125 pounds: No. 27 Kale Petersen OR Joey Cruz vs. Adrian Meza OR Kysen Terukina OR Osmany Diversent

When Iowa’s Drake Ayala, a 125-pound finalist for the Hawkeyes last year, opted to move up to 133 pounds this year, he left the lightest weight open for a new Iowa star. Kale Petersen, a freshman from Rockwell, Iowa, has taken over the lead, although the Hawks do have options at this weight this weekend, as do the Cyclones. Petersen has struggled in Iowa’s last two matches and posted a 2-0 record, while Iowa’s other option, Joey Cruz, is 1-1 after his performance at the Grand View Open.

The best option for the Cylcones to take on Peterson or Cruz is Kysen Terukina, a three-time NCAA qualifier who played in the 2022 All-Star Classic. Terukina’s tough and proud career wins over All-Americans Killian Cardinale, Eric Barnett and Tanner Jordan, and while he hasn’t wrestled a match yet this year, a healthy Terukina would be a favorite against Petersen. Adrian Meza, on the other hand, has been Iowa State’s starter over the last two games and posted a 7-0 record, with two of those wins coming against Division I opponents. Meza is a solid athlete, although he hasn’t been tested by the league yet this season. This will be a benchmark match of sorts for whoever takes the mat.

133 pounds: No. 9 Drake Ayala vs. No. 5 Evan Frost

Iowa’s Evan Frost, a 2024 NCAA All-American, will be the favorite in his match against Iowa All-American Drake Ayala after Ayala lost to Stanford’s Tyler Knox on Nov. 9, though this is really a one-size-fits-all.

Ayala is fast, athletic and gritty at his best. He has given his opponents a bonus in both victories. Frost offers a nearly identical list of strengths, as he too is known for his hard, brutal wrestling. However, the Cyclone is yet to score a bonus point victory this year, having only competed in one match and winning it 14-7.

Expect seven minutes of hard wrestling in this battle. These are two intense athletes who are willing to put it on the line for their team.

141 pounds: No. 31 Ryder Block vs. Zach Redding OR Jacob Frost

Iowa redshirt freshman Ryder Block came to Iowa City as a highly ranked recruit, and he’s now trying to fill the shoes of former Hawkeye NCAA finalist Real Woods – his first Cy-Hawk dual against an unranked Zach Redding or Jacob Frost will be a good ones are a test for the new Hawk. Block is currently 2-1 on the year, with his lone loss coming against Stanford’s Aden Valencia at 11-6.

Rescue would be a tougher matchup for Block, as the veteran Cyclone is a two-time NCAA qualifier and 2023 Blood Round finisher at 133 pounds. However, he also lost to Valencia by fall in his fight with the Cardinal. Frost has played just one Division I game this year which resulted in a loss to UNI’s Cael Happel.

Block has the advantage on paper over both potential opponents, but this is another one where Iowa State could try to sneak out a win and build momentum in this rivalry.

149 pounds: No. 4 Kyle Parco vs. No. 7 Anthony Echemendia

Iowa State’s path to a potential double upset likely runs through 149 pounds, a weight where Iowa is loaded with four-time All-American Kyle Parco. In his last two fights (which were obviously not against ranked opponents), Parco outscored the competition 36-4. He looks as good as ever in the Black and Gold, but if there’s anyone early this season who could stop that momentum, it’s Iowa State’s Anthony Echemendia.

Echemendia, a 2024 All-American, is simply a fundamentally sound wrestler, one who can remain competitive with anyone. He is particularly strong on his feet and brings a 2-0 record into this fight with wins over All-American Jaden Abas of Stanford and Kaemen Smith of Navy. His goal here will be to control the pace and not let Parco get too comfortable.

I expect this match to be decided by a takedown or less. These two wrestlers are both too skilled to generate a lopsided result.

157 pounds: No. 1 Jacori Teemer vs. No. 10 Paniro Johnson

This match between Iowa’s top-ranked Jacori Teemer and Iowa State’s Paniro Johnson will come down to which version of Johnson takes the mat. There was a period during Johnson’s freshman year in 2023 when he was a title contender after his victory over NCAA finalist Austin Gomez. He also won the Big 12s that year before going 1-2 at NCAAs. If Big 12 champion Johnson takes on Teemer and stays on offense, he could surprise some people.

However, Teemer has never looked better. He has already given a bonus to both of his opponents this year and presents himself as a strong title favorite at weight. This would probably be a more competitive match at a neutral venue later in the season. But in Carver, Teemer should shine.

