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Coming off an underwhelming 19th place finish at the Cliff Keen Invitational last weekend, the Cyclone wrestlers will close out the fall semester schedule on Saturday against a brand new Big XII affiliate team.
Where: Hilton Coliseum Ames, IA
When: Saturday, December 12th at 2 p.m. CST
Live TV: Cyclones.TV
Projected Lineups:
| Weight | Iowa State Wrestler | Record | - | Wyoming Wrestler | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | Kyle Larson | 11-5 | vs. | Drew Templeman | 5-1 |
| 133 | #7/#7 Earl Hall | 11-3 | vs. | Gunnar Woodburn | 3-6 |
| 141 | John Meeks | 5-3 | vs. | #15/#11 Bryce Meredith | 6-0 |
| or | Dante Rodriguez | 10-3 | - | - | - |
| 149 | #17/UR Gabe Moreno | 4-2 | vs. | Jake Elliott | 2-3 |
| 157 | Logan Breitenbach | 5-5 | vs. | Archie Colgan | 6-2 |
| 165 | #14/#13 Tanner Weatherman | 12-4 | vs. | Kyle Pope | 10-5 |
| 174 | #17/#12 Lelund Weatherspoon | 7-1 | vs. | #13/#17 Ben Stroh | 5-1 |
| 184 | Dane Pestano | 12-5 | vs. | Jace Jensen | 2-4 |
| 197 | Duke Egli | 0-1 | vs. | Brandon Tribble | 5-4 |
| HWT | Quean Smith | 9-3 | vs. | #20/UR Tanner Harms | 4-1 |
Rankings from Intermat/FloWrestling
For a more detailed look at records, including common opponents, check out the WrestleStats comparison page for the dual.
Key Matches:
125
Last year Kyle Larson just missed out on earning an NCAA berth. His 11-5 overall record so far hides a 1-4 mark against Division 1 competition so he will likely be on the outside once again when allocations are announced at the end of the regular season. But unlike last year, the Big XII conference will be an NCAA qualifying event, and the 125 weight class is likely to be the deepest bracket in Kansas City. Because of that, earning as high a seed as possible is important for Larson's hopes of stealing someone else's invitation to NCAAs in New York. Getting wins over the other unranked Big XII wrestlers at this weight like his Wyoming opponent is important to make that happen.
141
After a subpar performance in Las Vegas, this match is a chance for Meeks or Rodriguez to claim the spot with a win over one of the best wrestlers in the Wyoming lineup. If ISU is going to get worthwhile NCAA points out of this weight class one of those two guys needs to show they can beat wrestlers like Meredith.
174
This is the marquee matchup of the afternoon and possibly a swing match for the dual. Weatherspoon struggled in Vegas and failed to place. In order to stay in the rankings and move himself back towards a seed when the teams heads to New York in March he needs to get a win over Stroh.
HWT
Another match against a decent, but not great wrestler. Another chance for Quean to get a win that'll move him towards earning an NCAA bid.
Prediction:
This could easily end up with both teams winning five matches. But Iowa State has more bonus point potential so this looks to be a 18-15 type win where the final score looks closer than it needs to be but the outcome is never really in doubt.
Next Up:
Iowa State will head to the Midlands Championship in Evanston, Illinois on December 29th and 30th. With luck, Iowa State will have a couple new entries to the lineup at 184 and 197 for that event and going forward into the spring semester that could make a big difference in the team outlook.