Cyclones Dominate in Norman, Cruise Past Sooners in Wrestling Dual
In the first of two duals on Oklahoma soil, Iowa State rolled into Norman and left little doubt about who owned the mat. The Cyclones, ranked No. 4 nationally, flexed their depth and dominance against No.
21 Oklahoma, winning eight of ten bouts and racking up bonus points in six of them. From the opening whistle, it was clear this was going to be a long night for the Sooners.
125 lbs: **No. 13 Stevo Poulin (ISU) def.
No. 26 Joey Hendriksen (OU), 5-1**
Technical issues on the broadcast meant fans missed the start, but Stevo Poulin wasted no time taking control. An early takedown set the tone, and Poulin kept Hendriksen under wraps for most of the match. A strong third-period ride-out sealed the deal and showcased Poulin’s ability to dominate without needing flashy scores.
Score: 3-0 Iowa State
133 lbs: Adrian Meza (ISU) def. Carter Schmidt (OU), 6-5
With Evan Frost sidelined, redshirt freshman Adrian Meza stepped in-and stepped up. Down 5-3 heading into the third, Meza flipped the script with a quick reversal and locked in the riding time point. It was a gritty, heady performance from a young wrestler making the most of his moment.
Score: 6-0 Iowa State
141 lbs: No. 3 Anthony Echemendia (ISU) def. Tyson Charmoli (OU), TF 20-4 (6:21)
This one was lopsided from the jump. Echemendia, one of the nation’s elite at 141, overwhelmed Charmoli-who was also wrestling up a weight. The Cyclone star poured it on for a tech fall in just over six minutes, showing why he's a serious title contender this season.
Score: 11-0 Iowa State
149 lbs: No. 6 Jacob Frost (ISU) def. Jared Hollingsworth (OU), MD 12-2
After a scoreless first period that saw both wrestlers hit with stall calls, Frost flipped the switch in the second. Two takedowns and four back points later, he was in full control. Add in a riding time point and you’ve got a major decision-and a performance that looked like Frost could’ve gone another full match if needed.
Score: 15-0 Iowa State
157 lbs: No. 8 Vinny Zerban (ISU) def. Hunter Schneider (OU), MD 11-2
Zerban struck first-literally-scoring a takedown just five seconds in. But Schneider made things interesting with a strong second-period ride.
Still, Zerban didn’t flinch. He turned it on in the final 90 seconds, piling up points to notch another major decision for the Cyclones.
Score: 19-0 Iowa State
165 lbs: **No. 16 Connor Euton (ISU) def.
No. 32 Tate Kellar (OU), TF 19-1 (6:30)**
Euton looked every bit the part of a wrestler hitting his stride. The junior, coming off a season-ending ACL injury last year, was relentless-scoring takedowns at will and finishing with a tech fall in just over six minutes. This was one of his most complete performances of the season.
Score: 24-0 Iowa State
174 lbs: **No. 8 Tate Schubert (OU) def.
No. 13 Julien Gaitan (ISU), 5-1**
Oklahoma finally got on the board in one of the night’s marquee matchups. Schubert, the higher-ranked wrestler, took control in the second period with a takedown and nearly two minutes of riding time.
Gaitan pushed hard in the third, but couldn’t break through. Schubert’s win stopped the Cyclones’ six-match run.
Score: 24-3 Iowa State (dual clinched)
184 lbs: **No. 10 Brian Soldano (OU) def.
No. 12 Will Dean (ISU), SV 4-1**
This one lived up to the billing. Two high-level transfers-Soldano from Rutgers and Dean from Rider-battled to a 1-1 tie in regulation.
A wild scramble in the final minute nearly broke it open, but no points were awarded after review. In sudden victory, Soldano capitalized on a brief opening to score the decisive takedown.
Score: 24-6 Iowa State
197 lbs: No. 11 DJ Parker (OU) def. CJ Carter (ISU), MD 8-0
With Rocky Elam resting, CJ Carter got the nod and drew a tough assignment in DJ Parker. Carter held his own early, but a reviewed takedown at the end of the first period gave Parker momentum he never relinquished. Parker controlled the rest of the match and earned the Sooners’ first bonus points of the night.
Score: 24-10 Iowa State
285 lbs: No. 1 Yonger Bastida (ISU) def. Josiah Hill (OU), TF 19-4 (5:12)
It took Bastida nearly two minutes to get his first takedown-an eternity by his standards-but once he got going, it was a runaway train. A stall warning against Hill opened the floodgates, and Bastida poured it on for his 10th tech fall of the season. The top-ranked heavyweight in the country looked the part once again.
Final Score: 29-10 Iowa State
Final Thoughts
This was a statement win for Iowa State. Not just because of the scoreboard, but because of how complete the performance was.
Bonus points in six matches, dominance across multiple weights, and poise from young wrestlers stepping into big moments. Even in the three matches they lost, the Cyclones battled.
Oklahoma found some bright spots late, especially at 174 and 184, but they were playing catch-up all night. Iowa State, meanwhile, looked every bit like a team with national title aspirations-and they’re not just winning, they’re doing it with style, depth, and grit.