David Carr made a statement with a win over top-ranked Keegan O’Toole, but the Cyclones came up short, losing 23-12 to Missouri.

The loss was the Cyclones’ first Big 12 dual loss since 2021.

Pins and controversy crucial in defeat  

No. 9 Sam Schuyler earned two first period takedowns on the way to a 5-3 upset victory by decision over No. 7 Zach Elam of Missouri. It was Elam’s second loss of the season, and it tied the team score at six.  

Freshman Ethan Perryman of Iowa State took the mat next and was handed the tall task of wrestling No. 13 Noah Surtin of Missouri. Perryman showed promise early against the top-15 wrestler. Then, in what seemed like a flash, a nasty combination by Surtin pinned the Cyclone freshman before the end of the first period. The Tigers doubled their score on Iowa State and after five matches, the Cyclones faced a 12-6 deficit. 

No. 19 Zach Redding’s third period reverse, match riding time and an illegal hold by Connor Brown earned Redding an entertaining 9-7 decision against Brown of Missouri. The Cyclones drew within three.  

Casey Swiderski was unable to tie the team score and was defeated by No. 16 Allan Hart of Missouri. Hart’s 7-1 decision brought the Cyclone deficit back to six.  

The turning point in the dual happened in a sudden victory between No. 10 Paniro Johnson of Iowa State and No. 7 Brock Mauller of Missouri. Johnson nearly earned a takedown against Mauller but was not granted the two points and wrestling continued. Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser was not convinced and threw the brick, prompting a lengthy review. After over five minutes at the monitor, the referees determined that there was indeed no takedown and the sudden victory would continue.  

In a quick turn of events, much like the Perryman-Surtin match, Mauller quickly pinned Johnson and iced the dual for Missouri. The mat in the Hearnes Center was spattered with blood as a result of the sudden victory battle between the top 10 wrestlers. After being deducted a team point, Missouri had a 20-9 lead over Iowa State with two matches to go. 

Carr dethrones O’Toole 

The 174-pound class wrestled first in the dual, which saved the best for last. The highly anticipated match between the top-two wrestlers at 165 would either be for the dual and pride or just for pride.  

With the dual already won by the Tigers, Carr took the mat against the top-ranked wrestler in the country at 165, Sophomore Keegan O’Toole from Hartland, Wisconsin. Not only did Carr win, but he also handled O’Toole from start to finish on his way to a 6-2 decision. Patience, speed, aggression and a well-timed takedown fueled Carr to his victory. There was no last-second miracle, no late comeback or a one-point victory determined by riding time. Carr went start to finish, almost business-like, against O’Toole and has now earned his spot on top of the 165-lb class. 

Carr handed O’Toole his first loss of the season and has now won 26 straight matches. Carr’s record this season is 20-0. While staring down the jaws of defeat, knowing there was nothing he could do to give his team the dual victory, Carr came out and got to work against the No. 1 wrestler in the nation. There is a new No. 1 at 165, his name is David Carr, and he wrestles for Iowa State University.  

Jan. 30, 2021 

Jan. 30, 2021, against Oklahoma State is the last time the Cyclones have had to stomach the taste of a conference defeat. Going into the meet against Missouri, Iowa State had won nine straight dual meets and 18 straight Big 12 dual meets. The Cyclones were riding the longest Big 12 dual-winning streak in program history. Wednesday night’s defeat snapped those streaks and left the Cyclones with a 16-3 record to finish their dual season.  

Their 16 dual victories this season are still the most the team has won since the 2007 campaign. They will finish 7-1 in the Big 12, with the 23-12 loss against Missouri being the first conference loss for the Cyclones in over two years.  

Iowa State was looking to earn its sixth victory against a top-15 opponent this season and its second against a top-10 team. The Cyclones will now set their sights on the Big 12 tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after the Last Chance Open in Ames.  

The Last Chance Open will be at 10 a.m. Sunday at Lied Recreation Center in Ames. Then it is on to the Big 12 tournament for the Cyclones on March 4 and 5 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.