AMES – Iowa State’s gymnastics and wrestling teams will host the Beauty and the Beast meet for the ninth time Friday. Both teams will compete simultaneously to bring two very different sports together for an entertaining night.

Since the event started in 2006, it has been a highlight for fans. This year, the gymnastics team will host Simpson, while the wrestling team will host Oklahoma. 

Wrestling

No. 13 Iowa State returns to Hilton Coliseum to face No. 22 Oklahoma for its first home dual since Nov. 15.

It was announced Tuesday by Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser that 197-pounder Christian Carroll has left Iowa State and will no longer be on the roster. Dresser said that the team and Carroll parted on good terms. 

This does leave that weight class up in the air, as 197-pounders Nate Schon and Sawyer Bartelt are listed as probable against Oklahoma.

Along with the news of Carroll’s exit, Dresser announced they would be using a medical redshirt for heavyweight Yonger Bastida. There aren’t many question marks at that weight because heavyweight Daniel Herrera has wrestled a ton this year. 

“It’s a situation I wasn’t really expecting, but I knew when I got the call for it, it’s what I came here to do,” Herrera said.

Herrera said that Bastida has been instrumental in his growth and that Bastida feels like another coach out there. 

“[Bastida] won’t just talk to me, he will actually get out there and show me,” Herrera said. 

Herrera is set to face off against Oklahoma’s No. 26 heavyweight Juan Mora on Friday. 

Other injury news included 141-pounder Anthony Echemendia, who has been out since early December with a high ankle sprain. 

“He’s really close,” Dresser said. “Everything went well with his surgery, so he will scrap [Tuesday] and then we will figure that out.”

Iowa State does not have to rush Echemendia back because of the emergence of No. 13 ranked 141-pounder Jacob Frost. Frost is coming off a first-place finish in the 141-pound bracket in the Cyclone Open alongside his brother, No. 5 ranked 133-pounder Evan Frost, who finished first in the 133-pound bracket.

The emergence of No. 15 ranked 125-pounder Kysen Terukina has been on full display as of late. He took home first place in the 125-pound bracket but suffered a knee sprain in the last two minutes of the last period that will sideline him for anywhere from two to four weeks. 

125-pounder Ethan Perryman is set to wrestle in his place. Perryman finished third in the 125-pound weight bracket. 

No. 11 ranked 149-pounder Paniro Johnson has been all over the place this season, wrestling at three different weights. With all the injuries the Cyclones have had, he’s started to settle in at 149. 

“I just got to compete no matter who steps in front of me,” Johnson said. “Sometimes in practice, Dresser has to switch me because I’m going with an 184-pounder or I’m going with a 133-pounder. I don’t really care. Whoever is across from me, I wrestle.”

Johnson started the season with a knee injury but hasn’t looked back since he returned. He boasts a 15-3 record and has a team-best nine-match win streak. He also has a 6-0 record in the 149-pound weight class.

Johnson is set to face off against Oklahoma’s No. 13 ranked 149-pounder Willie McDougald on Friday. 

Iowa State has won 12 consecutive home Big 12 duals, and that streak will be put on the line against Oklahoma. The Sooners are now Iowa State’s most-faced opponent in its history, sitting at 101 duals.

The dual is also highlighted as the Beauty and the Beast dual, which will include the Iowa State gymnastics team. The gymnastics team will be competing while wrestling matches are going which will provide some fireworks for both sports.

“Focus is the keyword for my guys because there is a lot flying by you going up in the air,” Dresser said. 

Gymnastics

As the Storm meets the Cyclones for the first time, sirens will sound amongst a newfound competition.

The gymnastics team looks to rebound from a fourth-place loss in the Wasatch Classic.

The Beauty and the Beast meet marks the second home meet for Iowa State and its first since beating both Iowa and Brown at the Iowa State Tri-Meet two weeks ago.

As the season has progressed, Iowa State’s performances have had much stronger performances than Simpson’s. 

The Cyclones look to make the Storm look like a simple rainfall and put themselves in the win column.

The Beauty and the Beast Meet is set to take place at 7 p.m. Friday in Hilton Coliseum. Both wrestling and gymnastics will be streamed live on ESPN+.