Dresser has Cyclone wrestling on the move


KEVIN DRESSER

By Phil Monson

Since Humboldt native Kevin Dresser arrived in Ames three years ago to take over the head coaching job of the Iowa State University wrestling program, the Cyclones have made great gains.
They went from a doormat with a 1-12 dual meet record and a 57th place finish in the NCAA nationals (2016-17) to 10-5 this past season and 7-1 and tied for first in the Big 12 Conference Championships.
ISU also finished runner-up to Oklahoma State in the team scoring of the Big 12 tournament (147.5-116.5) and crowned two individual champions with eight individuals earning a top-five finish and an automatic berth in the NCAA nationals.
Because the Coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the national championships scheduled for March 19-21 in Minneapolis, Iowa State’s hopes for a top 10 finish have been pushed to next year.
Dresser, a former national champion at Iowa and a two-time state champion at Humboldt (1980-81), says he and his staff have a lot to accomplish.
“I think we definitely made progress, especially at the end of the year. It’s discouraging that we didn’t get to go to nationals. We were wrestling really well in February and March,” Dresser said.
“We had some guys earn some really high seeds for the nationals at the end of the year. It’s frustrating because we felt like we were a top 10 team at the end of the year,” Dresser said. “We were excited to have a chance to go out and prove that, but obviously the guy upstairs had a bigger plan for everybody.”
“I think we continue to progress as a program from where we were when we took over three years ago,” Dresser said.

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