Iowa State Wrestlers Defeat Rival Iowa, Ending 20-Year Losing Streak
AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State wrestling team defeated rival iowa 18-16 on Sunday, snapping a two-decade-long losing streak in the Cy-Hawk rivalry dual. It marked the Cyclones‘ first win over the Hawkeyes since 2005, ending a run of 20 consecutive Iowa victories.
The dual culminated in a decisive win by Iowa State’s rocky Elam over Iowa’s Massoma Endene at 285 pounds. Elam had specifically requested the possibility to wrestle last, according to Cyclone head coach Kevin Dresser. “He must have asked five times if he could go last,” dresser said.
Iowa State won a coin flip to determine the starting weight class, allowing Elam to wrestle in the final bout. “This is one of the reasons I came here,” Elam told Dresser after the match.
The victory was a significant moment for the Iowa State program, which had struggled in recent matchups against Iowa.In the last 20 contests, and 35 of the last 36, and 59 of the previous 63, the Cyclones had fallen short in key moments. This time, Elam, along with teammates MJ gaitan and Evan Frost, and three others secured crucial wins.
Iowa State previously placed ahead of Iowa at the NCAA Championships in 2023,the first time since 2007. Despite high expectations for the 2024-25 season, injuries hampered the Cyclones’ performance.
“That was one of the objectives, to get this thing back on our side,” Dresser said. “It took longer than I wanted to, but we got it going.”
