Iowa State Sets Sights On Dual With North Carolina

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State wrestling team (1-5, 1-3 Big 12) is set for a matchup with North Carolina (4-3, 0-1 ACC). The Cyclones and Tar Heels will square off in Chapel Hill for the first time since 1990 on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. CT.

ISU is looking to bounce back after suffering a loss to No. 19 Arizona State, 25-14. Iowa State notched three wins in the contest, while dropping four matches by just one point each.

When: Saturday, Jan. 14 – 6:00 p.m. CT
Where: Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Carmichael Arena
Live Stats: Live stats will be available during the dual on trackwrestling.com
Live Stream: The dual will be available through ACC Network Extra via WatchESPN
Live Updates: Follow @Cyclonewr on Twitter for live updates, match-by-match results and exclusive content

Scouting North Carolina
The Tar Heels enter the dual with a 4-3 mark on the year. In their last competition, they were defeated by No. 6 Virginia Tech, 28-8. ISU and UNC have faced a similar opponent this season in Wyoming. The Tar Heels faired better against the Cowboys than did the Cyclones, knocking them off by a 25-7 margin.

UNC touts three nationally ranked wrestlers. At 141 pounds, Joey Ward is ranked No. 4 nationally, Joey Moon checks in at No. 19 at 149 pounds and Ethan Ramos is pegged at No. 7 at 174 pounds.

ISU v. UNC History
- The last time these two squads met up was at the National Duals in 1995. The Cyclones downed the Tar Heels, 25-19.
- Overall, ISU holds a 12-3 advantage over UNC all-time.
- The first meeting between Iowa State and North Carolina came in 1981. Iowa Sate won the matchup, 27-8.

Cyclone Notebook
-Iowa State will take on North Carolina Jan. 14 at 6:00 p.m. CT. This will be the first meeting between the Cyclones and Tar Heels since 1995 and the first in Chapel Hill since 1990.
-The Cyclones suffered a 25-14 blow from No. 19 Arizona State in their last contest. ISU picked up three bonus-point victories from Markus Simmons (fall), Earl Hall (major decision) and Patrick Downey (major decision).
-Downey's appearance was his first since the Cyclone Open in November. After mending a broken rib, the 2016 All American knocked off the rust in a 19-7 major-decision over Conner Small.
-For Simmons, it was his third fall on the year and eighth bonus-point decision in 14 total wins. He locked up a first-period pin on Arizona State's Michael Nguyen in 1:30.
-The Cyclones earned a 12th-place finish (54.5 points) at the 2016 Midlands Championships. ISU finished with three wrestlers on the podium in Earl Hall (fourth), Kanen Storr (fifth) and Lelund Weatherspoon (second.)
-Storr became just the third Cyclone since 1982 to finish on the podium as a true freshman. In 2011, Tanner Weatherman finished fifth and in 2011 Jon Reader took seventh place.
-In the 174-pound semifinals, Weatherspoon was able to avenge a loss he suffered to Alex Meyer in the Cy-Hawk Dual on Dec. 10. The 2015 All-Americans wrestled to a 9-7 decision with Weatherspoon coming out on top and earning a spot in the championship bout.
-Redshirt freshman Colston DiBlasi had a great first half of the season. After picking up three wins by fall at the Midlands, DiBlasi now has 11 on the year, which led the country after the tournament. Overall, the Kansas City, Mo. product has a 16-9 record on the year.
-ISU took 12th place as a team in Las Vegas with 49 team points behind top-8 finishes from Markus Simmons (eighth), Chase Straw (eighth), Lelund Weatherspoon (fourth) and Quean Smith (eighth).
-For Simmons, Straw and Smith, it was their first time on the podium in Vegas. For Weatherspoon, it was the second time the 2016 All-American has earned at top-8 finish, and the best of his career. He finished fifth in 2014.
-Four Cyclones are ranked in this week's national polls. Markus Simmons (15, 12, 15) Earl Hall (11, 14,12), Lelund Weatherspoon (8, 12, 9) and Patrick Downey (10, 8, 7) all begin the weekend slotted in the top-20 in FloWrestling, TheOpenMat and Intermat rankings.
-Kanen Storr has put up five top-five finishes in tournaments and has compiled a 25-5 record with 14 bonus-point decisions. Ian Parker has garnered four top-four finishes and has pieced together a 17-8 mark this year.
-Earl Hall is knocking on the door of 100 career wins. Hall has tallied 97 victories in his decorated Cyclone career.
-Hall (7), Weatherspoon (6) and Downey (5) are all coming off of All-America finishes in 2015-16. The Cyclones are one of just eight squads in the country to return three or more 2016 All-Americans.
-Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson is in his eighth year leading the Cyclones.

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Players Mentioned

Colston DiBlasi

Earl Hall

Ian Parker

Markus Simmons

Quean Smith

Kanen Storr

Chase Straw

Tanner Weatherman

Lelund Weatherspoon

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Iowa State University Athletics