By DAN McCOOL
Iowa State’s wrestling team has its earliest first meet in 89 seasons today, and coach Bobby Douglas said that’s just what his team needs.
The Cyclones, who are No. 7 in the NWCA/InterMat preseason rankings, wrestle Upper Iowa at 2 p.m. and then face Wisconsin-LaCrosse, the No. 2 team in the first NCAA Division III poll, at Dorman Gymnasium in Fayette.
Douglas is expected to have four wrestlers who have earned all-America honors during their careers ” two-time placer Nate Gallick at 141 and all-Americans Trent Paulson at 157, Travis Paulson at 165 and Kurt Backes at 184. But the varsity inexperience of the rest of the lineup is why Douglas likes the early start.
“The most important things for us are to get film and see our new people wrestle, “Douglas said. “For me and for this group, I think this is the right time for them to get started. We usually start a little later, but we’ve got a sizeable job to do.”
Iowa State’s double-dual is its earliest meet by one day. The Cyclones opened against Upper Iowa at Council Bluffs Lewis Central High School on Nov. 7 last season and against Minnesota State-Mankato and Boston University in 2003.
There is another first today, as Upper Iowa starts its first season as a fully vested NCAA Division II member. The Peacocks spent the last two seasons in transition from NCAA Division III, thus they were ineligible to compete for team and individual national championships. Upper Iowa was 9-2-1 in duals last season.
“It’s very significant in that aspect of this is our inaugural season in Division II, but we’re not overstating the match, “Upper Iowa coach Heath Grimm said. “We’ve been waiting two (seasons) to get to this year. . . . I think this would be a great way to make a statement.”
Wisconsin-LaCrosse is coached by Nate Skaar, a former three-time Division III qualifier at Luther and a former assistant to Grimm with the Peacocks. Wisconsin-LaCrosse was fourth in the national tournament with seven all-Americans last season. The Eagles aren’t expected to have two-time national champion heavyweight Ryan Allen in action because of an injury, but 2005 all-Americans 133-pounder Jordan Kolinski, Josh Chelf at 174 and two-time placer Jason Lulloff at 184 are available today.
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