photo courtesy of Cam Kramer
What a difference a year makes! During Kevin Dresser’s first season at the helm for the Iowa State Cyclones in 2017-18, only one wrestler qualified for the NCAA Championships and the team tied for 45th place at that event. Fast forward to 2019 and nine Cyclone wrestlers qualified for Pittsburgh and two of them were able to work their way onto the NCAA podium. Eight of those nine qualifiers are back for 2019-20, a season where Iowa State looks to challenge Oklahoma State for the Big 12 title. Along with the returning starters are a pair of recruiting classes that were ranked #10 in 2018 and #12 in 2019. Dresser is famous for building programs a feat he accomplished at Virginia Tech, by transforming the Hokies from an also-ran in the ACC to a team that captured an NCAA team trophy in 2016. Could he head up the resurrection of an Iowa State team that perennially challenged for team trophies and even national titles throughout the early and mid-2000s? With his track record and the growth shown from year one to year two, I wouldn’t bet against it.
Previous “Early Lineup Looks”
Arizona State
Campbell
Fresno State
Lehigh
Lock Haven
Michigan
Missouri
North Carolina
Northwestern
Oklahoma
Pittsburgh
Princeton
Rutgers
Stanford
Wisconsin
Wyoming
125: Alex Mackall (Redshirt Junior; Austintown, Ohio)
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