Big 12 Title Literally Up for Grabs

AMES, Iowa ? Iowa State wrestling boasts a tradition worthy of one of the most prolific college programs in the country, boasting 46 grapplers who have won a total of 65 NCAA individual titles. The Cyclones has claimed eight NCAA team titles and has won 14 conference team crowns. In total ISU wrestlers have won 143 individual conference titles, including four last season. It is rare then, that an Iowa State wrestling team today can go where none has gone before. But that could happen if Iowa State wins an unprecedented third straight Big 12 title Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.

The 2009 Big 12 Wrestling Championship will be held on Saturday at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb. Doors open at 10 a.m. CT, with the first round beginning at 11 a.m. CT. The semifinals are at 11 a.m. with consolation matches at 4 p.m. The finals, which will be telecast live on Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Southwest and Comcast Chicago, start at 7 p.m. Fans can watch streamed video of the earlier rounds and get live results at big12sports.com.

Complete Pre-Event Coverage
Complete Release Big 12 Live Video and Stats		Press Conference Live Stats

No. 3 Iowa State leads the conference nationally, followed by No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Missouri, No. 12 Oklahoma State and No. 13 Oklahoma. ISU is the two-time defending Big 12 Conference champion heading into the event, while the Cowboys lead the league having won eight conference team titles to date. Both host Nebraska and Missouri are biding for their first Big 12 crowns, while the Sooners will be competing for their third.

The Big 12 has 33 wrestlers currently nationally-ranked through all 10 weight classes, including 20 in the top 10 and nine in the top five. The conference also has the two top-ranked grapplers overall in Iowa State's Jake Varner (197) and David Zabriskie (HWT). A total of nine wrestlers from last season's championship return this year to defend their place atop the podium.

Zabriskie is in the hunt at 285 pounds after standing atop the heavyweight podium in 2007 as a freshman, when his win over Oklahoma State's Jared Rosholt in the finals climched Iowa State's first team crown in 20 years.

“It was a pretty good feeling,” Zabriskie said. “Being able to look back on it now, I was just a freshman then, first year in the varsity lineup and I just went out there and wrestled hard. I was just trying to pick up the win for myself and I was also able to help the team win it that year.”

The Branchville, N.J. native isn't letting the Big 12's tough competition at his weight worry him.

“I'm going to keep wrestling the same way I have all season,” Zabriskie said. “Obviously the whole conference is tough. Everybody in the conference is ranked. The best guys in the conference are also the best guys in the country. You can't go into the tournament with your guard down.”

Tickets are still available. All-session packages are $20 for reserved seating, or $15 for general admission. Single-session tickets will be available at the door for $12 (reserved) and $8 (general) for each of the two sessions.

Despite the return of 2008 conference champions in Nick Fanthorpe (133), Nate Gallick (141), Cyler Sanderson (157) and Varner (197-184 champ last season), Big 12 parity means the team title could literally go to any of the five league teams.

“I feel good about where we are right now,” Cyclone head coach Cael Sanderson said. “I think we are healthy and in the right frame of mind to be at our best this weekend.”

There will be some differences. The NCAA went with a new qualifying criteria this season. In the past, conferences were allocated a set number of student-athletes from each league, based on performance over the five previous years. Now, automatic qualifiers are already allocated by weight and conference based on performance this year's performance only. Therefore all five Big 12 wrestlers at 165 pounds, 197 pounds and heavyweight are already ticketed to go to St. Louis for the NCAA meet, March 19-21. In addition to the automatic qualifying, an NCAA committee will select “at-large” entrants from a national pool to be announced Wednesday. The automatic qualifiers are as follows:

Conference	125	133	141	149	157	165	174	184	197	285		Total
Big 12 Conference	3	3	3	2	4	5	3	4	5	5		37

“The qualifying is different but even in the weights where there are five qualifiers, you are fired up to win the Big 12,” Sanderson said. “When all three teams are ranked in the top five and all five schools are in the top 13, you know people will bring their best. I think the first-round matches will be huge. They go a long way toward who will win the team title.”

Going for three-straight team titles doesn't have the Cyclone wrestlers feeling the least bit hesitant.

“We are looking forward to going into the Big 12s,” Fanthorpe said. “This is the time of the year to give our best effort and see the best results, so obviously we're really excited to get down to Lincoln and get on the mat.”

Players Mentioned

Nick Fanthorpe

Nick Fanthorpe

Cyler Sanderson

Cyler Sanderson

Jake Varner

Jake Varner

David Zabriskie

David Zabriskie

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