Hilton opening right on schedule

AMES - The curtain will rise on Hilton Coliseum tonight after almost three months of cleanup and repair work in the flood-damaged arena.

Consecutive nights of Iowa State exhibition basketball games provide fans' a first look in the building since floodwater caused millions of dollars of damage to the Cyclones' athletics home in early August.

ISU's women play Minnesota State at 7 tonight and Wartburg Sunday afternoon.The men's team faces Dubuque Friday at 7 p.m. in Fred Hoiberg's coaching debut.

Fans won't notice a whole lot of difference in the arena, according to Associate Athletics Director Steve Malchow. The videoboard and ring beam will be somewhat limited, he said, and fans in rows near the floor will have temporary folding chairs until permanent seating is installed in January.

A new playing floor was installed last month.

The game day ticket office has moved permanently to the southwest end of the arena.

ServiceMaster cleaning crews have been off site for weeks, but construction crews are working daily on the basement level of the building where locker rooms and training rooms are housed.

Those areas will remain under construction throughout the academic year, Malchow said.

Flood costs for the university have been estimated at $50 million. Officials have not yet determined a damage estimate for Hilton.

Wrestlers open out East

Coach Kevin Jackson gets the first real look at his young team this weekend in Salem, Va.

The wrestling team has a double dual Saturday against Virginia Tech and Kent State and will compete in the Hokie Open the next day. Virginia Tech is ranked No. 25 by Intermat.

“We've been training for a long time,” Jackson said. “We are ready and want to go down there and compete at a high level.”

Jackson is taking 16 wrestlers on the trip. Six of the 10 weight classes will have more than one wrestler competing, many for the first time.

In one of two match-ups of rated wrestlers against the Hokies, Iowa State addition Chris Drouin (No. 14) goes up against No. 8-ranked Chris Diaz at 141 pounds.

Drouin, a senior, transferred from Arizona State for his final season.

In the other, which could change from ISU's perspective, is No. 20 Andrew Sorenson facing the Hokies' No. 15-ranked Matt Epperly. Chris Spangler could wrestle in Sorenson's place.

Jackson is eager for the debut of 157-pound red-shirt freshman Trent Weatherman.

The two-time state champion and four-time finalist from nearby Huxley was the top recruit in the nation at his weight class.

“Physically, there's going to be no one who can match his strength. He's a man,” Jackson said. “He wants to compete, and we expect a lot out of him.”