The usual storylines that exist when Iowa wrestling faces Iowa State are there once again.
How chippy will the dual be in the 89th edition of the Cy-Hawk? Can the Cyclones snap their lengthy losing streak? Or will the Hawkeyes extend their dominance?
The faces expected to be seen in this top-five dual make it another incredibly intriguing matchup. The teams look close on paper going into the dual, with veterans of the annual event ready to leave their mark and new ones getting a taste of just how meaningful the rivalry is.
Ahead of the dual on Nov. 30 in Ames, we’ve identified the three biggest storylines that could define this year’s matchup. Keep an eye out for our match-by-match preview later in the week.
Impact of National Duals Invitational
The Cyclones endured an injury-plagued 2025 season, and they did not qualify for National Duals. The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, qualified and took second Nov. 15-16 in Tulsa, Okla. But in a rivalry like this, usually you can throw previous results out the window. Still, it’s hard to overlook the difference between participating and not participating.
The Hawkeyes are as battle-tested as it gets after taking on Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma State and Ohio State. Every wrestler from 125 on down the lineup got tested multiple times before the weekend was out. We learned a lot about Iowa, and they learned a lot about themselves.
First, 149 and 197 pounds are a lot stronger than many originally thought. Ryder Block (149 pounds) earned a pair of top-10 wins at National Duals. At 197, Massoma Endene went from a relative unknown to a fan favorite, highlighted by explosive moves over highly ranked opponents. While Iowa State may have been thinking bonus points at these weights a month ago, the Hawkeyes showed strength.
While the Cyclones have faced quality opponents in Nebraska-Kearney (Division II national champion) as well as Wisconsin and Utah Valley at the Cyclone Invitational. But that competition pales in comparison to what Iowa saw. So there’s still a lot we don’t know about Iowa State’s roster.
On the other hand, that can be seen as a positive for Iowa State. What wrenches do the Cyclones have in store that Iowa may not be ready for? Last year, we didn’t anticipate Adrian Meza stepping out and getting a win in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, nor did we expect Connor Euton putting up such a good fight before his injury to Michael Caliendo.
A dual that could go down to the wire
We’ll dive further into each of the bouts in our match-by-match preview, but for broad strokes’ purposes, just know this dual is looking closer and closer by the day.
If the dual starts at the typical 125-pound spot, fans would be in for an absolute treat to end the night at 197 and 285. Endene, a three-time Division III champion with three top-15 or better wins already at the Division I level, will square off with four-time NCAA All-American Rocky Elam at 197. At heavyweight, two incredible athletes in Iowa’s Ben Kueter and Iowa State’s Yonger Bastida will have a rematch.
Both bouts will bring some highlight-reel action and could determine who leaves Hilton Coliseum with the team win. A memorable moment in this rivalry could happen here.
Will we see surprises in lineups?
Every year, both teams tend to play games with their lineups. Could we see it again?
The Hawkeyes have a lot of options at different weights. True freshmen Leo DeLuca and Harvey Ludington could be candidates to use one of their five dates while retaining their redshirts, as we have seen coach Tom Brands do in the past with Angelo Ferrari, Gabe Arnold and others. They also have options beyond that with depth at a few weights, including Block and Kael Voinovich at 149, Jordan Williams and Victor Voinovich at 157 and Arnold at 184.
Same goes for Iowa State. At 125 pounds, the staff really likes what they have in true freshman Christian Castillo. While he’s going to redshirt, this is a spot where they may show just how much they like him already. At 133, we’re going to have to wait and see whether Evan Frost will be able to get down to weight for time in the dual. If not, they could look to plug him in elsewhere to change things up.
The depth at 149 also makes things interesting. Both Jacob Frost and Paniro Johnson would provide a worthy challenge to the Hawkeyes, but they have spent time bumping to 157 in various duals before. Add in Anthony Echemendia, who could easily slide from 141 to 149 if needed, and the Cyclones can really mix and match from 141 to 159 to get the matchups they want. Vinny Zerban is the presumed guy at 157 as a returning NCAA All-American, but if coach Kevin Dresser sees a possible better alternative matchup-wise, it wouldn’t be crazy to see some games being played at these spots.
Given some early injuries, wrestlers getting to weight here in November and the general gamesmanship these coaches like to play at this dual, just expect the unexpected by day’s end.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
This article originally appeared on Hawk Central: Iowa wrestling vs Iowa State Cy-Hawk dual, 3 storylines to watch
Reporting by Eli McKown, Des Moines Register / Hawk Central
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