:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63109057/usa_today_9954849.0.jpg)
The #11 wrestlers are back in Hilton this afternoon for the final time this season as they take on #5 Missouri. Last time we saw the wrestlers they fell 13-22 to #17 Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. This meet is likely to look a lot like the UNI one with lots of tossups that could either keep Iowa State in it to the end or lead to Missouri cruising to a comfortable victory. Since this one is in Hilton instead of West Gym lets hope things go a little better than they did on Thursday.
Where: Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA
When: 5:00PM, Sunday, February 24rd
TV/Stream: Cyclones.TV/Flowrestling ($$)
Projected Lineups:
Lineups
| Weight | ISU Wrestler | Record | Seed | # of Allocations at the Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | ISU Wrestler | Record | Seed | # of Allocations at the Weight |
| 125 | #22 Alex Mackall | 21-9 | 5 | 5 |
| 133 | #10 Austin Gomez | 18-4 | 2 | 5 |
| 141 | #12 Ian Parker | 21-5 | 2 | 6 |
| 149 | #11 Jarrett Degen | 23-5 | 3 | 7 |
| 157 | Chase Straw | 17-10 | 3 | 1 |
| 165 | Logan Schumacher | 15-11 | US | 5 |
| 174 | #23 Marcus Coleman | 24-10 | 4 | 4 |
| 184 | #11 Sam Colbray | 23-5 | 1 | 4 |
| 197 | #5 Willie Miklus | 19-2 | 2 | 7 |
| HWT | #26 Gannon Gremmel | 24-11 | 3 | 6 |
*Rankings from the 2/14/19 Coaches Panel
Key Matchups
125
For the second meet in a row Mackall will get another 20s ranked opponent in a tossup match. And while he should be on the right side of the qualifier line regardless of the outcome, two losses in a row against that caliber of opponent would put him at risk of dropping out of the rankings. So in addition to the impact that winning this toss up will have on the meet, a win is also needed for Mackall to be totally comfortable that he’ll have earned an NCAA allocation when they are announced on Thursday.
133
This is the marquee matchup of the dual. Both of these guys are in the conversation to be All Americans this season, with Gomez looking to do it as a freshman while Erneste tries to break in for a podium finish on his last go around as a senior. 133 is a very deep weight class this season, with a good chunk of guys in the top twenty having a legitimate chance to AA if they have a good weekend in Pittsburgh. So getting as high a seed as possible to avoid a tough match until the quarterfinals will help Gomez out immensely. He already has wins over DeSanto, Bravo-Young, Sykora, and Schmitt. If he can add Erneste’s scalp to the pile (and doesn’t falter at Big 12s against the 2nd tier guys behind him and Fix) he’ll be in great position for a top five seed that’ll give him a clear path to the podium.
149
This one is a rubber match. Mauller beat Degen 12-6 at Harold Nichols to start the season and Degen turned things around for a 7-4 win at Lindenwood a few weeks later. That is Mauller’s only loss on the season. Degen’s path to being an AA is highly dependent on getting the right matchups. So getting a second win over Mauller, and with that a higher seed that keeps him out of the consolation bracket until day two, would go a long way towards helping Degen have a realistic AA path.
Prediction
Just like UNI, this is a tough one to predict because there are so many toss ups. As mentioned above, this could be a very tight match until the end or it could be a Missouri blowout. Here’s how’d I’d batch today’s matches.
- Iowa State Favored: 184, 197
- Toss Ups: 125, 133, HWT
- Missouri favored: 141, 149, 157
- Missouri heavily favored and bonus potential: 165, 174
Against UNI, Iowa State only won one of the five matches that were competitive. Which makes me a little gun shy about predicting an ISU win since to get one they’ll probably need to win all of the toss ups plus get an upset at 141, 149, or 157. With a packed house in Hilton that’s certainly possible. But after Thursday I can’t bring myself to predict it. I think we win four matches and fall 13-22.
Next Up
Conference NCAA qualifier allocations will be announced this coming Thursday, February 28h.