After being on the road for a month, Iowa State wrestling is back home. They will take on Northern Colorado at 7 p.m. inside Hilton Coliseum. The Bears will be the third Big 12 opponent the Cyclones have faced so far.
Iowa State is 6-1 overall, 2-0 Big 12, with its only loss being to No. 2 Ohio State, 21-13, earlier this season.
Northern Colorado stands at 2-4 on the year and 1-1 in conference. The Bears are looking to stop their two-meet skid, while the Cyclones are hoping to push their win streak to five.
The Cyclones should handle business against a rebuilding Bears team. However, the 133 bout between Iowa State junior Evan Frost and Northern Colorado senior Dom Serrano could pose a challenge.
“Serrano is [Northern Colorado’s] best guy,” Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser said. “That’s worth the price of admission if you want to have a reason to come to Hilton.”
Evan Frost is ranked No. 3 at 133 pounds according to InterMat’s rankings. Serrano is ranked No. 9. This is the only ranked match of the dual, and it could be the best. Serrano has a perfect 9-0 dual record, while Evan Frost’s record is 11-1, the loss coming from No. 2 Ben Davino of Ohio State.
Evan Frost has gone 2-0 in his dual matches since falling to Davino in December. His most recent match was a 9-0 major decision win over North Dakota State senior Tristan Daugherty, who is ranked No. 32 at 133.
This match should be the highlight of the night between two of the best in their weight classes.
16 pounds up, Evan Frost’s twin brother, Jacob Frost, has been fantastic. He’s posted a 9-3 dual record and is ranked No. 6 by InterMat. Jacob Frost transitioned up to 149 in stride and has focused on keeping a clear head to maintain success.
“I think wrestling a little bit more, I would say free, but definitely having more fun with it,” Jacob Frost said. “I’d say last year, I think I was a little bit more mentally uptight.”
Along with the personal focus of wrestling more free, the team focus has been about wrestling for more than themselves.
“We’re all wrestling for each other,” Jacob Frost said. “Having a squad with similar goals, not saying we didn’t in years past, but that’s for sure a bit more noticeable this year.”
The month-long hiatus from Hilton has felt like an eternity. Jacob Frost is excited to finally wrestle in front of the home crowd.
“It feels like it’s been forever,” Jacob Frost said. “I’m ready to get back in there. We’ve been traveling a lot, so I’m tired of these other guys’ arenas; it’s time to get back to ours.”
Iowa State wrestles Northern Colorado at 7 p.m. Friday at Hilton Coliseum.
