Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Humboldt graduate Kevin Dresser coaches for Iowa State in the Wildcat gym.

HUMBOLDT — The Iowa State wrestling team returns to head coach Kevin Dresser’s alma mater on Sunday for its fifth annual dual at Humboldt High School.

The third-ranked Cyclones (6-1 overall, 2-0 in the Big 12), who hosted Northern Colorado at Hilton Coliseum on Friday night, make the 80-mile trip north to Dresser’s old stomping rounds. Iowa State meets No. 15 South Dakota State (9-2, 2-1) at 2 p.m. in the Wildcat gym.

A capacity crowd of 1,500 is again expected for the dual, which will be carried live on Iowa Public Television.

Ten Cyclones are currently ranked nationally, led by No. 1 Yonger Bastida (285). Rocky Elam is rated 2nd at 197, and Evan Frost (133) is 3rd.

Anthony Echemendia (4th at 141), Jacob Frost (6th at 149) and Vinny Zerban (8th at 157) are also in the Top 10.

Eighth SDSU athletes are ranked. Bennett Berge is 6th at 197.

Dresser, who is in his ninth season as Iowa State’s head coach, was a two-time state champion at Humboldt. He won 112 high school matches in all.

The Fort Dodge native, who graduated from Humboldt High School in 1981, wrestled for head coach Dan Gable at the University of Iowa. The Hawkeyes reeling off four consecutive national titles from 1982-86 with Dresser in the lineup.

Dresser won an NCAA title in 1986, and was a two-time Big Ten champion for Gable. The two-time All-American was named the program’s most outstanding wrestler in 1986.

Dresser has a career coaching record of 259-85. As of Thursday, 99 of those victories have come with the Cyclones. He is a two-time Big 12 coach of the year.

Iowa State’s last trip to Humboldt came on Dec. 15, 2024, as the Cyclones pinned North Dakota State, 27-12. The team is 4-0 in the Wildcat gym, with wins over Purdue, Grand View, Wisconsin and NDSU.

ISU defeated SDSU last year, 20-15. The Cyclones placed fourth at the national tournament last March — its best showing since 2010.

Tickets for Sunday’s meet are available on a link through Cyclone Regional Training Center’s Facebook page, or by visiting “Wildcat Wrestling Club” at www.fan.huddl.com under the “Clubs” tab.