AMES, Iowa – The No. 16 Iowa State wrestling team (2-0 overall, 0-0 Big 12) opened the season with a pair of dual wins on Thursday in Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones scored a 24-16 victory over Drexel (0-2, 0-0 EIWA) to open the action and followed it up with a 22-18 win over Grand View (1-1).
No. 4 Michael Moreno and redshirt freshman Lelund Weatherspoon provided the fireworks early, starting with Moreno's 20-5 technical fall over Drexel's Jason Fugiel at 165. The Urbandale, Iowa native was an offensive machine, scoring seven takedowns, a near fall and a reversal, as he finished off the technical fall with 40 seconds remaining in the match.
Weatherspoon was able to overwhelm Drexel's Alex DeCiantis at 184 and score a 17-6 major in his first-ever dual action in a Cyclone singlet. Weatherspoon, who is currently filling in for injured No. 7 Boaz Beard, looks to have a promising future ahead of him in the cardinal and gold as he showed off his skills to the home crowd tonight. His two wins were his first in a Cyclone singlet.
No. 3 Kyven Gadson notched two wins on the evening to start his 2013-14 campaign off on the right foot. Gadson opened the night with a 7-6 win over Drexel's Brandon Palik, who is ranked No. 12 at 197 pounds in the current InterMat poll. Palik was an NCAA-qualifier a year ago and the 2013 CAA champion.
Old Dominion transfer John Nicholson brought Hilton Coliseum to its feet, with a fall in third period over Grand View's Quinten Haynes. Nicholson was dominating the match up 9-0 late in the third period. After being reset to the middle with a little over a minute left in the match, the Des Moines, Iowa, native, made it seem he was going to cut Haynes loose. Instead, Nicholson slid to Haynes' right, remaining in control, and locked up a near side cradle for the pin.
The Cyclones are back at Hilton Coliseum on Nov. 15 to take on Midland and West Virginia in another double-dual. Iowa State will wrestle the Warriors first at 5:30 p.m. CDT, then take on the Mountaineers at 7:30 p.m. in its opening dual of the Big 12 season.
Match-By-Match
Iowa State vs. Drexel
125: Kevin Devoy Jr. (Drexel) mdec. Kyle Larson (ISU), 11-0
133: David Pearce (Drexel) dec. Dakota Bauer (ISU), 6-0
141: Matt Cimato (Drexel) dec. Shayden Terukina (ISU), 12-9
149: Luke Goettl (ISU) Winner by forfeit
157: Logan Molina (ISU) dec. Austin Sommer (Drexel), 8-4
165: No. 4 Michael Moreno (ISU) tech. fall Jason Fugiel (Drexel), (6:20)
174: No. 9 Tanner Weatherman (ISU) dec. Kevin Matyas (Drexel), 10-4
184: Lelund Weatherspoon (ISU) mdec. Alex DeCiantis (Drexel), 17-6
197: No. 3 Kyven Gadson (ISU) dec. No. 12 Brandon Palik (Drexel), 7-6
285: Jamie Callender (Drexel) WBF over Quean Smith (ISU), (5:29)
Iowa State vs. Grand View
125: Kyle Larson (ISU) mdec. Ernesto Escobar (GV), 14-3
133: Dakota Bauer (ISU) dec. Angelo Crinzi (GV), 12-5
141: Gustavo Martinez (GV) dec. Gabe Moreno (ISU) 5-2
149: Isaiah Tatum (GV) WBF over Luke Goettl (ISU), (4:59)
157: John Nicholson (ISU) WBF over Quinten Haynes (GV), (6:03)
165: No. 4 Michael Moreno (ISU) dec. Chad Lowman (GV), 5-2
174: Jimmie Schuessler (GV) dec. No. 9 Tanner Weatherman (ISU), 6-4
184: Lelund Weatherspoon (ISU) dec. Christain Mays (GV), 4-2
197: No. 3 Kyven Gadson (ISU) dec. AJ Mott (GV) 10-3
285: Eric Thompson WBF over Ben Perna (ISU), (0:43)
