It’s the time of the year everyone looks forward to and wrestlers train for: The NCAA Championships.
Iowa State has nine total wrestlers competing in Motor City for a chance to make it on the podium.
Here are some story lines to follow in the next few days.
Marcus Coleman is looking to prove something
At the 2021 NCAA Championships, Coleman was eliminated after a 3-2 decision loss in the consolation round. That loss is what has fueled Coleman in his rise at 184 pounds this season.
He finished the regular season with a 17-4 record and he boosted himself from the No. 21 seed in 2021 to a No. 10 seed this year.
Coleman will also enter Detroit with the hopes to honor his late grandfather.
Just before competing in the quarterfinals match in Tulsa, Coleman found out his grandfather had passed away. Coleman then wrestled his way back up the bracket with a convincing campaign to finish third place overall. His performance left him overcome with emotion, which doesn’t happen often for a guy who lets actions speak louder than words.
Coleman now hopes to honor the man who has been his biggest fan by leaving Detroit as an All American.
The 197 pound bracket is up for grabs and Yonger Bastida has a winnable draw
A key thing to note about the 197 weight class is that nobody is undefeated. This weight was up in the air at the Big 12 Championships and still seems to be the case now.
Yonger Bastida has proven himself. He finished the season 19-5 overall with a fifth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships in his first full season as the starter at 197 pounds. He even earned the No. 10 seed this weekend.
His first match of the weekend is against Braxton Amos (WIS). With a win over him, that will most likely lead Bastida to a rematch against Rocky Elam (MIZZ), who he already beat twice this season.
If he can secure those two wins, then he’s looking at entering the quarterfinals most likely against the No. 3 seed, Stephen Buchanan of Wyoming–the one wrestler Bastida hasn’t been able to beat this season.
This may sound like a bad thing, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. Dresser always says the athletes learn the most about themselves in their losses.
If Bastida can figure out how to tweak his training for this specific opponent, there is no reason for this match isn’t winnable for Bastida.
There is a strong chance that Bastida can be an All American his first time at the championships.
Defending 157 pound champion, David Carr has a chance to make history again
If Carr wins the 157 pound title this weekend he’ll become the 17th Cyclone to win at least two national titles for the first time since 2010.
The last to do it was Jake Varner (2009-10).
Other things Carr accomplished after becoming a three-time Big 12 Champion that you might have missed:
- 16th Cyclone to win at least three conference titles
- Fifth Cyclone to do it during the Big 12 era
- 32nd wrestler in Big 12 history to win three titles
- Over the last two seasons, has allowed just three takedowns
Family Rivalries: Carrs vs. Mondays
The bracket draw has placed No. 1 seed David Carr and No. 5 seed Quincy Monday on the same side of the bracket. They have the potential to meet in the quarterfinals on Friday morning.
If you travel back in time, you will find the storied rivalry between Nate Carr Sr. and Kenny Monday.
You can read more about it in Rob Gray’s “Where are they now” feature on Carr Sr. here.
Although there isn’t a rivalry between David and Quincy, it could be a fun opportunity for the two athletes to find themselves going head-to-head in the same way their fathers once did.
Just last season, Quincy and David were making jokes about the possibility of having to face each other on Twitter.
The irony: Jarrett Degen starts his final run at the NCAA Championships against Willie McDougald
In case you missed it, Degen shared at the Big 12 Championships how much he dislikes wrestling McDougald.
Degen had a fun match against Missouri’s Josh Edmond to earn his way to the third place match at Big 12 Championships. The Montana native has shared he loves to wrestle Edmond because it’s always going to be a fun scrap.
Following his win, he used McDougald as an example of the types of matches he hates.
Here’s the full quote from Degen when comparing wrestling between a guy like Edmond versus McDougald:
“I think every time we (Edmond) wrestle it’s going to be a good match. It sucks I’m leaving because I’d like to wrestle that kid more and more. It’s fun. Those are the matches I have fun with. I don’t have fun standing in front of kids, the Oklahoma kid, chasing two-on-one. (He) doesn’t do anything good until late in the third. He’ll fire off a good shot. I wrestle the whole match just for 20 seconds.”
Full interview here:
Here’s a full breakdown of how to watch the Cyclones this weekend:
NCAA Championship Schedule:
March 17: 11 a.m. – Session I – 1st Round – ESPNU
March 17: 6 p.m. – Session II – 2nd Round – ESPN
March 18: 10 a.m. – Session III – Quarterfinals – ESPNU
March 18: 7 p.m. – Session IV – Semifinals – ESPN
March 19 – 10 a.m. – Session V – Medal Matches – ESPNU
March 19 – 6 p.m. – Session VI – Finals – ESPN
*All times listed are central
Iowa State First Round Matches:
125: No. 26 Kysen Terukina vs. No. 7 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Oklahoma State)
133: No. 24 Ramazan Attasauov vs. No. 9 Michael Colaiocco (Penn)
141: No. 13 Ian Parker vs. No. 20 Parker Filius (Purdue)
149: No. 17 Jarrett Degen vs. No. 16 Willie McDougald (Oklahoma)
157: No. 1 David Carr vs. No. 32 Jordan Slivka (Ohio) or No. 33 Derek Holschlag (UNI)
174: No. 24 Joel Devine vs. No. 9 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska)
184: No. 8 Marcus Coleman vs. No. 25 Michael Battista (Virginia)
197: No. 10 Yonger Bastida vs. No. 23 Braxton Amos (Wisconsin)
285: No. 24 Sam Schuyler vs. No. 9 Lucas Davison (Northwestern)
