Opportunities were presented for Iowa State in their Sunday dual with Oklahoma State and the dual did not go as planned.

In a match where Iowa State was losing matches that were both against it and in its favor, the Cyclones were reminded of their two constants: Ian Parker and David Carr.

There were plenty of matches on paper that looked like it would go in the favor of the Cyclones, like their matchups with Todd Small at 133 pounds and at 174 with Sam Colbray, but at the end of the day, Iowa State only walked away with three wins out of the 10 total weights.

“Hats off to [Oklahoma State] for coming back and wrestling us tough,” said Coach Kevin Dresser. “We made it way too easy on them.”

Two of the three match wins for Iowa State were in weights that have remained as consistent wins for the Cyclones, with those weight classes being at 141 and 157.

The reason for those wins come from redshirt junior Ian Parker (141) and redshirt freshmen David Carr (157).

In a season where there were high expectations for coach Kevin Dresser’s squad, Parker and Carr have been the two that have produced consistently on their end and their rankings show it.

After the Oklahoma State dual, the No. 6 ranked Ian Parker and No. 3 ranked David Carr both improve their undefeated dual records to 9-0, while improving their overall records to 14-2 and 14-1 respectively.

One of the issues plaguing the team that Dresser pointed out were related to lifestyle choices and the little things outside of the weight room, but he was vocal about the kind of wrestler that Parker is when it comes to these issues.

“That’s the one guy that really, really gets it, I mean really gets it,” Dresser said. “He’s a guy that you teach him how to do something and then he can do it, I’m just talking about lifestyle, toughness, commitment and all that kind of stuff.”

Parker has been a guy who has proved himself during his tenure at Iowa State, as he’s a returning NCAA qualifier and he’s putting himself in a spot where he can become an All-American at 141.

The same can be said about Carr, although he’s amidst his redshirt freshmen season, but he’s been just as reliable as Parker and has proven himself to be one of the top guys at 157, with his only loss being to the current No. 1 ranked Ryan Deakin back in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas tournament.

One guy who could have been considered as a constant for Iowa State is redshirt junior Jarrett Degen, who’s remained a top guy at 149, before ultimately getting sidelined after being a semifinalist during the CKLV.

The season had the potential to go way better than it has for the Cyclones, but the wrestlers are remaining loyal and looking for improvement.

“I love my teammates more than anything,” Parker said. “It can be frustrating at times, but I expect a lot of highs later in the season.”

One of the ways Dresser is looking to remedy the issues is by micromanaging the team.

Dresser mentioned how he was a high school coach for 18 years and that apart of micromanaging a high school team is constantly checking on their weight and helping out with food measurements, which is something he plans on incorporating with his current squad.

Dresser also made it a point to mention it’s not one major thing that’s causing the issues, it’s multiple little things and that’s why they’re taking the steps to make sure everyone shows up as the best versions of themselves.

Another thing that coincides with the constant success for Parker and Carr, is their willingness to do whatever it takes to find success on the mat.

“I’m about doing whatever it takes, I don’t like seeing my team lose,” Carr said. “I don’t care what we have to do, I’m about winning, so if we have to do that, let’s do it.”