PRIMER: No. 9 Iowa State Hosts Bucknell to Open Metcalf Era

Sunday, November 1

Ames, Iowa

6:00 PM

Iowa State

Bucknell

Buy Tickets

10.29.2026 | Men's Wrestling

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AMES, Iowa - No. 9 Iowa State hosts Bucknell inside of Hilton Coliseum Sunday evening for the first dual of the Brent Metcalf era. Match time is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+

THE MATCHUP: No. 9 Iowa State (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Bucknell (0-0, 0-0 EIWA)
WHERE: Hilton Coliseum (14,267) – Ames, Iowa
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026 – 6 p.m. (CT)
PURCHASE TICKETS

The Links
WATCH: ESPN+
PxP: Tom Kroeschell; Analyst: Tim O'Brien
LISTEN: Varsity App
PxP: Joe Sinclair; PxP: Joe Sinclair; Analyst: Gannon Gremmel
MATCH NOTES
LIVE STATS

PROBABLE MATCHUPS
No. 9 Iowa State (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Bucknell (0-0, 0-0 EIWA)
125: Rin Sakamoto (0-0) -or- Dru Ayala (0-0) vs. Kade Davidheiser (0-0)
133: No. 15 Garrett Grice (0-0) -or- Thunder Lewis (0-0) vs. Blue Stiffler (0-0)
141: No. 2 Evan Frost (0-0) vs. Brayden Sigle (0-0) -or- Bryce Manera (0-0)
149: No. 9 Jacob Frost (0-0) vs. Cade Wirnsberger (0-0)
157: No. 13 Paniro Johnson (0-0) vs. Ryan Lawler (0-0)
165: No. 13 Connor Euton (0-0) vs. No. 15 Noah Mulvaney (0-0)
174: No. 9 MJ Gaitan (0-0) vs. No. 17 Myles Takats (0-0)
184: Sawyer Bartelt (0-0) vs. No. 29 Tyler Bienus (0-0)
197: Brayden Thompson (0-0) vs. No. 21 Dillon Bechtold (0-0)
285: No. 15 Coby Merrill (0-0) vs. Lucas Lawler (0-0)
*InterMat Rankings (10/27/2026)

INSIDE THE SERIES
4th Meeting
Overall: 3-0
Home: 1-0
Road: 0-0
Neutral: 2-0
Metcalf vs. BU: 0-0
Last Meeting: 1/11/2025 (ISU 28, BU 12)

CYCLONES vs. BISON
The Cyclones host Bucknell for just the second time in history and the first time since 2019. Iowa State and Bucknell have met twice on a neutral mat (1997, 2025).

Iowa State has won all three of its prior meetings against Bucknell. The Cyclones and Bison last met in 2025 at the Virginia Duals with ISU getting a 28-12 victory.

Five current Cyclones were in the lineup the last time these two teams met in 2025. Evan Frost, Jacob Frost and Paniro Johnson earned victories while Aiden Riggins and MJ Gaitan fell short in their bouts.

Evan Frost vs. Bucknell (2025) — Iowa State last wrestled Bucknell at the 2025 Virginia Duals. Evan Frost (pictured above) defeated No. 30 Kurt Phipps, 6-3.

NEW COACH, NEW ENERGY
Despite being on Iowa State's staff previously as an assistant coach, first-year head coach Brent Metcalf has injected new energy and a new way of doing things into the program. His first order of business after being hired was bringing in two new members of the coaching staff: Drake Ayala (Iowa) and Javier Maldonado (Little Rock).

Metcalf is preaching a mindset of "performance over placement" and is urging his athletes to focus on how they perform and putting points on the scoreboard as opposed to worrying about the end result of a match.

Focused on us. https://t.co/dW4bH1er9g
— Iowa State Men's Wrestling (@CycloneWR) October 27, 2026

A LOOK AT THE ROSTER
Iowa State's 2026-27 roster sits at 30 athletes, 12 of which are newcomers (7 true freshman, 4 transfers, 1 upperclassman walk-on).

Metcalf and his staff added four wrestlers to the roster from the transfer portal during the offseason, keying in on several immediate high-impact additions. Three of those transfers are in the probable lineup this week (Rin Sakamoto, Dru Ayala, Brayden Thompson).
There are 10 athletes on the roster who have qualified for the NCAA Championships at least once in their career, including three that have achieved All-American status: (Evan Frost, Jacob Frost, MJ Gaitan).

FRESH FACES
Iowa State welcomed an impressive freshman class headlined by six Class of 2026 top-250 MatScouts Big Boarders, including five top-150 prospects. Highlighting the group is heavyweight Coby Merrill, the highest rated Cyclone in the class, who brought home a bronze medal from the U23 World Championships in mid-October.

Coby Merrill - No. 7 overall
Jake Miller - No. 44 overall
Liam Kelly - No. 64 overall
David Perez - No. 116 overall
Valentine Popadiuc - No. 141 overall
Thunder Lewis - No. 241 overall

SCOUTING BUCKNELL
Bucknell, coached by Dan Wirnsberger, is coming off one of its best seasons in school history. Last year, the Bison finished third at the EIWA Championships and won two individual EIWA crowns for the first time in program history.

Four Bison upperweights are ranked in the InterMat preseason poll - No. 15 Noach Mulvaney (165), No. 17 Myles Takats (174), No. 29 Tyler Bienus (184) and No. 21 Dillon Bechtold (197).

