Cyclones moving on without star seniors

AMES – Now is when Kevin Jackson earns his stripes as the leader of Iowa State's wrestling program.

The bulk of his All-America lineup – one put together by former coach Cael Sanderson – has moved on, leaving the second-year coach a major challenge keeping the Cyclones among the nation's elite after a 13-2 dual meet season and a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

ISU's senior class leaves having placed in the top five all four years.

“There's no doubt we have a lot of work to do,” Jackson said.

National champions Jake Varner (197) and David Zabriskie (Hwt) are gone.

So is 133-pounder Nick Fanthorpe, Mitch Mueller at 149 and Duke Burk at 174. ISU has appealed the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility for injured senior 141-pounder Nick Gallick – a twice a top-five finisher at nationals -- but it's likely his career is over.

Only Jon Reader (165) and Andrew Long, a surprise 125-pound NCAA finalist this year as a redshirt freshman, return as All-Americans.

“We are going to be the underdogs now,” Reader said. “But I kind of like it that way. We have to work hard. That was an incredible class. We are going to miss them, but we are going to keep moving forward.”

Reader, a junior, had a disappointing national tournament, losing his first-round match and failing to become an All-American for the first time in his career.

He may be the lone senior in the lineup.

The Cyclones are going to count on the Davison, Mich., native for leadership.

“I am going to lead by example and hope everybody follows,” Reader said. “It's not my job to yell at anybody.”

Reader hopes to again travel and wrestle overseas, perhaps with an eye toward moving up a weight class to 174.

“We are talking about it right now,” he said. “We'll see how strong we can make our lineup. I'll do whatever it takes for our team.”

Jackson talked about a pair of first-year wrestlers he convinced to stick with the program after Sanderson left for Penn State, who need to grow up quickly in Ballard's Trent Weatherman and Boaz Beard of Wichita, Kan.

“We are expecting those guys to come in and wrestle the same as Andrew Long did,” Jackson said. “Our mission never changes. Whoever ends up filling in the gaps, we expect them to perform at a high level.”

Heavyweight Eric Thompson had academic troubles last season and spent last semester at a local junior college.

The two-time state champion from Waverly-Shell Rock reapplied for admittance at ISU and will soon learn his fate. Thompson would be a sophomore.

“He actually failed out of school,” Jackson said. “He's on track to come back to Iowa State and wrestle right away.”

The Cyclones have their work cut out for them without their stars.

But that won't be an excuse for anyone inside the wrestling room.

“If you are the starting guy you have to have the mentality of winning a national title,” Reader said. “If we are going to be competing with Iowa, that's the way we have to think.”