo., on Feb. 13.

“This is the most talented team I’ve ever been on,” Nakamura said. “I think last year we were really good, but this year we’ve stepped it up. This is our year, and I think we can get [a national championship]. I think we can win.”

Sophomore standout Travis Paulson will wrestle the remainder of the season while nursing an injury sustained against Northern Iowa’s Nick Baima.

The 165-pounder from Council Bluffs injured his ribs against Baima and was forced to forfeit by injury defeat for the first time in his career.

“I’ll just have to wrestle through the pain,” Travis said. “I’ve been getting treatment and it’s been getting better. I’ve learned how to wrestle with the pain.”

Douglas said the injury to Travis isn’t unexpected after a long season.