The Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open featured 270 total wrestlers spanning NCAA Division I to NAIA schools. Fourteen Iowa Staters advanced to the semifinals of the event.
Head coach Kevin Jackson saw the successful action as being part of his plan early this season.
“I want to congratulate our champions and placewinners,” Jackson said. “Those guys were doing the things we’ve been asking them to do. Our errors in concentration remain the same. We still need to work on those certain areas and improve. We are going to get better and will continue getting better.”
Jackson is confident in the Cyclone squad’s ability to progress as the season continues.
“We’re happy with where we are at,” Jackson said. “Come Monday, it is back to work though and we’ll be hitting it hard.”
Two Cyclones took Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open titles to finish with a clean sweep of the event during their Cyclone careers. ISU three-time NCAA finalist Jake Varner took his fourth Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open title with a finals pin in a rematch with his opponent from Thursday’s dual with SDSU. Varner stuck the Jacks’ Tyler Sorenson in the first period in 2:27.
Cyclone senior 149-pound Mitch Mueller added his fourth title at 149 pounds with a victory over Lindenwood’s Sam Schmitz by decision, 8-2. Mueller recorded two technical falls to start the action Saturday morning.
Iowa State heavyweight David Zabriskie was victorious at the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open for the third time in his career. The Cyclone held off Wartburg’s upset-minded John Helgerson by a score of 3-0 in the finals. Helgerson edged ISU’s Eric Thompson 5-3 in the first round to start his run to the finals.
Two-time All-American and Pan-Am Games silver medalist Jon Reader got his third title. The Cyclone took the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open 165-pound title in convincing fashion, with two pins, a technical fall and a major decision in four matches. Reader handled Ryan Pankoke of Nebraska-Omaha 17-6 for a major decision in the finals.
Sophomore 157-pounder Andrew Sorenson took the crown with a finals victory over UNI’s Brett Robbins, 8-2. Sorenson took down Iowa’s Derek St. John in the semifinals with a 7-5 decision. The Cyclone recorded three pins over opponents in earlier rounds.
“(Jake) Varner was impressive and so was (Jon) Reader,” Jackson said. “But Andrew Sorenson really stepped it up today. He beat a kid from Iowa that won their wrestle-off. Andrew performed well all day long. He’s made big strides since the intrasquad.”
Redshirt freshman Andrew Long took his first title with a major decision of Iowa’s J.J. Krutsinger, 11-2 in the finals. Long was 5-0 in the tournament with three major decisions and a pin.
In a rematch from the Cardinal and Gold Intrasquad, Cyclone 174-pounders Duke Burk and Chris Spangler clashed in the finals. Burk was the winner again, edging Spangler 3-1 to take the title.
Iowa State continues the early stages of its 2009-10 campaign Nov. 21 at the Kaufman-Brand (Omaha) Open on Nebraska-Omaha’s campus. Mat action begins at 9 a.m.
Click the links in the video slideout tab above for a PDF of the full results and a photo album.
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