The ISU wrestling team lost a very close race to Iowa for the national title last season, and the Cyclones are ready to take another shot at glory.

At the 2000 NCAA Championships, the Hawkeyes defeated the Cyclones for the team title by a slim margin of 6.5 points. The Cyclones return six national qualifiers, including three finalists, from a team that finished 20-2 last season.

“We haven’t won the national title, and of course that’s what we’re always pointing for,” said ISU head wrestling coach Bobby Douglas. “We finished strong last year, we were improving every match, and we’re trying to build on that this year. Our goal is to win the national title, and we start planting the seeds the very first day of practice.”

Leading the list of returnees is two-time 184-pound national champ Cael Sanderson. Sanderson, a junior, has stormed through the bracket at nationals the last two years and has earned the meet’s Outstanding Wrestler award both years.

Sanderson is 79-0 in his first two years and is halfway to becoming college wrestling’s first four-time national champion with an unblemished record.

“If Cael continues to work at the level of intensity he’s been working at, he’s going to get good results,” Douglas said. “That doesn’t mean he can’t be beat — he can be beat by a lot of people — but they’re going to have to wrestle probably the best they’ve ever wrestled, and Cael is going to have a serious letdown.”

Over the summer, Sanderson went after a spot on the Sydney Olympic team but was denied. Douglas feels the loss has helped Sanderson focus on his junior season.

“I personally believe that losses don’t really hurt a guy,” Douglas said. “I think that, especially in his case, it’s made Cael pick up his intensity. After he lost, we could see him picking up the intensity and the pace.”

The Cyclones also have two NCAA runners-up coming back in Joe Heskett at 165 pounds, and Zach Thompson at 197 pounds. Both lost in overtime in the finals last season.

Heskett, junior, has finished third and second in his first two trips to the national tournament, while Thompson has placed eighth and second.

Other returning NCAA qualifiers are Matt Azevedo, Billy Maldonado, Cole Sanderson and Mark Knauer.

“We’ve got some talented individuals up and down the lineup,” Douglas said. “We’re not going to surprise anybody in the dual meets because of lack of depth, but history has proven that Iowa State is ready at the right time, and the right time is March.”

The Cyclones will feature inexperience in the lower weights as a freshman will go at both 125 and 141. Sirish Neal and Matt Sanchez are battling at 125 while four-time undefeated Kansas high school state champion Zach Roberson is slotted in at 141.

“They’re very green, and that’s the case anytime you start a freshman,” Douglas said.

The Cyclones finished second in the Big 12 Conference tournament last season, and Douglas expects another tough race this year.

“I think the Big 12 is always a bear,” Douglas said. “It’s a four-team race with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Iowa State, and that’s the way I’d like to see it end. It’s going to be a very competitive conference.”

The Cyclones start the dual season Nov. 22 at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge. The Cyclones host Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in key meets but have to travel to Iowa and Nebraska.

The following is a weight-by-weight breakdown of this season’s team.

125 — This weight class opened up when two-time national qualifier Matt Azevedo moved up to 133. Freshman Sirish Neal and Matt Sanchez will wrestle-off for the spot.

133 — Azevedo is replacing two-time national runner-up Cody Sanderson. Azevedo finished 18-15 at 125 last season after transferring from Arizona State.

“It’s definitely a better weight for Matt,” Douglas said. “He struggled last year at 125 pounds, and the move up should help him. It’ll be hard to replace Cody Sanderson, but Matt is training hard and we have high expectations.”

141 — Zach Roberson makes his collegiate debut after finishing 153-0, on his way to winning four titles in high school. Roberson redshirted last season and will be replacing Sonny Marchette ,who is academically ineligible for the whole season.

Douglas doesn’t like to put a lot of pressure on freshmen and admits it may take awhile for Roberson to get adjusted to Division I level.

“He’s [Roberson] a freshman and I’ve never relied on freshmen,” Douglas said. “He’s a talented individual, but again he’s a freshman, and it’ll take him a year or two to really get rolling. I think he’ll be a great wrestler, but it will take some time.”

149 — Billy Maldonado returns to 149 after a solid sophomore season in which he qualified for nationals. Maldonado finished 27-13 and recorded 10 wins over national qualifiers, including a pair of all-Americans.

157 — Cole Sanderson looks for his third trip to nationals. Sanderson finished 22-10 last season after going 23-12 as a sophomore.

Douglas is looking for both Maldanado and Sanderson to be more consistent in the middle of the lineup.

“They have to step up. They must,” Douglas said. “They have to perform extremely well. They’re working hard, and we’re optimistic.”

165 — Heskett has racked up a career record of 68-4 with 27 pins. Heskett has placed third and second, respectively, in his first two trips to nationals and is on a mission to complete the climb to the title.

“My goal is to win the national title and anything else — I’m not happy with that,” Heskett said. “I’m not happy with second, and I’m definitely not happy with third. I’m going to do my best.”

174 — This weight class was a weakness for the ‘Clones last year due to injuries and academic problems. Seniors Perry Parks and Chad Ziesman both saw ample time throughout the course of the season, and Parks looks to get the early nod this season.

Parks finished 7-10 last season.

“We expect Perry to perform well,” Douglas said. “Unfortunately he was injured for half of the season last year, but he’s pretty much healthy now. He’s not 100 percent, but he’s wrestling a lot better, and I think if Perry wrestles well, we will have a very successful team.”

184 — Cael Sanderson returns to 184 for the third consecutive year to continue his march toward history. Sanderson was named the Dan Hodge Trophy winner as college wrestling’s top performer during the off-season.

Douglas has been around the sport of wrestling for a long time and is cautious in comparing Sanderson to some of the best wrestlers in history.

“With Cael, the record speaks for itself,” Douglas said. “For me to compare him, I don’t think I could do an adequate job. There’s something unusual about Cael in that he’s a big guy but he moves like a small guy.”

197 — Zach Thompson has reached all-American status in his first two years in the Cyclone lineup. Thompson lost 2-1 to Nebraska’s Brad Vering in double overtime in the 197-pound national final match last season.

Thompson had a solid sophomore campaign, finishing 31-6, and Douglas hopes for better things this season.

“Zach is a different wrestler this year,” Douglas said. “Being in the finals has helped him a great deal. I think he’s really disappointed that he didn’t win and it’s motivated him quite a bit.”

HWT — The Cyclones will be looking to replace two-time all-American Trent Hynek, a role that Mark Knauer knows well.

Knauer filled in for Hynek two years, when Hynek was taking a redshirt season and made it to nationals. Last season, Hynek missed several meets due to injury and Knauer went 11-5 in relief.

With the experience gained over the last two seasons, Douglas has high expectations for the junior.

“Knauer has experience. He’s wrestled some of the best wrestlers in the country,” Douglas said. “We’re expecting him to step right in and pick up the pace where Trent left off. He’ll have to if we’re going to be competitive.”