Just like it’s never too early to get excited about the Iowa State basketball season, it’s never too early to get excited about Iowa State wrestling.
The Cyclones released their schedule Thursday. Now it’s time to take a look at the upcoming season and see if the Cyclones have a chance to dominate another year.
Iowa State will look to build off the last few years of success, as the Cyclones built a reputation as one of the top dual teams in the nation. The Cyclones lost four total duals from 2021-2023, with two of those losses being to a top-two Iowa team and one being to the best team in the nation, Penn State.
The Cyclones should start strong as they take on Cleveland State in the opening dual of the season Nov. 5. They will then power through tough competition to get to the final tournaments at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Along the way are three major obstacles that will give the Cyclones the chance to show up and make a name for themselves.
Another tight Cy-Hawk matchup is incoming
Although it’s expected, it’s also worth mentioning the annual Cy-Hawk matchup will be in Ames Nov. 26.
Iowa may boast an impressive resume, but Iowa State tends to show the Hawkeyes that the matchup is not an easy one to win. The Cyclones have held close in the matchup over the last few years, coming just one bout win away from securing the dual in the 2022-23 season.
Now with the Cyclones boasting a talented roster for the 2023-24 season and the matchup being in Ames, all signs point to another hard-fought battle.
Although the Cyclones take on Wisconsin on the road a week prior to the Cy-Hawk dual, the matchup against Iowa will be the first true test of the season. The Cyclones haven’t beaten Iowa in nearly 20 years, so a big win early in the season would be a massive momentum boost going into the rest of the year.
Immediately after the dual, the Cyclones will take a road trip to Las Vegas to compete in the Cliff Keen Invitational to help strengthen their tournament play.
The end-of-the-year stretch
Nearing the end of 2023 and entering 2024, the Cyclones will have a tough slate of matchups against other top schools in the nation.
The tough end-of-the-year stretch will start with a familiar matchup with Cornell Dec. 18. The Cyclones faced off with Cornell in the 2022-23 season in what turned out to be a tightly contested meeting.
Iowa State squeaked out an 18-13 win on the road. Now the Cyclones have to do the same this season.
The Cyclones get a bit of a break after the Collegiate Duals before taking on a soon-to-be Big 12 rival. Iowa State hits the road again Jan. 5 to take on Arizona State.
Iowa State secured the win over Arizona State in the 2022-23 season 19-15 in Ames. Arizona State will bring another talented roster to this season’s matchup, so the Cyclones will have a tough task ahead.
Just two days after that matchup, the Cyclones will hit the road again to take on California Baptist. Although Iowa State has had comfortable wins over California Baptist in the past, it’s still no matchup to take lightly.
This start-of-the-year stretch for the Cyclones will be crucial to gauge where the team is at going into the back half of the season.
One last chance to take down a giant
As is customary, the Cyclones will end the dual season with a matchup against Missouri.
Missouri has been a tough team to take down in the past, and this season will be no different. Although the Cyclones squeaked out a one-point win two years back, it was all Missouri all day long last season.
The Tigers dominated the Big 12 in the past and are looking to continue dominating after coming back a few years ago. They came out on top in the last two Big 12 Championships and don’t look to be slowing down any time soon.
The Cyclones should be favored in the final dual of the season when Missouri has to take them on at home in Ames. Getting a big win over Missouri would be crucial for Iowa State’s momentum going into the final tournaments of the season.
The Cyclones have struggled in years past to make waves at tournament time, which is partially due to the tough meetings beforehand. If the Cyclones hit the ground running, there’s no reason to expect them not to finish near the top at the Big 12 Championships.
