Iowa State wrestling had a strong performance against South Dakota State on January 25, securing a 29-7 victory at Humboldt High School. This match took place in the hometown of Cyclone coach Kevin Dresser, adding a special significance to the event. Despite being without two starters at 141 and 157 pounds, Iowa State managed to win eight out of ten bouts, showcasing their depth and resilience.

The Cyclones started off with a solid win from Stevo Poulin at 125 pounds. Poulin secured a 5-2 decision over No. 21 Brady Roark with a textbook standing-single takedown. This victory set the tone for the rest of the match. Evan Frost followed with a dominant 20-4 technical fall against Cale Seaton, a former two-time state champion and graduate of Iowa City high school. This win gave Iowa State an early 8-0 lead.

Carter Pearson, a Southeast Polk graduate, stepped in for Anthony Echemnedia at 141 pounds but faced a tough challenge against No. 23 Julian Tagg. Pearson lost a 14-3 major decision. However, Iowa State quickly bounced back with Jacob Frost at 149 pounds. Frost, who wrestles in a similar style to his twin brother, used a late flurry of takedowns and substantial riding time to secure a 17-4 major decision over Colin Dupill.

Before the break, Linn-Mar graduate Kane Naaktgeborn filled in for Vinny Zerban at 157 pounds. Although he wrestled admirably against No. 20 Cael Swenson, Naaktgeborn dropped a 3-0 decision after a third-period ride out from Swenson.

After the break, Iowa State maintained their dominance. Connor Euton defeated No. 26 Marcus Espinoza-Owens at 165 pounds with three takedowns, securing an 11-4 decision. MJ Gaitan then added to the Cyclones’ lead with a 5-1 decision over No. 18 Moses Espinoza-Owens, thanks to a takedown and rideout in the third period.

Isaac Dean faced a challenging match at 184 pounds, trailing early after conceding a first-period takedown. However, he managed to win 8-5 in sudden victory with a single-leg takedown. The marquee matchup of the dual featured Iowa State’s No. 2 Rocky Elam against SDSU’s No. 6 Bennett Berge. Elam won soundly, with a takedown in the first 10 seconds of the match and a rideout for the rest of the first period, leading to a 5-1 decision win.

Yonger Bastida closed out the dual with a 25-9 technical fall over No. 24 Luke Rasmussen. Despite conceding the first takedown, Bastida recorded seven of his own, along with a reversal, to secure the victory.

Looking ahead, Iowa State has a busy week with road trips to face Oklahoma on January 30 and Oklahoma State on February 1.

Iowa State Wrestling vs. South Dakota State Results

• 125: Stevo Poulin (ISU) over Brady Roark (SDSU) (Dec 5-2)
• 133: Evan Frost (ISU) over Cale Seaton (SDSU) (TF 20-4 6:39)
• 141: Julian Tagg (SDSU) over Carter Pearson (ISU) (MD 14-3)
• 149: Jacob Frost (ISU) over Colin Dupill (SDSU) (MD 17-4)
• 157: Cael Swensen (SDSU) over Kane Naaktgeboren (ISU) (Dec 3-0)
• 165: Connor Euton (ISU) over Marcus Espinoza-Owens (SDSU) (Dec 11-4)
• 174: MJ Gaitan (ISU) over Moses Espinoza-Owens (SDSU) (Dec 5-1)
• 184: Isaac Dean (ISU) over Brock Fettig (SDSU) (SV-1 8-5)
• 197: Rocky Elam (ISU) over Bennett Berge (SDSU) (Dec 5-1)
• 285: Yonger Bastida (ISU) over Luke Rasmussen (SDSU) (TF 25-9 6:33)

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.