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Happy Thanksgiving! Whether you're reading this before Turkey Day or after, I hope you are soon to have or I hope you already had a great holiday! As an Iowan, with about a million positive memories of both programs over the past 32 years, let me say I'm attending this one in person & I'll be dressed as appropriately as I can possibly be dressed. In other words, I'm going to be the weirdest of all 14,000 or so of us, as I'll have on an Iowa State sweatshirt & an Iowa baseball cap. You won't know whether to hug me, slug me, kiss me or hiss me. Good, cause the #1 thing I'm supporting this dual, is great wrestling, in front of two of the greatest fan bases (and yes that goes for ALL sports) of all time.
Want to have your mind blown? This rivalry has been going on FOR-EV-ER. A google search will tell you that it was March 4th, 1916, but Iowa has it in their official records that it took place sometime in 1912. I mean either way, we're talking about a long time, but think about that if it was indeed 1912. Wrestling season has always been wrestling season, taking place the same time of the year, so if this is the case, that means we saw Hawkeye Vs Cyclone wrestling BEFORE the Titanic sank! 114 years or 110 years, either way this has been going on for a long time.
Iowa leads either 70-16 overall or 72-16 (Iowa has two extra duals in their historical records that Iowa State does not). So either way, Iowa has predominately owned this feud for the most part. Which in many ways, is what makes this particular meeting so special.
NOTE: Chris Andringa informed me that prior to 1916, Iowa State wrestling was a club program & not an official part of the University athletics. Therefore, two of the wins Iowa has over Iowa State, are technically unofficial.
Moving on....
Iowa State #2 & Iowa #3, this is one of the rare times where the Cyclones actually go in favored over the Hawkeyes. Seeing that the dual is in Ames, at Hilton Coliseum, can the cardinal & gold pull one out?
Here's how JT1Wrestle sees things going down.
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| #8 Dean Peterson Vs #6 Stevo Poulin 125 |
Dean Peterson has already won some important matches in his first season as a Hawkeye since transferring from Iowa. This will be Stevo Poulin's first real test as a Cyclone, since transferring from Northern Colorado. The thing about it is, Peterson is notorious for keeping matches much closer than they should be. There have been times where the black & gold faithful were probably expecting some bonus, and instead Peterson has walked away with not so spread decision. That won't cut the mustard against a guy like Poulin. Especially since Poulin has already defeated Peterson 6-4, and he wants to make a good first impression in his new home. I say dec Poulin.
IOWA: 0
IOWA STATE: 3
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| #4 Drake Ayala Vs #7 Evan Frost 133 |
The two-time NCAA DI runner-up better be poised and ready to go Sunday because I guarantee you that the 6th in the DI nation in 2024, who barely missed out on a second All-American honor in 2025 Evan Frost will be looking to continue his campaign to reclaim by upending the silver medalist. The last time these two met, it was an 11-7 decision for the Hawkeye.
IOWA: 3
IOWA STATE: 3
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| #7 Nasir Bailey Vs #2 Anthony Echemendia 141 |
Every point matters in a dual like this. Winning where you're supposed to win. Bonusing where you're supposed to bonus. Bonusing where you're not expected to bonus. Keeping matches to decisions that are expected to be bonus. Upsets. It's all a major part of a dual like this & the difference between victory and defeat.
Here at 141 lbs, the only common denominator is two-time NCAA DI champion Jesse Mendez. Mendez pretty much had his way with Nasir Bailey 17-1 technical fall, whereas he's had much closer encounters with Anthony Echemendia. Is this a symbolism of level, or is it more a reflection of a guy who has wrestled someone only once, Vs a guy who has wrestled him on many occasions?
I've said this about Echemendia before & I'll say it about him again. He's ruthless. Call it irony, but he's the type of guy you'd have imagined wrestling for Gable during the late 80's/early 90's. A Brands type wrestler that will stick you in like a piece of gum & spit you out all chewed up. In Hilton, in front of a sea of Cardinal & Gold? I smell bonus.
IOWA: 3
IOWA STATE: 7
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| #12 Ryder Block Vs #5 Paniro Johnson 149 |
I've talked about this before & I'm going to talk about it again now. Ryder Block has done a great job so far this season of opening up some eyes & silencing many of his critics. I'm sure other sports programs & even some others in wrestling have such fans, but Iowa fans are unique in this regard. I of course am not talking about all of them, but there is a sect among the black & gold, that have ungodly high expectations. If you don't live up to these expectations or they even feel you won't live up to these expectations, they can be absurdly unforgiving. Preseason this year, they had some pretty harsh opinions on Ryder Block and what his value to the Hawkeyes would be. It'd be nice to see some of them come forward and at least admit they were wrong. I'm not stupid enough to think we'd ever get an apology, but I guess Block shutting their mouths will have to do.
Can he upset Johnson? The over/under on this gives it a fair probability. What he has going against him is that Johnson is wrestling on his home mats, in front of his people. It may not be as hostile of an environment if it were the other way around, but the Cardinal & Gold can get pretty freakin' loud! Johnson when on is extremely quick and slick. Block doesn't have the speed to keep up with Johnson.
