Iowa State dominates early, struggles late in 27-12 men’s wrestling loss to Oklahoma State

AMES — Lights. Camera. Full-tilt action.

No. 13 Iowa State’s twin duo of Evan and Jacob Frost notched impressive wins early in Sunday’s ESPN-televised Big 12 wrestling dual meet with Oklahoma State, but the Cyclones couldn’t sustain that momentum, and fell, 27-12, to the third-ranked Cowboys at Hilton Coliseum.

“Super impressed with the start until we had the intermission and I knew it was gonna be tough,” ISU head coach Kevin Dresser said. “And it was very tough.”

Evan Frost — ISU’s fifth-ranked 133 pounder — used a tilt to score four critical back points and win, 9-4, over talented but often-injured Reece Witcraft. That kicked off a string of four consecutive victories for the Cyclones, who led 12-4, before being outscored 23-0 in the five heavier weight classes.

All of the Cowboys’ wrestlers from 165 pounds on up are ranked in the top seven, including No. 3 Wyatt Hendrickson, who beat ISU’s promising freshman, Daniel Herrera, by technical fall to close out the dual.

The Cyclones are missing five of their starters because of injuries of varying severity, including heavyweight Yonger Bastida, who will seek a medical redshirt (knee).

But ISU’s early success thrilled the Hilton crowd who watched the second dual meet ever to be broadcast live on ESPN’s top platform.

“It wasn’t what we wanted in terms of personnel, but I thought the guys wrestled hard and really competed,” Dresser said.

Jacob Frost, ranked 13th at 141, got the only takedown in his match against No. 4 Tagen Johnson to triumph, 4-1, in sudden victory. It’s Frost’s first career top-five victory and he improved to 12-2 this season while former All-American Anthony Echemendia heals up from an injury.

“That was a heckuva match,” Dresser said. “Those Frost boys are tough.”

The Cyclones’ 11th-ranked 149 pounder, Paniro Johnson, fended off a tough shot late in his match with No. 14 Carter Young and won, 4-2.

And ISU’s No. 12 157-pounder, Cody Chittum, outlasted No. 11 Caleb Fish, 4-2, to add to his team’s hot start to the meet.

“He beat a really good guy,” Dresser said. “Fish has been on a roll, so that was a big win. He stayed disciplined and focused to his process.”

BONUS MATCH

Thomas Gilman — a four-time All-American at Iowa and 2021 world champion — wrestled Reineri Andreu Ortega of the Cyclone Regional Training Center in an exhibition freestyle bout after the dual meet’s completion.

Gilman, now an assistant coach Oklahoma State, couldn’t secure a late takedown and lost to the talented Cuban, 4-3. Ortega, a two-time under-23 world champion, is now 2-1 all-time against Gilman.

125:#4 Troy Spratley (OSU) maj. dec. Ethan Perryman (ISU), 20-10

133:#5 Evan Frost (ISU) dec. Reece Witcraft (OSU), 9-4

141:#13 Jacob Frost (ISU) dec. #4 Tagen Jamison (OSU), 4-1 SV-1

149:#11 Paniro Johnson (ISU) dec. #14 Carter Young (OSU), 4-2

157:#12 Cody Chittum (ISU) dec. #11 Caleb Fish (OSU), 4-2

165:#6 Cameron Amine (OSU) dec. Aiden Riggins (ISU), 11-4

174:#3 Dean Hamiti Jr. (OSU) TF #23 MJ Gaitan (ISU), 20-4 (5:20)

184:#3 Dustin Plott (OSU) maj. dec. #12 Evan Bockman (ISU), 11-2

197:#7 Luke Surber (OSU) def. Sawyer Bartelt (ISU), Inj. Def. (6:37)

285:#3 Wyatt Hendrickson (OSU) TF #23 Daniel Herrera (ISU), 16-0 (3:30)

Attendance: 6,533

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