165 pounds: No. 2 Michael Caliendo vs. No. 9 MJ Gaitan OR Connor Euton

On paper this is a potential top ten match, but in reality Michael Caliendo will be a substantial favorite. The Hawkeye All-American has scored at least 17 points in all three of his games so far this season, with his best game coming in a 17-12 performance against 2024 Stanford All-American Hunter Garvin. He is the clear No. 2 back NCAA finalist Mitchell Mesenbrink, and he has shown no sign of slowing down.

Iowa State’s top foe for Caliendo would be MJ Gaitan, a 2024 Round of 12 finisher who has fallen from 174 and his 2-0 on the season against Division I opponents. Gaitan has looked good and also averaged double figures in his matches, but Caliendo will still be a heavy favorite, especially if Iowa State chooses to wrestle Connor Euton. After an impressive 20-4 season last year as a backup at 165 pounds last year, Euton is 1-1 on the year and is coming off a 10-3 loss to Garvin. He’s solid, but Caliendo is on another level because of both his experience and his offensive performance on the mat.

174 pounds: No. 10 Nelson Brands OF Patrick Kennedy vs. Aiden Riggins

There is so much to explore in these three likely athletes mentioned. Iowa’s 174-pound spot was a popular storyline in the opening weeks of the season, with 2023 All-American Nelson Brands holding the weight with redshirt freshman Gabe Arnold at 184 despite Arnold’s public interest in playing a 174-pounder are. Brands appears to start this dual at that weight again, although teammate Patrick Kennedy, who was Iowa’s starter at this weight last year, is listed as an alternate option. Brands or Kennedy are expected to face former teammate and Iowa State transfer Aiden Riggens in a bout where either Hawk will be favored, but tensions could run high.

This will be Riggins’ first time competing at Carver-Hawkeye since leaving Iowa City, and he will be one weight down from the 184-pound weight class, where he posted a 10-12 record last season. Iowa State’s goal is to avoid bonus points in this battle.

184 pounds: No. 7 Gabe Arnold vs. No. 15 Evan Bockman

This is another matchup that will favor the Hawks on paper, as Iowa’s Gabe Arnold looks to be a full-size 184-pounder this year and has been on a roll lately. The young Hawk will enter this top-15 match with a 3-0 record and a 66% bonus, although he has not yet faced a top-15 opponent. Iowa State’s Evan Bockman will be Arnold’s biggest challenge yet.

A transfer from Utah Valley, Bockman of Iowa State is also undefeated, but his two wins also weren’t against the highest-ranked athletes in weight. Interestingly, one of Bockman’s best career wins came against now teammate Yonger Bastida when the two athletes both wrestled at 197 pounds. Bockman’s resume shows that he is ready to compete hard. Arnold has the advantage in the rankings, but this could be a sneaky opportunity for the Cyclones if Arnold isn’t careful or if he takes his foot off the gas pedal for too long.

197 poNds: No. 2 Stephen Buchanan vs. No. 20 Christian Carroll

Stephen Buchanan seems like a title contender this year. The Hawkeye transfer is ranked second at Intermat behind 2021 NCAA champion AJ Ferrari, but his 3-0 record, including an opening season win against All-American Trey Munoz, shows Buchanan was ready from the start to fight for that national title. His opponent in his first Cy-Hawk dual will be talented recruit Christian Carroll, a transfer from Oklahoma State.

Carroll has a ton of talent and skill, but going up against someone as experienced as Buchanan in Carver-Hawkeye can be quite an experience. I predict that Carroll – who is 2-0 this year with solid wins over Nick Stemmet and Payton Thomas – will be a difference maker for Iowa State in the upcoming Cy-Hawks duals; However, counting on him winning in this situation in 2024 is quite a task.

285 pounds: No. 13 Ben Kueter vs. No. 4 Yonger Bastida OR Daniel Herrera

Everyone wants to see Ben Kueter vs. Yonger Bastida. Iowa State has Bastida listed as one of two possible options alongside Daniel Herrera, and while Herrera is solid, Bastida is putting on a show. Heading into the national tournament last year, Iowa State big man Bastida appeared to be a favorite to win a national title after defeating then-Air Force’s Wyatt Hendrickson for the Big 12 crown. A funky loss in the Blood Round put an end to those goals, but now Bastida is back looking for more.

However, Iowa is hoping that top recruit and U20 silver medalist Ben Kueter can stop Bastida, and getting the chance to test himself against someone like the Cyclone this early in the season is a great opportunity. Kueter, a redshirt freshman, wrestled in a pair of duals last year while also playing football for the Hawks, but now that he’s focused solely on wrestling, Hawk fans believe the sky is the limit for the Iowa native. This is his first big chance to prove that.