AMES — After back-to-back dual victories against Arizona State and Pittsburgh, No. 14 Iowa State has its sights set on No. 11 South Dakota State.
Of the last five duals between the Cyclones and Jackrabbits, Iowa State is 3-2. Four duals have occurred on the road, with three at South Dakota State and one at a neutral site.
“It’s going to be a tough week for us,” Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser said. “Other than the negative temperatures and record lows that always seem to hit us every time we go north, we have some good matchups coming up.”
The Cyclones have wrestled some talented underclassmen this season, 25 different guys, to be exact. In a season that’s only seen the same lineup twice, unfamiliarity will likely play a role in the upcoming duals.
“It’s still too early to determine who’s coming with us,” Dresser said. “I like what I’ve seen from a number of guys and we’re expected to see some guys back from sickness this week, so a few things are still up in the air.”
At 157, sophomore Carter Fousek stepped in, replacing Cody Chittum. Chittum, who has been out with the flu, is expected to return to the starting lineup, while senior Evan Bockman has yet to be cleared.
“We expect Cody [Chittum] to go this week,” Dresser said. “Bockman is still a maybe while recovering, but we don’t expect him to miss much longer.”
After missing the duals against Arizona State and Pittsburgh, Chittum is locked, loaded and ready to compete.
“It feels good to be healthy finally,” Chittum said. “I was bummed out being on the couch, so making a return feels great.”
While Chittum could return at 157 to face another top-20 opponent on Friday, eyes are on the 184 matchup and South Dakota State sophomore Bennett Berge. Ranked No. 5 in the nation at 184, Berge boasts a 20-4 record on the season.
“Assuming it’s not Bockman, whoever wrestles that spot will have a tough time,” Dresser said. “We’re likely to travel two guys at 184, but we still have two days to decide. It’ll come down to whoever is healthy and ready to go.”
Like last weekend, sophomores Evan and Jacob Frost are projected to start alongside redshirt sophomore Paniro Johnson. All three recorded wins against Arizona State and Pittsburgh. All three also went 2-0 in the final home duals of the season, highlighted by Evan Frost’s win by fall and Johnson’s 4-2 sudden victory against Pittsburgh.
“With these lineups, everyone is ranked high,” Dresser said. “Our guys have some tough customers this weekend, and they’re looking to bust down the doors to come away with a win.”
At heavyweight, freshman Daniel Herrera gets set for another ranked opponent in No. 26 Luke Rasmussen. Herrera chases a rebound against South Dakota State, barring an 0-2 stretch against Arizona State’s Cohlton Schultz and Pittsburgh’s Dayton Pitzer.
“I didn’t imagine at the beginning of the season that [Daniel Herrera] would have wrestled this many matches,” Dresser said. “From what we’ve seen, he’s developing well and learning from the freshman mistakes that he’s made.”
Should he maintain his weight and remain healthy, Herrera will wrestle in the final matchup of Friday’s dual.
“I’ve had time to learn from my mistakes,” Herrera said. “It hasn’t been easy losing, especially the close matches, but I’ve learned to keep my head up and to keep fighting.”
The dual against South Dakota State is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday. The matchup will stream live on The Varsity Network.
