ISU Leads NCAAs; Three to Finals

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. ? NCAA 197-pound finalist Kurt Backes said it best.

“Tonight, we showed people what Iowa State was all about.”

Backes, 157-pounder Trent Paulson and precocious freshman 184-pounder Jake Varner all advanced to the championship match of the NCAA wrestling tournament to push Iowa State into the team lead over a Minnesota squad that came into the event as a heavy favorite. The Cyclone surge gave ISU the top total of 83.5 points. Along with the trio of finalists, Travis Paulson will wrestle in consolation semifinals Saturday. Minnesota has prohibitive heavyweight favorite Cole Konrad in the finals with four wrestlers in the consolation bracket. A strong performance by the Gophers in the consolation round could make it very tough for Iowa State to win its first NCAA team title since 1987. Nevertheless, the Cyclones are still in the title hunt in a year where Minnesota was considered a clear favorite. Missouri is third with 69.5 points, followed by Oklahoma State (62.5) and Northwestern (56.5).

“I don't think I could have asked anything more than what these guys have given us here,” ISU head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson said. “It is tough to suffer losses that went to the final second of the match, but I am proud of Trent, Travis, Jake and Kurt. We have talked with Kurt a lot and it has been a long process for him mentally, not physically. Tonight he went out and got the first takedown. That is the kind of attitude he will need in the final. Travis wrestled a great match and although he is disappointed, he can come back and make a big difference tomorrow. I am sure that he will.”

Senior and top-seeded Trent Paulson will make his first trip to an NCAA Championship title match after avenging a Midlands Championship loss to Mike Poeta of Illinois, with a 4-0 win in the 157-pound semifinals. Now a three-time All-American, Paulson put the first points on the board with a takedown at the 1:22 mark in the first period. He closed out the opening period by riding out Poeta. Starting the second period from the down position, Paulson added another point to his lead with an escape that would clinch his spot in the championship match. The closing three minutes Paulson added to his riding time to earn the bonus point.

“I have been working for this moment since I was in elementary school,” Paulson said. “I have always wanted a chance to wrestle for the national championship and now it is a reality. Coach Sanderson told us that you have to be selfish in a tournament like this and worry about your own responsibilities and not to get caught up in the team race.”

Trent Paulson's thrill of victory was bittersweet as he watched his twin brother Travis lose to two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State in overtime.

“It is devastating really,” Trent Paulson said. “(Travis) has done more for me than I have done for him. I would trade places with him if I could.”

For the title, Trent Paulson will take on seventh-seeded Craig Henning of Wisconsin. Paulson enters his final collegiate match with a 28-4 record and a career mark of 114-20.

Sixth-seeded Jake Varner became the second Cyclone to contend for championship honors with a pivotal 4-2 sudden victory upset over second-seeded Roger Kish of Minnesota at 184 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Varner scored an escape for a 1-0 lead, only to have Kish respond with a takedown for a 2-1 lead. The freshman from Bakersfield, Calif., evened the score 2-2 with an escape that sent match into sudden victory. Varner scored a takedown in the extra period to become the first ISU freshman to advance to the NCAA championship match since Cael Sanderson in 1999 with the win. Kish had beaten Varner twice this season.

“The previous times I have wrestled Kish we locked up,” Varner said. “This time I wanted to keep space between us and not let him overpower me. I came to Iowa State with the goal of being an All-American as a freshman and now I have a chance to win a title. I have tried to focus on my own progress and let the team race take care of itself, but I would have to tell you that I knew how important that match could be.”

Standing between Varner and the 184-pound crown is top-seeded Jake Herbert of Northwestern. Herbert has advanced to the championship bout with four consecutive major decisions. Varner will put a 29-6 record on the line in tomorrow night's match up.

“I've never wrestled him (Herbert) folk-style in college,” Varner said. “I have wrestled him three times in freestyle and won two of three, but he is going to be really, really tough. I know that.”

Backes, seeded-ninth, pulled the second ISU upset in the semifinals, a 5-4 victory over fourth-seeded Phil Davis of Penn State. Backes attacked Davis, scoring a takedown to pick up momentum and then scored another takedown for a 4-1 lead opening period lead. He pushed his lead to 5-2 after beginning the second period from the down position, scoring an escape. Davis reversed Backes, narrowing the Cyclone's lead to a single point, but Backes fought off Davis' shots to hold on for the victory.

“It feels great,” Backes said. “It helps when everyday in the wrestling room you are going against Cael Sanderson and Tim Hartung. How much better could it possibly be? Coach Sanderson, it's like he has the Midas touch, everything he puts his hand on turns to gold and we believe in him. I have been very lucky to learn and work with him everyday in the wrestling room.”

Backes will have a rematch against American University's second-seeded Josh Glenn in the 197-pound title bout. The two finalists met during National Duals in mid-January and Backes made a bold statement with a 1:36 pin. Backes will be wrestling his final match as a Iowa State grappler with a 28-6 mark this season. Over his four-year career at ISU, the senior has etched his name among Cyclone greats with his career record 109-30.

“It will be a great match,” the Neshanic Station, N.J., native said. “Glenn does not stall. He is a smart wrestler and he comes out after you. I will be the same way.”

Travis Paulson suffered a 2-1 tiebreaker loss to Hendricks in the 165-pound semifinal. During regulation the only points registered were escapes exchanged by both wrestlers, sending the highly anticipated rematch into sudden victory. With neither wrestler able to get a shot in on the other, two 30-second tiebreakers were used and Hendricks was able to elude the powerful grip of Paulson for an escape point and the win. Paulson nearly had scored a reversal when time expired.

Travis, who is already a three-time All-American, will now wrestle in the semifinals of the consolation bracket. He will meet Michigan's third-seeded Eric Tannebaum for the right to wrestle for third place. The Wolverine took a 3-2 decision over Paulson during the National Duals in January. The Council Bluffs, Iowa, senior has a 27-6 record in his final season as a Cyclone and is 105-31 in his four-year career.

Three Cyclone freshmen missed becoming All-Americans by one match. Redshirt freshman Nick Fanthorpe, seeded 10th, fell behind early in the first period to No. 3 Tanner Gardner of Stanford and was unable to overcome the deficit, suffering an 8-2 defeat at 125 pounds. A native of Naperville, Ill., Fanthorpe concludes his rookie season with a record of 27-11.

Cyler Sanderson lost to Wisconsin's Tyler Turner 8-7 in the 149-pound consolation bracket. Sanderson worked from behind the entire match until he took a 7-6 lead with a takedown in the third period. With time dwindling, Sanderson cut Turner loose to even the score at 7-7. Sanderson went in for the takedown, but was not able to put the points on the board. The difference in the match was 1:43 worth of riding time that Turner has accumulated to give him a one-point edge. Sanderson wraps up his first collegiate season with a 29-11 mark in his first season.

David Zabriskie was eliminated at heavyweight by Payam Zarrinpour of Sacred Heart, 9-6 in consolation bracket action. The redshirt freshman Cyclone from Branchville, N.J., finishes with a first-year record of 27-8.

“Our freshmen, we had three guys lose in the last match before they could have been All-Americans, so we just missed there,” coach Cael Sanderson said. “We have had nine guys score in this tournament and they have each made a contribution. Next year those guys are going to be much better.”

Players Mentioned

Kurt Backes

Nick Fanthorpe

Travis Paulson

Trent Paulson

Cyler Sanderson

Jake Varner

David Zabriskie

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