However, Johnson isn't always on. He's not always fired up. If Block is able to crowd him and stay on top of him, this will frustrate Johnson & slow him down. This type of scenario highly favors the Hawkeye. Iowa State can't afford to suffer an upset here & frankly Iowa can't really afford not to have one. Makes it fun, doesn't it?
IOWA: 6
IOWA STATE: 7
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| #9 Jordan Williams Vs #2 Vinny Zerban 157 |
A lot can change week to week, & perhaps I'm putting too much stock into Jordan Williams 11-2 major decision loss to Kannon Webster, but that alone has me questioning if Iowa gives up bonus points in this 157 lbs confrontation. Vinnie Zerban is after all ranked #2 in the nation. I'd like to say that in the importance of a dual like this, Williams would wrestle well enough to keep it to a decision. Yet, can I say that considering the match against Illinois took place at the National Duals? The next three matches favoring the Hawks, I do know the Clones could use the bonus.
IOWA: 6
IOWA STATE: 11
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| #3 Mikey Caliendo Vs #20 Connor Euton 165 |
If Iowa State doesn't want Iowa to pull ahead to where they're too far out of reach, then they're going to have to keep the next to matches to decisions. That's just all there is to it. They cannot afford to give up bonus at 165 or 174. The last Mikey Caliendo & Connor Euton met, Caliendo won a 12-7 match. A similar outcome, keeping the score with 7 points or more, absolutely vital for Iowa State.
IOWA: 9
IOWA STATE: 11
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| #2 Patrick Kennedy Vs #14 M.J. Gaitan 174 |
Patrick Kennedy is on a different level this year & he proved that to me against Luca Augustine when Iowa wrestled Pittsburgh last week. Last year, Augustine gave Kennedy a great match, right down to the wire, losing 7-6. Last week, Kennedy tore Augustine a new one in a 12-2 major decision. I bring this up, cause I know what Cyclone fans are hoping for. The last Kennedy & Gaitan met, it was a wild back & forth showdown, Kennedy escaping by the skin of his teeth in a 14-13 victory. I don't think it'll be like that again. If anything, I think Iowa State is going to have to fight like Hell to not give up bonus here.
IOWA: 12
IOWA STATE: 11
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| #1 Angelo Ferrari Vs #10 Isaac Dean 184 |
I think Isaac Dean is a very tough wrestler. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he wasn't a top contender for All-American season by the end of '26. However, at 184 lbs, you have the group of guys gunning to be NCAA DI champion & then you have everyone else. Angelo Ferrari is a part of that group. Isaac Dean is everyone else.
IOWA: 16
IOWA STATE: 11
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| #7 Massoma Endene Vs #2 Rocky Elam 197 |
My gawd is there a lot to unpack here. At first glance I'd say something like this: Massoma Endene has more than proved to the wrestling world that he's a DI All-American candidate. This Sunday, he gets to prove if he's a candidate for an NCAA DI title. Yet, under the circumstances, is that really a fair statement to make?
Rocky Elam has the credentials & the accomplishments. I'm not questioning that. 5th, 4th, 3rd, 6th in the DI nation speaks for itself. Yet he hasn't wrestled since November 8th of last year. He's been off the mat for nearly 13 months. We don't know what kind of condition he's in. We don't know how much of an effect his injury has upon his performance. The unknowns here make this a very difficult match to predict. Make it difficult to assess how meaningful a win for Endene truly is as well.
Speaking specifically to the dual this is a clutch match. A win for Endene would make it 19 to 11 in favor of Iowa. Meaning that even a pin at HWT wouldn't be enough for the Clones. However, a win for Elam, now makes the score 15-16 in favor of Iowa. Meaning all Iowa State would have to do to win would be not get upset at HWT, pulling off a 18-16 win.
I also want to say that don't feel I'm slighting Endene here, because I'm not. If you feel I'm saying he only stands a chance if Elam isn't 100%, that's not at all what I'm saying. I think this is a good match, that could go either way, even if Elam is 100%. I'm simply saying that if he's not, this is for sure a win for Endene.
And in that, lies my dilemma. Do I go into this thinking we're gonna see a healthy & ready to go Elam? Hell, we might not even seen Elam. Which might even spell bonus for Iowa.
IOWA: 19
IOWA STATE: 11
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| #6 Ben Kueter Vs #1 Yonger Bastida HWT |
No, I DO NOT see a fall here for Iowa State at HWT. I see another respectable match, very similar to the one they had last time where Yonger Bastida defeated Ben Kueter 7-2. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Kueter might even be able to make it a smidgen closer than he did last time.
IOWA: 19
IOWA STATE: 14
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What amuses me most about response I'll get to this preview/prediction, is that I'll be accused of having "Iowa bias" which is something I've gotten accused of a lot over the years by everyone BUT the Iowa fans themselves. Being unabashed about my feelings concerning Austin DeSanto & the fact that I'm an overall college wrestling fan, and not just an Iowa fan has hurt my standing among the b&g faithful. I'm not oblivious to this. Calling it like I see it, I do see another W for Iowa in this over a century long war.
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