It’s a weekend packed with dual meets, as No. 4 Iowa State hosts No. 18 West Virginia on Friday and No. 15 UNI on Sunday. The Cyclones will look to get back on track after their 24-9 loss to then No. 5 Oklahoma State on Feb. 1.
“Two good teams … so we have our work cut out for us,” Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser said. “With UNI, we owe those guys from last year… but we got to take care of business first on Friday night.”
West Virginia preview
Under head coach Tim Flynn, the Mountaineers have assembled a competitive squad. They are 9-4 this year and 4-2 in the Big 12. Of West Virginia’s 10 starters, six of them are ranked in the top 19.
“Tim Flynn’s really turned West Virginia around,” Dresser said. “So we got our work cut out for us. We’ll see who shows up to wrestle.”
Two matches have the potential of being the highlight of the night: 125 and 157 pounds. At 125, Iowa State senior Stevo Poulin will face West Virginia senior Jett Strickenberger. Strickenberger is ranked No. 8 and Poulin is No. 11.
Strickenberger is 15-3 this season. Poulin is 9-6. These two have a history together. They faced each other in the 2023-24 season, with Strickenberger coming out on top and during the 2025 Cliff Keen Invitational, Strickenberger beat Poulin again.
“We wrestled him pretty good in Las Vegas, but, you know, go after him,” Dresser said. “He’s [Strickenberger] dangerous, but Stevo’s dangerous, so you know, let it fly.”
The bout at 157 pounds features Cyclone senior Vinny Zerban and Mountaineer redshirt sophomore Ty Watters. They are ranked No. 8 and No. 6, respectively. Watters this year has impressed, posting a 17-1 record and going 7-0 against ranked opponents. Zerban has been equally imposing, going 11-3, with a 4-2 dual record.
“When you get a chance to wrestle a guy that’s a top four or five guy in the nation, especially this time of year, you can really set yourself up good,” Dresser said. “Not just for the Big 12, but for the NCAA.”
No. 4 Iowa State faces No. 18 West Virginia at 7 p.m. Friday in Hilton Coliseum. Alongside the dual, the 2026 CyCans Food Drive will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Student-athletes will be present at each entrance to collect donations.
UNI preview
After Friday, the Cyclones turn their attention to No. 15 UNI. These teams have a long history together. Sunday will mark the 84th match between the two. Iowa State vs. UNI is the fifth-most contested dual in Iowa State Wrestling history.
The Cyclones are looking to rewrite history after falling 26-10 last year in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The loss broke a five-match win streak for Iowa State.
“That was quite a dual meet in Cedar Falls that we need to remember,” Dresser said.
UNI, like West Virginia, has a roster full of talented wrestlers. Eight of the Panthers’ 10 starters are ranked. UNI has a complete roster, made to compete in March.
The bouts at 165 and 174 pounds are shaping up to be Sunday’s premier matches. Starting with 165, Iowa State junior Connor Euton faces off with UNI redshirt junior Ryder Downey.
Downey is the Panthers’ highest-ranked wrestler at No. 6, while Euton is ranked No. 15. This season has been great for Euton after coming off a season-ending knee injury last year. He’s gone 13-4 overall and 7-4 in duals.
Downey has been just as stellar. He is 16-3 this season and has gone 11-3 in dual matches. Euton’s got his work cut out for him, but he’s not one to back down from a challenge.
“He’s [Euton] the underdog,” Dresser said. “I’m really excited to see that match … he needs to go knock somebody off and that’s a good one to start with.”
At 174 pounds, Iowa State junior MJ Gaitan squares off with UNI redshirt senior Jared Simma. Gaitan is ranked No. 13 and Simma is ranked No. 14. This match will be crucial for deciding postseason seeding in March.
Simma has been great this year, going 11-5 overall and 8-5 in duals. Gaitan has gone 10-4 this season, and 5-2 in dual matches. For Dresser, the key to a Gaitan win comes down to his focus.
“I saw the most focus out of him [Gaitan], and that’s always been MJ’s weakness,” Dresser said. “I’ve seen a really good focus since we came back from Oklahoma, so I’m hoping that we see two wins this weekend.”
No. 4 Iowa State and No. 15 UNI kick off at 7 p.m. Sunday inside Hilton Coliseum.
