No. 10 Iowa State Wrestling Travels to Florida for Sunshine Duals Against NDSU and No. 24 Penn

No. 10 Iowa State heads to Bradenton, Florida, on Saturday, Nov. 14, for a high-stakes dual featuring matchups against North Dakota State at noon and No. 24 Penn at 2 p.m. (CT). The Cyclones face their first ranked opponent of the season during the second dual at IMG Academy.

The Cyclones enter the Journeymen Sunshine Wrestling Duals with a 2-0 record following a 31-11 victory over Utah Valley.

According to InterMat rankings, the duals could feature as many as seven matchups between ranked wrestlers, a density of talent that tests the depth of the Big 12 squad.

The Frost brothers face ranked tests

The 149-pound weight class is part of a big weekend for Jacob Frost. Jacob Frost, ranked No. 9, faces a gauntlet of top-tier opposition. He may first encounter North Dakota State’s No. 11 Gavin Drexler, followed by a potential showdown with Penn’s No. 7 Cross Wasilewski.

The matchup against Wasilewski carries weight for Jacob Frost after Wasilewski eliminated him from last season’s NCAA Championships. During last season’s NCAA Championships, Wasilewski eliminated Frost in the Blood Round via a 9-5 decision.

Ames ia usa november jack trice statidum on the campus of iowa state university

Elsewhere, No. 4 Evan Frost remains a dominant force in the lineup. He holds a 2-0 record this season, having secured two technical falls without surrendering a single takedown. His probable opponent for the weekend includes Alex Almeyda or Nathan Taylor.

Rin Sakamoto targets top-10 opponents after debut victory

Rin Sakamoto made his debut at Utah Valley, securing a 19-1 technical fall over Geronimo Rivera. This performance puts him on a collision course with two top-10 opponents: NDSU’s No. 8 Ezekiel Witt and Penn’s No. 10 Max Gallagher.

The No. The 15th ranked heavyweight is 2-0 in his Cyclone career and won a bronze medal at the U23 World Championships last month. He is expected to face Shilo Jones in the dual against North Dakota State.

The following table outlines the key ranked matchups and current season records for several central Iowa State wrestlers entering the Florida duals:

Wrestler	Weight Class	ISU Rank	Season Record
Evan Frost	141 lbs	No. 4	2-0
Jacob Frost	149 lbs	No. 9	2-0
Paniro Johnson	157 lbs	No. 9	2-0
Connor Euton	165 lbs	No. 17	1-1
Brayden Thompson	197 lbs	No. 24	1-1
Coby Merrill	285 lbs	No. 15	2-0

Injury concerns force lineup changes at 174 and 184 pounds

Returning All-American MJ Gaitan, who competes at 174 pounds, remains listed as “day to day” and “week to week” due to injury.

Tate Naaktgeboren has stepped into the 174-pound spot in Gaitan’s absence, currently holding a 1-1 record. Additionally, Aiden Riggins is slated to compete at 184 pounds in place of Sawyer Bartelt, who was noted as being “banged up” during the matchup at Utah Valley.

Riggins moved up two weight classes from 165 to 184 pounds during the offseason to fill a spot in the lineup.

While the Cyclones have historically dominated the Bison, the context of the matchup has shifted. North Dakota State is competing in the Pac-12 this season, marking their third meeting with Iowa State in four years as non-conference opponents. Iowa State holds a 10-1 overall record in the series, including a 36-3 victory in Fargo last year.

The duals will be broadcast on FloWrestling, though no radio coverage is scheduled for the event. The matches take place at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, starting at noon (CT) on Saturday, Nov. 14.

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