After winning a pair of national titles in his first two seasons as a Cyclone, ISU wrestler Cael Sanderson is now going for the gold.

Sanderson has dominated at the collegiate level, and now he’s hoping for the same kind of success on the international scene. He’ll be participating today at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials in Dallas.

Sanderson is competing at 187.25 pounds in the freestyle division with his goal being a spot on the 2000 Olympic team that will travel to Sydney in September.

“I’m excited about the opportunity I have. It’s kind of hard to believe that I’m going for the Olympics. It’s something I’ve thought about since I was a kid so I feel lucky to be where I am,” Sanderson said.

Sanderson will have his work cut out for him as he has to win his way through a five-man mini-bracket to earn a shot at No. 1 seed and five-time national champ, Les Gutches, in the finals.

Sanderson will have to win a best-of-three series with Gutches to make his way onto the Olympic team.

Gutches defeated Sanderson 6-5 in the semifinals of the U.S. Open freestyle tournament two months ago.

Sanderson controlled most of the match, taking Gutches down five times, but he gave up a five-point move that proved to be the difference.

“I know that if I face Gutches again, I have to wrestle a smart match. I made a couple of little mistakes last time, and that’s why I lost. Mistakes I could get away with in college, but there’s little room for error at this level,” Sanderson said.

With Gutches entering the tournament as the favorite, Sanderson is the underdog, a role he never experienced in college.

He said he’s looking forward to the challenge.

“I’m an underdog, and it’s a nice change. I have no pressure on me and I have nothing to lose, and that’s my whole approach to the tournament,” Sanderson said.

With the loss to Gutches at the U.S. Open, Sanderson said he learned quite a bit and is ready for another crack at the 1997 world champion.

“I’m just going to try to make him wrestle my match. I’m going to do what I do best, and that’s be aggressive and score points,” Sanderson said. “I think taking him down that many times in our last match is a real confidence booster.

“I’m going to have beat some tough guys so it’s going to be a fight just to get to the finals. I can’t overlook anybody,” he said.

Cyclone coach Bobby Douglas said he’s optimistic about Sanderson’s chances.

“I think Cael is capable of making the team, but he has to wrestle the best he’s ever wrestled in his life,” Douglas said. “He doesn’t have much experience at this level, but Cael is going to hold his own with anybody.

“It’ll be a tough job. There’s a lot of good wrestlers at that class,” he said.

Sanderson’s older brother Cody is competing in the greco-roman division at 127.75 pounds, and Cyclone Assistant Coach Chris Bono is in the 152-pound bracket in freestyle.

Another former Cyclone wrestler who will be looking for his spot on the Olympic team is Eric Akin, a four-time all-American.