No. 21 Oklahoma hosts No. 3 Iowa State Friday night in Stillwater as the Cyclones continue their toughest stretch of the season. Iowa State plays the villain in Norman, Oklahoma, as they attempt to knock off their fifth-ranked opponent this season.
“I think we’re the biggest enemy in just about any arena we go into,” No. 12 senior Isaac Dean said. “I think that’s kind of your step by now. I think it’ll be cool.”
Iowa State has played that role well for Oklahoma over the last decade. It has beaten the Sooners in seven straight duels, including the last three in Norman.
Oklahoma could potentially be a trap meet for the Cyclones. On Sunday, they will travel to No. 5 Oklahoma State for an extremely high-profile meet.
“Coach [Kevin] Dresser always talks about the most important competition being the next one,” assistant coach Derek St. John said. “The next one in front of us is the Sooners.”
The Cyclones are coming off a dominant victory over South Dakota State, in which they won eight of 10 total matchups. They have also won their last six duels.
No. 2 senior Rocky Elam will likely compete in the marquee match of the day against No. 7 Cody Merrill at 197 pounds.
Elam, who has been plagued by injury in the past, is 11-0 this season and claimed a decision win over No. 6 Bennett Berge in his last outing against SDSU. As he enters the back end of his senior season, he has his eyes set on one thing: nationals.
“Now that we’re in the later stage of the year, seeing Big 12 opponents, these are guys you’re going to see a few weeks down the road and maybe even a week and a half after that,” Elam said. “So it’s all just preparation. It’s fun.”
Dean picked up a gritty win over Brock Fettig of SDSU on Sunday in sudden victory. Dean’s cardio and defense were on full display in the matchup and they will need to be again against No. 10 Brian Soldano on Friday at 184 pounds.
“I just constantly wrestle,” Dean said. “I mean, I think, I don’t think there’s many people that can wrestle me and say they didn’t walk off the mat pretty tired, even if they won. And I mean, I don’t like losing, so I feel like giving up a takedown feels like you’re gonna lose. So if I can avoid that, then I’m gonna do my best.”
Senior No. 1 heavyweight Yonger Bastida will look to make it look easy once again at heavyweight against No. 21 Juan Mora or Bradley Hill.
Bastida had a rare comeback performance Sunday against No. 24 Luke Rasmussen. Bastida conceded his second takedown of the year early in the match, but the early deficit appeared to be of little concern for the top-ranked heavyweight.
He went on to log seven consecutive takedowns and secure his seventh tech fall of the season. The three-time NCAA qualifier leads the team with 74 takedowns this season.
Junior No. 13 MJ Gaitan will compete in his biggest match since taking down No. 2 Patrick Kennedy in the Cyclones’ victory over Iowa when he faces No. 8 Carter Schubert at 174 pounds.
Gaitan is 10-2 this season and made a huge splash in his aforementioned decision victory over Kennedy in November. Since that match, he has secured three other ranked victories and will look to continue his hot streak this weekend.
This is slated to be a crucial weekend for the Cyclones on their road to the Big 12 Championships in March. It begins in McCasland Field House Friday at 7 p.m. The duel will be broadcast on ESPN+.
