I tell you what. I'm thankful for a lot of things in my life. A good job, a great girlfriend, good friends, pets that I love, and the fact that I live in Iowa. While I'm not always crazy about our weather, and I wish the ocean wasn't a full day's drive away, I live in about the best spot a college wrestling fan can live. I know some east coasters, especially those in Pennsylvania would disagree with me, but when it comes to college wrestling, Iowa is hard to beat.
Iowa State is one of those reasons.
Seems like I catch Hell for a lot of my opinions anymore, so maybe I ought to embrace it rather than fear it. Am I allowed to say, without getting my head torn off, how much Iowa & Iowa State reflect one another anymore? I mean it ought to not surprise anyone too much. Cardinal or Black, both are gold. With Brent Metcalf now at the helm, Derek St. John & Drake Ayala his right-hand men, the show is being produced and directed by three former Hawkeye legends. Kevin Dresser, still a part of operations, himself a national champ for the B&G.
The C&G may not get talked about as much as the B&G, but they're just a faithful and committed to their team as are the people in Iowa City. You got to a dual in Ames, Hilton gets just as loud & just as enthusiastic as does Carver. Cyclone fans are itching to be a team that brings home trophies season in and season out. Gold was last in 1987, silver in 2007, bronze in 2010 & 4th in 2024. Could we see another team trophy in 2027?
Iowa State loses some strong ammunition, but they also bring back and bring in some heavy artillery.
Gone....
Stevo Poulin ended his career a four-time NCAA DI qualifier. One match shy of placing in both his freshman & sophomore seasons, he placed 8th as a junior. 91 career wins, he took 4th at CKLV this year, also making the BIG 12 finals.
Both Christian Castillo & Ethan Perryman, reserves for Poulin last season have decided to take their careers elsewhere. Castillo will be representing Arizona State this year as Perryman will be at Illinois.
Anthony Echemendia's departure surprises me at the same time that it doesn't. The two-time DI All-American (5th & 6th) marches to the beat of his own drum and is much more of a studio musician than he would ever be in a band. 1st & 2nd thus far in the BIG 12, last year's CKLV champ is heading back to the BIG 10, this time to represent Nebraska.
Vinny Zerban, another Northern Colorado transfer ended his career a multiple time NCAA DI qualifier. 6th in 2025, he did make the Cliff Keen Las Vegas finals this year.
Isaac Dean, a transfer from Rider ended his career a two-time NCAA DI qualifier. 6th in the BIG 12, he earned back-to-back CKLV finishes of 5th.
Rocky Elam. Heart goes out to this guy. 5th-4th-3rd-6th in the DI nation, he was supposed to go out in a blaze of glory, ending his career as a five-time All-American. Injuries suck. In fact, they really suck. Nonetheless, won both a BIG 12 title & a CKLV title in his final season.
Yonger Bastida, what an inspiration this future Olympic medalist for Cuba was during his collegiate career! Talk about overcoming adversity. Hollywood took the time to learn this guy's story, they'd have a blockbuster on their hands if someone were to develop it into a screenplay. 5th in the DI nation as a freshman, he battled through all sorts of injuries so that he could end his career a BIG 12 champion, a CKLV champion & an NCAA DI runner-up. 96 career wins, I feel the loudest Cleveland, Ohio got this past national tournament was when he lit up A.J. Ferrari 15-7 major decision.
Back...
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| 125 Ayden Smith Or Dru Ayala |
We have two talented transfers that are going to be duking it out for the starting spot at 125 lbs. Ayden Smith an NCAA DI qualifier who was 8th in the BIG 10's last year for Rutgers & Dru Ayala who won 12 matches for the Hawkeyes last season You know that Drake is going to dedicate a lot of his focus on his younger brother's success. Should be a good wrestle-off.
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| 133 Garrett Grice Or Carter Pearson |
I was very impressed with how Garrett Grice was thrown in to the mix last second last season & how well he performed under pressure. Not many could be thrown into the deep waters that is the BIG 12 and swim their way to NCAA DI qualification. Wins over Julian Farber, Luke Willochell, Tyler Ferrara & Sean Spidle, the future looks bright for double G. With that said, it doesn't escape me how good Southeast Polk grad Carter Pearson is. He actually defeated Grice last season in a tight 2-1 decision.
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| 141 Evan Frost |
6th in the DI nation as a freshman, I'll say this. I wish Evan Frost could perform everywhere, like he performs in Vegas. Come Cliff Keen, the Louisiana native is always ready to wrestle. 2nd-2nd-1st thus far in Sin City. Had an 11-5 win over Drake Ayala last year.
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| 149 Jacob Frost Or Paniro Johnson |
A BIG 12 champion & some of the very impressive wins that he has had during his career, it doesn't sit well with me that Paniro Johnson could end up being a reserve in his final season of collegiate wrestling. Yet, that possibility is very real. Jacob Frost a DI R12'er last year, 4th-4th in the BIG 12, as well as 4th at CKLV wants the spot too. Only one of them is going to get it. Although one might end up at 157.
And from the looks of it, Johnson is going 157.
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| 165 Connor Euton Or Aidan Riggins |
Then of course one of them might end up down at 157. In the many wrestle-offs that will take place here in a couple of months, I think one of the most underrated will be between Connor Euton & Aidan Riggins. Both showed a lot of promise last year. Euton won 19 matches last year, finishing 3rd at the BIG 12's. A 4-2 win over All-American Paddy Gallagher. Riggins also won 19 matches. A 2025 NCAA DI qualifier, he finished 4th at CKLV.
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| 174 M.J. Gaitan |
The three-time NCAA DI qualifier had some trials & tribulations last season, but when it came time to put it altogether, the Temecula, California native showed up and wrestled. 8th in the DI nation, he's been 4th-3rd-3rd in the BIG 12. He'll look to earn a second All-American honor as he also looks to make the BIG 12 finals. 8th-R12-R12 at CKLV, he'll look to earn another medal there as well.
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| 197 Brayden Thompson Or Carson Floyd |
Have a former Oklahoma State Cowboy taking on a former Appalachian State Mountaineer for the starting spot here at 197. Thompson was an NCAA DI qualifier in 2024 & Floyd an NCAA DI qualifier in 2025. Like to think one might be able to go 184.
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| HWT Coby Merrill |
Very excited about Coby Merrill. Last year when I was starting to think about what Iowa State was going to do without Bastida in the lineup, I had a lot of faith in Daniel Herrera (who I still think can do a lot of great things at Rutgers) to step up for the Cyclones. Then Merrill majored Herrera 10-1, and I knew that the cardinal & gold had something even better. 15-2 on the year, I think Merrill is going to be an immediate threat on the HWT scene. Strength, technique, guy develops some quickness & speed, he'll be pushing unbeatable.
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