The 2022-2023 Cyclone wrestling season has concluded, and the time has come to look back at the biggest takeaways from this season’s campaign.

Two Cyclones reach the podium at the NCAA Tournament

Senior Marcus Coleman placed fifth in the NCAA Tournament and defeated Jacob Ferreira and Abe Assad of Iowa before being defeated by Trey Munoz in the quarterfinal round. Coleman went on to defeat Matt Finesilver in the round of 12 and Will Feldkamp in the round of 8.

Coleman was defeated in the consolation semifinals by Trent Hidlay of North Carolina State and placed fifth after a medical forfeit by Munoz in the fifth-place match.

Marcus Coleman’s career at Iowa State ends with a 99-42 record, five NCAA Tournament qualifications and two All-American honors.

David Carr also made the podium with a second-place finish in the NCAA Tournament after moving up to the 165lb weight class this season. Carr’s last two seasons may not have ended the way he wanted them to, but his college wrestling resume is as strong as it gets.

Carr defeated Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole twice this season before falling to O’Toole in the championship round of the tournament. Carr took O’Toole’s No. 1 spot in the rankings after beating him in Columbia, Missouri, but O’Toole ended up getting the last laugh and the first-place finish at 165.

David Carr. That’s it. Just David Carr

David Carr’s season did not end the way he wanted it to. It did not end the way Cyclone fans wanted it to or thought it would. With that said, Carr is one of the most decorated wrestlers in the history of the Cyclone program, and it is important to take a look at his accomplishments.

Yes, Carr lost to Keegan O’Toole in the championship round of the tournament. Yes, Carr beat O’Tool twice before this meeting, once to take O’Toole’s spot at No. 1 in the individual 165 rankings and once to secure the Big 12 championship.

Carr went 2-1 against another college wrestling juggernaut this season; unfortunately the one defeat came in the match with the highest stakes. It is still important to consider that it took O’Toole three tries to beat Carr this season, and that is worth remembering.

Defeating a team or individual three times in the same season is difficult in any sport. Three. That’s how many losses Carr has in his career at Iowa State. Carr finished this season 27-1, going undefeated all the way up to the final round of the 165lb bracket.

Four-time All-American, four top-three finishes and a win streak that extended to 55 matches at one point in his career. All those achievements, and he still has one more season of eligibility.

A strong team performance

Another season of recruiting, success and improvement is complete under head coach Kevin Dresser, who guided the Cyclones to their best NCAA Tournament placement since 2013 and their highest team score since 2010.

Iowa State finished the season undefeated at home and 4-2 on the road. They ended their regular season with a 16-3 record with the only losses being against Iowa, Penn State and Missouri.

Carr won the Big 12 Championship and beat O’Toole twice, Coleman placed fifth at the NCAA Tournament, and the 2022 freshman class is showing that the future of Cyclone wrestling is in good hands.

The Cyclones had two wrestlers on the podium at the end of the NCAA Tournament and have a wealth of young talent continuing to grow under Dresser’s guidance.

The success of the team this season from veterans, more specifically newcomers, is something that Cyclone fans looking to the future of Iowa State wrestling can be excited about. Oh, and another year of eligibility for David Carr is nothing to complain about either.