The warmup is over.

After successful results at the Cyclone Open, Iowa State wrestling will face off against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIU-E) on Sunday in its first head-to-head matchup of the season. The Cyclones will compete at CY Stephens instead of Hilton for this matchup.

“It gets loud, fast,” said redshirt freshman Austin Gomez about the venue. “Everyone’s looking at you.”

Gomez didn’t wrestle last weekend, and coming off a redshirt last year, he is ready for his first meet as a part of the Iowa State team.

Gomez is in the starting lineup at 133-pounds and is coming off a redshirt season in which he went 8-0, winning three tournaments in the process.

Chase Straw, who is the Cyclones starter at 157-pounds also didn’t suit up for the Cyclone Open and will be seeing his first match of the year this weekend.

“Our challenge with [Straw] is for him just to let it fly,” said coach Kevin Dresser. “He needs to go into that place like ‘I’m the man. I’m going to take it over.’”

With straw and Gomez competing on Sunday, the Cyclones will have their full starting lineup against SIU-E.

The Cougars will be competing in their third event of the weekend, that they kicked off on Friday against Indiana. They topped Indiana by a score of 21-15.

Dresser is starting his second campaign as the Cyclone wrestling coach. He was brought in as an effort to reform Iowa State into a contender again.

Dresser had a couple question marks to begin the year and one of those was at heavyweight.

Redshirt sophomore Gannon Gremmel is going to be the starter on Sunday, but redshirt sophomore Ethan Anderson is close behind. Freshman Francis Duggan won his tournament at the Cyclone Open, but it’s likely that he will redshirt this year.

A step down from that in the 197-pound weight class is the wrestler that Iowa State fans have been excited about all offseason: 25-year-old redshirt senior Willie Miklus.

Miklus transferred to his hometown team this offseason and he’ll finally get to wrestle in cardinal and gold.

“It’s awesome,” Miklus said. “I love it, I love being home… I love being here.”

Miklus is six or seven years older than a number of his teammates, so he has become an immediate role model for them. On Sunday, Miklus will be a huge piece for the Cyclones against the Cougars.

It will be an exciting day for the wrestlers in CY Stephens, and athletes like Straw, Miklus and Gomez are ready for their first dual match of the year.