Finch Sets Sight on Big 12 Title

AMES, Iowa - Entering his redshirt freshman year in the Iowa State wrestling program, Ryak Finch had a plan.

He did not care where the rankings listed him among the nation's other top wrestlers at 125 pounds throughout the season. For Finch, the only thing that mattered was the end result.

"The plan is always to win," Finch said. "Win the Big 12 championship and then go on and win Nationals, That's always been my goal since I was a kid, to come in and have a big impact. Rankings aren't really something that I'm worried about, I just wanted to come in and make noise."

Finch opened the season on a tear, winning the first eight matches of his Cyclone career, before hitting a difficult stretch in the schedule. During that stretch, Finch wrestled eight matches against top-15 opponents, including three against opponents ranked in the top five.

"I had a couple down matches there, after the Iowa match and after my first couple Big 12 matches, where I was kind of down but then I got back and got a couple more wins," Finch noted. "Right now, my confidence is as high as it can be, and this is the part of the season that matters most."

Currently Finch, who is 14-6 overall this season and 10-6 in duals, is ranked No. 12 nationally at 125 pounds. Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson says Finch's plan of a national championship is very much a possibility.

"I really see (Finch) as a top-eight kid in the country," Jackson said. "He's not ranked top eight right now, but all his losses have come to athletes ranked in the top eight. I don't think he's wrestled his best match yet. He's had some good matches, but I think the best is yet to come, so we think he's capable of contending for a national championship."

Finch's friend and teammate RJ Hallman, who wrestles for the Cyclones at 133 pounds, knows why Finch is one of the nation's best wrestlers in his weight division. Aside from being the most explosive and quickest wrestler on the team, Hallman has no doubt Finch also outworks his competition daily.

"Everything the coaches say, he's doing it," Hallman said. "He's one of the hardest workers on the team. Always doing extra work, always doing extra sprints after practice. He doesn't look that strong, but in the weight room, he can pull some weight. He just works harder than anyone else."

Finch and the Cyclones are currently preparing for the Big 12 Championships on March 3 in Columbia, Mo., where Finch will face No. 9 Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma in the first round.

Players Mentioned

Ryak Finch

Ryak Finch

RJ Hallman

RJ Hallman

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