It doesn’t get much better than that.
Coach Kevin Dresser nets his 100th dual win at Iowa State with a 42-0 thrashing over Northern Colorado. Starting his new position in 2017, Dresser has been named Big 12 coach of the year twice in 2019 and in 2024, as well as winning the 2024 Big 12 Tournament, the program’s first in 15 years.
Iowa State moves to 7-1, dominating on all levels against Northern Colorado in the conference matchup. The Cyclones won the takedown battle 35-1, which if you are new to the sport
is pretty good. Six matchups achieved bonus points, with some matches looking almost mean with how clear the skill differential was.
Let’s break it down.
125. (12) Poulin ISU Vs Valdez UNCO
After spending the previous at Northern Colorado, and finishing a career best 8th at NCAAs, Stevo Poulin wasted no time against his former team. Registering his first takedown at the 1:40 mark, Poulin finds Valdez on his back and then gets a cradle to earn the pin fifteen seconds later.
6-0 Cyclones after 1
133. (3) E. Frost ISU Vs (9) Serrano UNCO
Entering the night, everyone knew that the premier matchup was at 133. Ranked 9 and undefeated, Dominick Serrano is the only nationally ranked wrestler for Northern Colorado. Evan Frost started the year at 141, but has moved back down to 133 and has been dominant, winning all but one match.
Evan was timely with his two takedowns, notching both of his takedowns late in the second and third periods. In the only ranked matchup of the night, Evan Frost maintains control throughout to win in a 7-1 decision and improves to 12-1 for the year.
9-0 Cyclones after 2
144. (4) Echemendia ISU Vs Salazar UNCO
While pins are officially more valuable than tech falls, I have always had the opinion that tech falls often feel much more demoralizing to watch as a viewer, especially when matches move from a question of if a tech fall is possible to how fast they will happen. Today, the answer was 3:11 for Echemendia, notching his fifth tech fall of the season and improves to 12-1. Salazar did look aggressive for the first 30ish seconds, but after the first takedown it was all Echemendia.
14-0 Cyclones after 3
149. (6) J. Frost ISU Vs Evans UNCO
A 3-1 lead after the first period may have appeared a bit slow paced for a matchup with this large of a discrepancy, but it was all gas in the second. 13 points in two minutes is a pretty good day at the office, and if there were a few more seconds a pin was likely in order as Jacob Frost found KJ Evans on his back, but he will have to accept the four near fall points. One final takedown early in the third secured the five team points for Iowa State and Jacob Frost improves to 10-3
19-0 Cyclones after 4
157. (8) Zerban ISU Vs Powe UNCO
If I had a nickel for every tech fall that started with a 3-1 first period, I would have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice. This is also the second nickel for former Bear wrestlers wrestling today for the ‘Clones. While this match went the distance, three takedowns in the third along with the riding time point pushed it over the edge into a tech fall 18-3 as Vinny Zerban improves to 10-2.
24-0 Cyclones after 5
165. (17) Euton ISU Vs Schultz UNCO
Euton got into trouble early, allowing what ended up being the only takedown of the night for the Bears in the first minute. With forty seconds remaining in the first, Euton took the lead and didn’t look back, establishing control to work up to a 19-7 major decision and earn an 11-3 record.
28-0 Cyclones after 6
174. Riggins ISU Vs Menke UNCO
While this is not the first time that Aiden Riggins has done it, wrestling up a weight class will always be a challenge. In a hard fought, slow burn of a match, Riggins found a reversal thirty seconds into the third period and stayed in advantage for the rest of the period, featuring three different mat returns in quick succession that was almost comedic in nature.
31-0 Cyclones after 7
184. (12) Dean ISU Vs Rushton UNCO
While not the flashiest of the night, Issac Dean did demonstrate some masterful defense in the second period to prevent a second takedown for the entire Bears squad. Dean found two takedowns in an 8-2 decision and move to 13-4 for the season.
34-0 Cyclones after 8
197. Carter ISU Vs Perry UNCO
Filling in for No. 2 Rocky Elam, CJ Carter found himself in a defensive battle that was the only match to require extra time. 1-1 after seven minutes, Carter found a takedown just ten seconds into the extra period, but UNCO threw the challenge brick (the best challenge signal in sports by the way). After the takedown is over turned, Carter found the takedown forty seconds later to take a 4-1 win and earn his second dual win.
37-0 Cyclones after 9
285. (1) Bastida ISU Vs Cappabianca UNCO
To nobody’s surprise, this one was over from the jump. A tech fall in just 2:15, the top ranked heavyweight in the country rewarded Hilton with confirming Iowa State’s first shutout since 2023 vs. Wisconsin. Bastida now owns a 67:1 takedown ratio, which is pretty good according to most experts.
42-0 Cyclones after 10
Future forecast: Iowa State hosts South Dakota State Sunday, 2 p.m., in Humboldt, alma mater of coach Kevin Dresser. Broadcast will be on Iowa PBS.
