Seniors Lead Cyclones in Virginia Win

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. ? Three Iowa State seniors closed out their dual careers combining for two pins and a major decision as the No. 2 Iowa State wrestling team defeated Virginia 37-3 Sunday in Memorial Gym. Seniors Trent and Travis Paulson pinned their opponents at 157- and 165-pounds, respectively. Senior Kurt Backes tallied his fourth major decision of the season. The Cyclones won nine of 10 bouts and wrapped-up dual competition with a mark of 13-3.

"I thought the weekend went well," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "We wanted to get some quality matches and work on some individual fundamentals that we have stressed in practice. This was our last competitive chance before the Big 12 Championships. We're going to back to Columbia to wrestle the same way."

Trent Paulson provided the Cyclones with bonus points by sticking Mike Sewell's shoulders to the mat in 1:32. Paulson, rated second at 157 pounds, worked the Cavalier with three takedowns prior to the pin. The two-time All-American finished his ISU dual career with a record of 108-20 and holds a season mark of 22-4. His 108 career wins ties him with three-time All-American Mike Van Arsdale, for 24th on the all-time Iowa State list.

Travis Paulson followed with a fall of his own, a 5:18 pin of Matt Federici at 165 pounds. Paulson was working towards a technical fall, taking a 15-3 lead into the final period when Federici started the period from the down position. Paulson moved him to his shoulders, registering his second pin this season. The win ups his record to 23-4 this season and his career mark to 101-29.

"There had been some close matches so I was happy to give us additional bonus points," Travis Paulson said. "These dual matches were good for us and will help us prepare for the Big 12 and NCAA meets."

Backes stayed hot, amassing more than six minutes of riding time in an 12-0 win over Calvin Cardillo. Backes now stands 23-4 this season and owns a career mark of 103-28.

"I would have rather wrestled my final dual match at Hilton Coliseum in front of our fans," Backes said. "But this worked out well because my parents could come down from New Jersey to watch me wrestle. We traveled well on this trip. I'm just looking to go out, have fun and win."

Iowa State's Nick Fanthorpe opened the dual by snapping Ross Gitomer's six-match win streak with a 3-1 decision at 125 pounds. Fanthorpe is rated fifth nationally and carries a 23-7 record in his rookie season. Redshirt freshman Nick Gallick won his match at 133-pounds with a dramatic 11-9 decision over Eric Albright. Gallick trailed 9-7 after two periods but got an escape, followed by a takedown with 1:11 left in the match for the win. The Cyclone improves to 25-7 this season.

The Iowa State wrestling team will return to the mat March 3 at the Big 12 Championships in Columbia, Mo. The Cyclones will be vying for their first conference title since 1987 and will be looking to push forward to the NCAA Championships at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, Mich., March 15-17.

MATCH-BY-MATCH RESULTS

125 - Nick Fanthorpe (IS) beat Ross Gitomer, 4-1

133 - Nick Gallick (IS) beat Eric Albright, 11-9

141 - Kellon Balum (V) beat Jody DeMarie, 7-3

149 - Cyler Sanderson (IS) beat Drew DiPasquale, 12-8

157 - Trent Paulson (IS) pinned Mike Sewell, 1:32

165 - Travis Paulson (IS) pinned Matt Federici, 5:18

174 - Grant Turner (IS) beat Mike Grogan, 8-3

184 - Jake Varner (IS) won by forfeit

197 - Kurt Backes (IS) won by major decision over Calvin Cardillo, 12-0

HWT - David Zabriskie (IS) beat Scott Smith, 8-3

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Players Mentioned

Kurt Backes

Nick Fanthorpe

Nick Gallick

Travis Paulson

Trent Paulson

Cyler Sanderson

Grant Turner

Jake Varner

David Zabriskie

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Iowa State University Athletics