Photo Courtesy of Iowa State Athletic Communications
No. 13 Iowa State put up an admirable fight against No. 5 Oklahoma State but in the end, the always formidable Cowboys came out on top via a 16-15 win inside of Hilton Coliseum.
There is one wrestler who stood out the most for Iowa State on Saturday: At 174-pounds, redshirt freshman Julien Broderson.
Oklahoma State’s Anthony Montalvo finished third at the Big 12 Championship last season and was the No. 9 seed at the 2020 NCAA Championships.
Broderson and Montalvo first matched up at the 2019 Southern Scuffle, where Montalvo won 8-4.
Broderson made sure this time was different.
The match was tied 1-1 heading into overtime, where Broderson was able to be the main aggressor. Broderson rode Montalvo out before surprising himself with a hip toss that resulted in securing a last-second takedown to secure a 4-1 victory.
“I wasn’t even looking for it. It just kind of fell into my hands,” Broderson said. “My hands got locked and I felt that we were hip to hip and I felt like I was in a stronger position, that I could step in front and throw him to his back. You’re always trying to look for bonus points so that’s really what was going through my head when I hit that.”
Head coach Kevin Dresser has continued to be impressed with the redshirt freshman’s ability to continue to progress from a tough start to the season.
“I saw a guy that competed really hard and didn’t give up,” Dresser said. “He was in good shape and I think he wore him out. I’m just really proud of how far Julien has come. He obviously started out a little bumpy this year but he continues to make strides. He’s a dangerous dude. People have to respect him when they get in a certain position with him because he can throw you on your head. We have to keep progressing but man, it was a good day for him”
When reflecting back on his matchup, Broderson attributed his growth to staying consistent with his plan.
“Just sticking to the plan has helped me a lot,” Broderson said. “Last year around this time I don’t think I would’ve won that match. I don’t think my conditioning was there. I don’t think the technique was there. I don’t think I would’ve been able to be in that position to go into overtime. I think I learned about myself that I can go into deep waters and do alright with myself.”
