With the season coming to a close, the Iowa State wrestling team is looking to end with some positive momentum against an in-state rival.

The Cyclones will travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, Friday to face off against No. 18 Northern Iowa.

The Cyclones currently have a 13-1 record and a 6-0 record in the Big 12, but the road to staying undefeated in the Big 12 won’t be without its bumps along the way.

The Cyclones are currently on an 11-dual winning streak, but the Panthers are on a streak of their own.

Northern Iowa has won its last six duals, including wins against high-ranked opponents in Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Northern Iowa also has six wins in the Big 12, sitting at a record of 6-2.

“Right now, they are wrestling like a top-10 team,” Dresser said of the Panthers. 

All eyes are on the Cyclones to see if they can live up to the challenge of a ranked test before the season closes.

“Our hard work is paying off, so we are finally in a position to be one of the best teams in the country,” Marcus Coleman said. “We have a target on our back, but I think I kind of like it.”

The Cyclones have been working hard over the season to improve consistently and come into every dual as the clear-cut favorite. 

This won’t be the case this time for Coleman, as his match at 184 pounds will prove to be one to watch. Coleman is currently sitting with a 14-1 record on the year and ranked seventh in the nation. 

And where did Coleman’s one loss come from? None other than Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen.

In the season’s opening tournament, Coleman got taken down by Keckeisen by a score of 8-4. Keckeisen has not slowed down on the year at all, as he now sits as the fourth-ranked wrestler in the nation at his weight class with a record of 18-1.

Ever since the Daktronics Open, Coleman has been perfect on the year and has been cleaning up wrestlers left and right.

Now, he has his sights set on revenge, as he looks to show how hard he has worked throughout the season.

Coleman is not the only Cyclone who has seen plenty of success throughout the season. All 10 of Iowa State’s starting wrestlers are currently ranked in Intermat’s most recent rankings.

“Your blueprint is only as good as the guys that are following it,” Dresser said. “They’ve got to follow it and, so to speak, drink the Kool-Aid. These guys this year especially, the improvement we have had every week has been really fun to see, and that’s what we got to keep doing if we want to finish strong.”

In order to finish strong, Iowa State has to take down two tough schools in the Big 12, those being Northern Iowa and Missouri. Right now, the Cyclones have their sight set on pulling out wins in the marquee matches against Northern Iowa.

In the 125-pound weight class, Iowa State’s Kysen Terukina, who has seen his rank rise to 18 thanks to his weekend of excellent matches, will take on No. 19, Brody Teske.

Iowa State’s Ramazan Attasauov also has his work cut out for him at 133 pounds as he is set to take on No. 18 Kyle Biscoglia. 

Isaac Judge will have to face off against Northern Iowa’s Austin Yant, who is ranked 12th in the nation at 165 pounds. Iowa State’s Joel Devine will also have a tough matchup against No. 20 Lance Runyon from Northern Iowa.

Lastly, Ian Parker will look to reaffirm his claim as a top-10 wrestler in the nation as he takes on No. 23 Cael Happel in the 141-pound match. Parker is fully ready to take on the challenge.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for those guys, and it’s cool to see them have success too. It just makes the stage bigger for when we wrestle them,” Parker said.

Both coaches have made sure that the stage is set and both teams are ready to come out hot.

The rivalry between Iowa State and Northern Iowa has long been intense and competitive. The fans should be in for a treat if the talk between the coaches is any indication.

Northern Iowa head coach Doug Schwab has stated how excited he is for the upcoming match and didn’t hold back in his press conference Wednesday.

Dresser has made it clear that the Cyclones will go out Friday night looking to hunt some Panthers, and Schwab did not seem to take kindly to the sentiment.

Both coaches explained that it is all in good fun, but just in case, Dresser received a thoughtful gift from a star athlete to protect him during the match Friday.

Iowa State football running back Breece Hall gifted Dresser a pair of his pants.

With the help of Hall’s pants and some added hip padding, Dresser and the Iowa State wrestling team should be primed and ready to take on the Panthers. 

“I figure if he can break Breece Hall’s hips, then he’s pretty tough,” Dresser said.

The rivalry matchup between Iowa State and Northern Iowa has historically been held at West Gym in Cedar Falls. There will be a change in scenery this time around as they head to McLeod Center, and both coaches want all the seats filled for the coming event.

“I seriously think this is going to be a great event for people to watch,” Dresser said. “You got two teams that are really on a roll right now, and if they both stay on a roll come Friday night, it’s going to be a heck of a match.”

The dual is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. Friday in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The dual will also be streamed live on FloWrestling.