By Luke Plansky / Daily Staff Writer
With top new recruits committing to Iowa State next season, the ISU wrestling program said it is preparing to “raise the bar.”
Days after receiving commitments from three top recruits, head wrestling coach Bobby Douglas verbalized his optimism about the program’s future.
“Moving forward into the 21st century, we plan on raising the bar – from a performance level, from a coaching level, from an administrative level – every conceived level, “Douglas said. “Iowa State is going to take wrestling into the 21st in a similar matter as the 20th century.”
Iowa State has had five coaches in 87 seasons, winning eight NCAA team titles in those years and crowning 44 NCAA champions.
The traditional measuring sticks of wrestling success – the Iowa Hawkeyes – have had 20 NCAA championships and 71 champions.
Iowa State has won two of the last three meetings between the schools, falling 20-15 Dec. 2, but ended a 30-dual losing streak to Iowa in 2003.
To go even farther, last year the Cyclones signed the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class, and last week, Douglas received letters of intent in the fall season from three more top recruits – two of those from within the state.
The first, Centerville senior T.J. Sebolt, has been a been a dominant lightweight-champion, winning three state titles already and is rated fourth nationally at his weight by Amateur Wrestling News. The second, Eagle Grove’s Mark Kist, has won two titles and ranked third by AWN at his weight.
The third top recruit, Michigan’s Jonathan Reader, already faced his first major collegiate test.
As the only high school wrestler to compete in the November Harold Nichols Cyclone Open, Reader advanced to the championship match of the tournament against now No. 1-ranked, 157-pound Cyclone Trent Paulson.
But lost, 10-6.
In addition to promising young talent on the team, Douglas was quick to highlight the strengths of the team’s coaching staff.
“These coaches, they’re preparing to take Iowa State into the future, “he said.
Excluding himself, Douglas emphasized his confidence in his assistants, headlined by assistant coach and Olympic champion Cael Sanderson.
“We have outstanding young personnel that will be in charge, “Douglas said.
Joining Sanderson – an undefeated NCAA Champion – are interim assistant Zach Roberson, the Cyclones’ last NCAA champion, and volunteer assistant Dwight Hinson, a former four-time ISU All-American.
More former and current Cyclones see limited time in the wrestling room, such as new manager Nick Passolano – a former four-time NCAA qualifier who graduated a year ago – and Zach Thompson, Douglas’ former assistant and current camp coordinator and event manager.
“I think it is just a great coaching staff, “said senior Nate Gallick, currently ranked second in the nation at 141 pounds. “Every athlete on the team should feel lucky to be able to wrestle and compete under this coaching staff.”
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