CLEVELAND — For the first time in his collegiate career, Iowa State senior Yonger Bastida is headed to the NCAA finals.
Bastida defeated No. 4-seed Nebraska senior AJ Ferrari 15-6 on Friday night in the semifinal. He will duke it out with No. 2-seed NC State senior Isaac Trumble for the heavyweight national championship at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
The match started with a bang as Bastida scored a takedown 17 seconds into the first period. Bastida notched a second first-period takedown on Ferrari to go up 6-1. By the end of the first period, Bastida was up 10-1 by way of his four nearfall points.
Ferrari attempted to go on the offensive during the second period, but Bastida’s defense was stronger. An example was in the closing seconds of the second period. Ferrari had Bastida in an advantageous single-leg hold; however, Bastida kept Ferrari off the board with his flexibility.
Ferrari finally got his takedown in the third period, putting the score at 11-6. Bastida got the last laugh, earning his third and final takedown in the closing seconds of the third period to win 15-6 by major decision.
Now, Bastida will prepare for his championship match against Trumble. Like Bastida, Trumble is undefeated this season at 16-0. He has six wins against ranked opponents and has been the No. 2-ranked heavyweight behind Bastida.
Trumble dispatched No. 3-seed Michigan graduate student Taye Ghadiali 4-1. The match was a low-scoring affair that came down to the last second. Trumble scored a takedown with six seconds left in the third period to break the 1-1 tie and make it to the championship round.
Bastida and Trumble’s match will be an exciting showdown between the top two seeds in the heavyweight bracket. Both will be hungry to get their first NCAA Championship, and it’s both their last shot at doing so.
Trumble and Bastida have qualified for the NCAA Tournament four times in their careers. Trumble’s highest finish was fourth place in 2025. For Bastida, he finished in fifth place in the 2022 NCAA Championships at 197 pounds.
Bastida has the chance to cap off his unbeaten senior season with the one accomplishment to elude him so far in his wrestling career. It will be the storybook ending to one of the best heavyweight careers in Iowa State’s history.
No. 1-seed Bastida takes on No. 2-seed Trumble Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The finals matches will be televised on ESPN.
