A group of ISU wrestlers will flex their muscles against some of the nation’s top grapplers at the World Team Trials this weekend.

The tournament, which will determine the top freestyle, Greco-Roman and women wrestlers across the country, will take place at Xavier University in Cincinnati.

Five current and former ISU grapplers will travel to the tournament with hopes of making the field for the World Championships. The World Championships will be held in New York City in late September.

All five will be competing in the men’s freestyle wrestling portion of the championships.

Among the participating Cyclones are current wrestlers Cael Sanderson and Joe Heskett.

Sanderson won the national championship in April for his weight class.

Because of this, he will not have to wrestle until Sunday, the final day of the tournament.

Sanderson said that he likes the fact that he will be able to stay fresh while waiting his turn to wrestle.

The three-time NCAA champion also sees a good side to compete any from the college arena.

“I don’t have any pressure on me,” he said.

“You only have four years of college wrestling, but I could wrestle at this tournament until I was 40 years old if my body would hold out. I just want to get up there and establish myself on the ladder.”

Among the three former ISU wrestlers attending the championships are Cael’s brother Cody, Zach Thompson and current assistant coach Chris Bono.

Bono leads the Cyclones in experience, placing as high as second in the tournament.

He goes into the tournament as one of the top qualifiers in his weight class and is familiar with his fellow competitors.

“I’ve wrestled these guys at the nationals in April, so I know what I’m up against,” he said.

“There’s nothing left to do but go out and wrestle.”

The amount of wrestlers going will be the most represented by ISU coach Bobby Douglas since his coaching days at Arizona State.

This is something that excites Douglas. He said that this exposure at such a high level will be good for attracting future grapplers to Iowa State.

“When we recruit wrestlers out of high school, we don’t recruit them unless they have these type of ambitions,” he said.

Since there are quite a few wrestlers who are connected to the university and participating in the championships, the group has had a familiar base of people to train with.

“It’s real fortunate for all of us that we have each other to train and hang out with,” Sanderson said.

“If I was the only one going to the trials, I’d probably have to go somewhere else where guys are training.”

If any Cyclones win their respective weight class, they will be able to go to the World Championships, which would be the equivalent of qualifying for the Olympics in those specific years.

However, Bono says that world titles in a non-Olympic year are tougher to obtain.

“In the World Championships, anyone can show up from around the world,” he said.

“At the Olympics, there are only 20 guys in your weight class. There could be 50 guys at the Worlds.”

Sanderson also senses the importance of this tournament for everyone who is involved.

“This determines whether you’re on the national team next year,” he said.

“It’s what people are training for their whole lives.”