AMES — It had been a while since No. 3 Iowa State wrestled at home, with its last home dual coming in the CyHawk victory Nov. 30. Safe to say it was worth the wait.
The Cyclones put on a show in Hilton Coliseum on Friday, shutting out Northern Colorado 42-0. The win moved Iowa State to 7-1 overall and 3-0 in Big 12 play, while the Bears dropped to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in conference action.
“I thought it was good,” Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser said of his team’s performance. “We knew there was going to be some mismatches, just because they’re trying to build a program.”
One of the biggest highlights of the dual came right out of the gate. Senior Stevo Poulin, the No. 13 wrestler at 125 pounds, showed why he is one of the best in the country. Facing Northern Colorado sophomore Bryson Valdez, Poulin pinned him in the first period, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
“The fans love pins,” Dresser said. “We talk about entertainment value. Guess what? You go pin people, you get people off their feet.”
Poulin made such quick work of Valdez that junior Evan Frost did not realize it was already time for him to compete.
“I was in the back still getting my warmup in,” Frost said. “I hear the crowd go crazy, and I didn’t know…I thought Stevo was just running out.”
Despite the fast turnaround, Frost was unfazed in his match against Northern Colorado senior Dom Serrano. The bout was one of the most anticipated matchups of the dual, with Frost ranked No. 3 and Serrano ranked No. 9. Frost earned a decisive ranked win, defeating Serrano 7-1.
“Definitely feels good,” Frost said. “The guy’s top 10, so he doesn’t just want to roll over. I thought I did what I needed to do.”
From Poulin’s pin to Frost’s ranked victory, the opening matches provided an electric start that fueled the crowd early. The atmosphere served as a reminder to the Cyclones of what they had been missing during their recent stretch on the road.
“It feels like home,” senior Yonger Bastida said. “This is my last year, so it feels way, way different. I’ve been feeling good every time I go out there, but this year is more important.”
Iowa State fans’ patience paid off. The Cyclones recorded their first home shutout since 2023, and Dresser earned his 100th career victory at Iowa State, becoming the fourth Cyclone head coach to reach the milestone.
“I appreciate the recognition,” Dresser said. “I came back here to try to make a difference and get a staff in here that would try to make a difference in Iowa State wrestling, and I think we’ve done that.”
