Seven Cyclones Advance to NCAA Second Round

Thursday, March 19

Cleveland, Ohio

11:00 AM

Iowa State

NCAA Championships (Session 1)

Stevo Poulin celebrates a win at the NCAA Championships (2026)

Photo by: Randi Yeager

Seven Cyclones Advance to NCAA Second Round

03.19.2026 | Wrestling

Metcalf Interview Brackets Team Scores Photo Gallery

CLEVELAND – Seven Cyclones advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Wrestling Championships Thursday afternoon in Cleveland. Iowa State went 7-3 during Session 1 of the championship, including four wins by bonus-point margin.

Stevo Poulin (125), Anthony Echemendia (141), Jacob Frost (149), Connor Euton (165), MJ Gaitan (174), Rocky Elam (197) and Yonger Bastida (285) all came out on top in their First-Round bouts. Garrett Grice (133), Vinny Zerban (157) and Isaac Dean (184) fell to the consolation side of the bracket.

Iowa State sits in fifth place in the team race with 14 points, trailing Penn State (22.5), Iowa (15.0), Ohio State (14.5) and Oklahoma State (14.5). The Cyclones recorded two pins and two tech falls during the session to add seven bonus points to their total.

At 125 pounds, No. 13 Stevo Poulin came out on top of a back-and-forth thriller against Michigan's Diego Sotelo. Poulin secured a takedown as time expired in the first period to take a 3-0 lead but the Wolverine would get a reversal and lock up a cradle for four near fall points to lead 6-3 with a period remaining. The Cyclone didn't waiver, however, with a takedown into a leg turk for four near fall points of his own to win, 10-6.

No. 4 Anthony Echemendia showed his prowess on top in a 5-1 decision over West Virginia's No. 29 Jordan Titus at 141 pounds. Echemendia recorded a first period takedown and over two minutes of riding time, including a ride for the entire third period, in the win.

No. 16 Jacob Frost picked up two bonus points for the Cyclones with a second period pin over Lock Haven's No. 17 Lucas Kapusta. It was Frost's second pin of the season.

No. 15 Connor Euton was decisive in a 17-2 tech fall over Army's No. 18 Gunner Filipowicz at 165 pounds. Euton scored three takedowns in the match as well as a pair of turns for seven near fall points in the second period.

In a wild First Round match at 174 pounds, No. 11 MJ Gaitan pinned Purdue's No. 22 Brody Baumann in the first period. Both wrestlers scored a takedown in the first 25 seconds of the match before eventually finding themselves back neutral on their feet. Gaitan put Baumann on his back out of a scramble on a Baumann shot attempt for the fall.

No. 2 Rocky Elam controlled his First-Round match against Utah Valley's No. 31 Kael Bennie from start to finish. The Cyclone tallied two takedowns, a reversal and a riding time point in the match.

Top-seeded Yonger Bastida picked up his nation-leading 16^th tech fall of the season against American's No. 32 Emmanuel Ulrich, 22-5 in the second period. Bastida tallied seven takedowns in the match, pushing his season total to 126:2.

UP NEXT
The Cyclones are back in action this evening at 6 p.m. (CT) with Second Round action and the first consolation rounds.

MATCH-BY-MATCH RESULTS
No. 13 Stevo Poulin (125)
First Round – W-D vs. No. 20 Diego Sotelo (MICH), 10-6
Second Round – vs. No. 4 Sheldon Seymour (LEH)

No. 28 Garrett Grice (133)
First Round – L-MD vs. No. 5 Kyler Larkin (ASU), 13-0
Consis. Rd. 1 – vs. No. 21 Sean Spidle (NW)

No. 4 Anthony Echemendia (141)
First Round – W-D vs. No. 29 Jordan Titus (WVU), 5-1
Second Round – vs. No. 13 Wyatt Henson (LH)

No. 16 Jacob Frost (149)
First Round – WBF vs. No. 17 Lucas Kapusta (LH), 3:48
Second Round – vs. No. 1 Shayne Van Ness (PSU)

No. 12 Vinny Zerban (157)
First Round – L-D vs. No. 21 Charlie Millard (MINN), 12-6
Consis. Rd. 1 – vs. No. 28 Gavin Drexler (NDSU)

No. 15 Connor Euton (165)
First Round – W-TF vs. No. 18 Gunner Filipowicz (ARMY), 17-2 (6:09)
Second Round – vs. No. 2 Joey Blaze (PUR)

No. 11 MJ Gaitan (174)
First Round – WBF vs. No. 22 Brody Baumann (PUR), 2:41
Second Round – vs. No. 6 Matty Singleton (NCST)

No. 13 Isaac Dean (184)
First Round – L-D vs. No. 20 Brian Soldano (OKLA), 4-1
Consis. Rd. 1 – vs. No. 29 Nick Fox (UNI)

No. 2 Rocky Elam (197)
First Round – W-D vs. No. 31 Kael Bennie (UVU), 9-3
Second Round – vs. No. 15 Remy Cotton (RUT)

No. 1 Yonger Bastida (285)
First Round – W-TF vs. No. 32 Emmanuel Ulrich (AU), 22-5 (3:20)
Second Round – vs. No. 16 Jimmy Mullen (VT)