Referee J.R. Blose’s hand slapped the mat, indicating a pin, but the fans inside Hilton Coliseum drowned out the noise of the mat’s thud.

Redshirt junior 174-pounder Danny Bush pinned Oregon State’s Myles Terry in 5:17, catapulting the Cyclones to a 21-16 lead.

Redshirt senior 184-pounder Dane Pestano grinded out a 4-3 decision over Seth McLeod, giving Iowa State its first dual win of the season and the first win with Kevin Dresser at the helm.

“It’s hopefully one [win] of many, but it’s a historic date in terms of that,” Dresser said. “It’s not Coach Dresser’s win — it’s the team’s win, it’s the program’s win, it’s the fan’s win, it’s everything.”

At 174, Bush led 2-0 at the end of the second period, but the junior college transfer controlled the third period and walked out of Hilton with a pin.

Bush and Pestano closed out the dual for Iowa State, but odds of victory looked bleak for the Cyclones early on.

After a 7-1 loss at 197-pounds for redshirt freshman Sam Colbray, redshirt junior Marcus Harrington followed with a 13-4 loss.

Trailing 7-0, Iowa State failed to compete at 125-pounds with sophomore Jakob Allison carrying a cast on his right hand.

Iowa State was down 13-0.

Redshirt sophomore Markus Simmons received the start at 133-pounds. Simmons rode hard throughout the match, racking up 4:28 of riding time and adding a 5-0 decision.

Iowa State was on the board.

After Simmons, redshirt freshman Kanen Storr wrestled at 141-pounds. Storr and his opponent, Jack Hathaway, were locked in a 0-0 tie approaching the end of the first period.

Storr shot late and snagged a takedown with one second left in the period.

“[Hathaway] snapped me, and I kind of fell right into his ankles,” Storr said. “It wasn’t necessarily planned, but it’s just the way it worked out and I ended up on top with a takedown with no time left on the clock.”

Storr built off the 2-0 lead, eventually winning 9-1. The Cyclones trailed 13-7.

At 149-pounds, redshirt freshman Jarrett Degen was up. Degen’s last outing was on Friday, when he earned a 21-6 technical fall.

Degen carried that momentum into Sunday, picking up a 17-2 technical fall. All of a sudden, Iowa State only trailed by one team-point.

Redshirt sophomore 157-pounder Chase Straw had the opportunity to grab the lead for the Cyclones.

Straw fell behind, 3-2 in the third period. Oregon State’s Hunter Willits received a stalling call with 28 seconds left, tying the match at three apiece. The two went to sudden victory.

Straw managed to takedown Willits, scoring three team-points for Iowa State.

The Cyclones had a 15-13 lead.

After Skyler St. John lost a 3-2 decision, Iowa State was back behind, 16-15.

Despite the loss at 165-pounds, Bush and Pestano pulled through for Iowa State.

“Bush is quirky,” Dresser said. “Sometimes he can look really bad and then sometimes he can look really good. He’s a pinner and he showed he’s a pinner today.”

If Bush can keep finding success at 174-pounds, he is a valuable asset for Dresser and the Cyclones. The 174-pound spot has been a weak link for Iowa State.

Dresser plugged in four different wrestlers in the first four duals, including Bush on Friday against Northern Colorado. The four different 174-pounders faced the same result, going 0-4.

Even after Bush’s 2-0 loss to Northern Colorado, Dresser stuck with the redshirt junior on Sunday. It paid off.

“I think the motivation and what it feels like to be winning for some of these kids [is important],” Degen said. “Not losing every single dual and having their heads down [is important].”