AMES – Following an impressive 25-6 victory over the No. 22 ranked Oklahoma Sooners, No. 13 Iowa State gets set for a quick turnaround with the No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Entering Sunday’s dual, the Cowboys are undefeated on the season. All 10 of Oklahoma State’s starters rank in the top 20 at their respective weights.
“Any time you get to wrestle programs like Oklahoma State at home, it’s exciting,” Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser said. “I’m a huge fan of the tradition and the legacy behind the program, and I’m excited to see how things play out.”
Similar to the dual against Oklahoma, several new faces are set to return to the lineup. At 125, sophomore Ethan Perryman will gear up, accompanied by sophomore Manny Rojas at 165, while sophomore Nate Schon, freshman Sawyer Bartelt, and redshirt freshman McCrae Hagarty are projected at 197.
“I wish I could say that we had the same lineup back in November, but that’s sports sometimes,” Dresser said. “We’re going to put out some guys that will compete hard, but we don’t have the firepower we had at the beginning of the season.”
All eyes are on freshman Daniel Herrera and his matchup with No. 3 Wyatt Hendrickson ahead of the heavyweight matchup. Hendrickson lost his last matchup against Iowa State to the now-injured senior Yonger Bastida, as he will be looking for a redemption win over Herrera.
“[Herrera] wrestles at a man’s weight,” Dresser said. “He’s somewhere between a boy and a man and closer to becoming a man. He’s a huge underdog, and I like the process that he’s making.”
This season against ranked opponents, Iowa State is 0-2. The Cyclones have fallen to No. 20 Stanford and No. 2 Iowa. A ranked win for Iowa State would mark the first since last season and the first top-five win since defeating Cornell on Dec. 18.
The Cowboys have found success this season against teams in the coaches poll. In its first dual of the team’s trip to Iowa, Oklahoma State defeated No. 5 Northern Iowa 22-14.
Alongside the newcomers, the Frost twins are projected to enter the lineup, Evan at 133 and Jacob at 141. The pair won their respective matchups against Oklahoma against ranked opponents.
“I try to stay zoned in on the match,” Jacob Frost said. “Our chemistry is coming together, and we continue to grow as a team and find our groove.
At 174, sophomore MJ Gaitan returns after a win over No. 8 Gavin Sax in Friday’s dual with Oklahoma. Gaitan’s projected opponent, No. 3 ranked Dan Hamiti, recorded a win over Northern Iowa’s Jared Simma in the Cowboys’ win over the Panthers.
“To be ranked, you have to win,” Gaitan said. “We go into every matchup with a chip on our shoulder, knowing we can win. With opponents like ours, that’s just how it goes.”
The dual against Oklahoma State is set for 4 p.m. Sunday and will be broadcast live on ESPN. The broadcast marks only the second nationally televised dual in the history of college wrestling. The first was last season’s Cy-Hawk match in Ames.