Sunday's featured match, the only top-15 bout of the dual, comes at 165 pounds between ISU's Connor Euton and Bucknell's Mulvaney, a two-time EIWA runner-up. Both wrestlers qualified for the 2026 NCAA Championships with Euton reaching the Round of 24 and Mulvaney reaching the Round of 16. The pair have not wrestled each other before. Against common opponents in their careers, Euton holds a 7-5 record while Mulvaney is 12-7.

OTHER KEY STORYLINES

Iowa State returns 48 percent of its dual meet starts from last season and 15 of its 52 points from the 2026 NCAA Championships.
The Cyclones are 28-4 on their home mat in the last five seasons.
ISU is 7-1 in its last eight season dual openers.
Brent Metcalf tries for his first dual win as head coach. Six of the eight previous Cyclone head coaches won their first dual in their first attempt.
Iowa State placed eighth as a team at the 2026 NCAA Championships with three All-Americans and 52 team points. MJ Gaitan (8th - 174) is the lone 2026 Cyclone All-American back on the roster after the graduation of Yonger Bastida (2nd - HWT) and transfer of Anthony Echemendia (6th - 141).
Evan Frost, who had shoulder surgery this offseason, is up at 141 pounds this season after spending the bulk of his career at 133 pounds. This is his final year of eligibility while his brother, Jacob, has the potential for a medical redshirt year following this season.
California native MJ Gaitan, a staple in the lineup for the last three seasons, enters his final season wearing the Cardinal & Gold. He had a breakout 2025-26 season, finishing eighth at the NCAA Championships to become ISU's first 174-pound All-American since 2016.
Jacob Frost looks to grow into the 149 pound weight class after he moved up to the weight prior to the 2025-26 campaign. He went 20-9 last season and fell a match shy of a return trip to the podium at the 2026 NCAA Championships, falling in the Blood Round as the No. 16 seed.
Heavyweight Coby Merrill is one of the country's most highlight-touted freshman. He is currently the highest-ranked true freshman heavyweight.
Now at 157 pounds, Paniro Johnson is looking to rebound in 2026-27 after his 2025-26 season was cut short due to a neck injury early in the year. He is a two-time Big 12 Champion (2023, '25).
Cyclone 184-pounder Sawyer Bartelt is back healthy after suffering a series of knee injuries which kept him off the mat last season. Should Bartelt get the nod against Bucknell, it would be his first match since Jan. 26, 2025. It would be 644 days between matches.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
There are several notable changes to Cyclone wrestling matchday in Hilton Coliseum this season.

Fans are encouraged to check their email for detailed information and check out Cyclones.com for all venue policies and procedures.

Hilton Coliseum will have a new floor layout, student section and floor General Admission seating this season. Fan can purchase tickets for the floor GA seating, here, and get closer to the action than ever before.

Note: Starting Jan. 10 against Arizona State, the mat will be elevated on a stage.

26-27 WR Hilton Seating Chart

SOCIAL EVENTS
MatCYd Club - 4:30 p.m.
Johnny's at Scheman will open for MatCYd Club members 90 minutes prior to each home dual meet and will close at the start of the dual; bars will close 15 minutes prior to the meet start time.

Coach Metcalf will give his pre-match chalk talk approximately 30 minutes prior to the match.

MatCYd Club pass holders should enter the Scheman Building via the ground level doors on either the north or south side of the building. Normal Johnny's policies and procedures will be in place. All MatCYd Club/Johnny's guests must have a MatCYd Club pass, and all MatCYd Club guests must stop at the designated "Johnny's Scanning Stations" on the ground level of Scheman to scan their pass. Every guest will have a secure, one-time use wristband put on them when they scan in on the ground level; the individual seeking admittance must be present to receive their wristband when their pass is scanned.

All MatCYd Club members are encouraged to check their email for more information.

Pre-Match Chalk-Talk (Iowa State vs. Buckell)

HALLOWEEN AT HILTON
All fans who come to the dual dressed in a Halloween costume will receive a free GA ticket to the meet. Fans wanting to participate must enter through the ticket box office doors located on the southwest corner of Hilton Coliseum to claim your tickets.

Please note the following costume guidelines:

Costume Guidelines
Costumes are welcome provided they do not create a safety concern, interfere with stadium operations, or violate university policies.

• Masks and face coverings: Masks and face coverings are prohibited.
• Weapons and props: Real or imitation firearms, toy weapons, knives, swords, and other weapon-like costume props are prohibited.
• Costume accessories: Sharp, pointed, rigid, or hazardous accessories are prohibited.
• Visibility and movement: Costumes must not obstruct aisles, exits, accessible routes, or other fans' views.
• Uniforms and identification: Costumes must not reasonably be mistaken for authorized law enforcement officers, emergency responders, or university personnel.
• Appropriate attire: Costumes must comply with university policies and applicable fan conduct standards.

Entry and Enforcement
All costumes and accessories are subject to existing stadium entry procedures and prohibited-item requirements. Security personnel may inspect costume components in accordance with established screening procedures.

Attendees may be required to remove prohibited items, modify their costumes, or leave the stadium if they do not comply with applicable policies. Decisions will be handled in accordance with established stadium and university procedures.

WATCH INTERVIEWS
Watch interviews from Iowa State's preseason media day last week. Hear from head coach Brent Metcalf, Evan Frost and Jacob Frost.