New ISU Look at Media Day

10.23.2007 | Men's Wrestling

By: cyclones.com

AMES, Iowa ? Following an auspicious debut as National Coach of the Year in his first season as head coach at Iowa State, Cael Sanderson has major expectations for his second season. His initial team won ISU's first outright conference title in 25 years and placed second at the NCAA Championship. Six sophomores will anchor a team that is ranked second nationally in pre-season polls. The 2007-08 Cyclones met the media Tuesday in the Lied Recreation Center's wrestling room.

“Our sophomores are greatly improved after a summer of competition and training,” Sanderson said. “Our goals here are no different than they were last year. With a year of experience and really knowing what it is all about, our young wrestlers will demonstrate significant improvement. We will be moving several guys up a weight class from last season.”

Among the those Cyclones moving up will be sophomores Nick Fanthorpe (125 pounds to 133 pounds), Nick Gallick (133-141), Mitch Mueller (141-149) and Cyler Sanderson (149-157).

“This move is good for me,” Cyler Sanderson said. “I will be a better wrestler at 157 pounds because I've gotten bigger and will be more comfortable at that weight.”

Leading returnees is sophomore Jake Varner. The Bakersfield, Calif. native went 29-7 at 184 pounds last season en route to a runner-up national finish. As the top returning performer in his weight class, he is staying put.

“I feel real comfortable at 184,” Varner said. “I'm not big enough yet to move up to 197. We all worked hard during the off-season, both training and in competition.”

Another Cyclone staying at his weight will be heavyweight Dave Zabriskie, who was 27-8 last season. Zabriskie's biggest win was his 3-2 decision over Jared Rosholt of Oklahoma State to clinch Iowa State's first Big 12 wrestling title in the last match of the league championship meet last March in Columbia, Mo. He missed All-America status by one match last season at the NCAA meet.

There are unsettled weights. Redshirt freshman Mark Kist of Eagle Grove, senior Ben Hanisch of Waterloo and true freshman Tyler Clark of Davenport are all in contention at 125 pounds. The heir apparent at 165 pounds looks to be redshirt freshman Jonathan Reader of Davison, Mich., who boasted a 234-6 high school record. There is a three-way battle at 174 pounds between redshirt freshman Mitch Artist of Glenwood, true freshman Billy Lewis of Bettendorf and senior Aron Scott of Oskaloosa.