Every wrestler wants to be “the guy.”

But Iowa State 197-pounder CJ Carter settles for being the guy who stands in for “the guy.”

For now, at least.

“It makes you feel a little bit better knowing that you’ve got the best guy in the country ahead of you,” Carter said.

That “guy” is three-time All-American Rocky Elam, who is on a “pitch count” pre-March as he seeks to reach the NCAA finals for the first time in his storied career. The Missouri transfer worked with Cyclone head coach Kevin Dresser and his staff to craft a smart personal scheduling plan in order to avoid injury and be at maximum strength under the bright lights in Cleveland. So Elam — who’s ranked second at 197 — hasn’t competed since winning gold at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December.

“Really, our very first conversations this summer were around, ‘OK, especially in the middle of the year, I really want to rest my body,’” Dresser said. “And I think surprisingly, fingers crossed, knock on wood, his body’s better than he thought it would be. He didn’t get on the mat and go live — he got here in June, and I don’t think he went live until almost September. So we did a lot of training room (stuff), he spent a lot of time with (athletic trainer) Tim Weenier, and just took it really, really slow. So I think so far, and like I said, knock on wood, that’s been good, but he’s kind of chomping at the bit to get back in there again.”

Until then, it’s Carter’s turn. The 2024 JUCO national champion wrestled in the first three dual meets of his Iowa State career in a recent road swing through Stanford, Arizona State and North Dakota State, going 1-2 while notching a win over three-time NCAA qualifier Colton Hawks of the Sun Devils. Carter will be back on the mat this weekend, as well, as an entrant in the Cyclone Open.

“I still feel like I’ve got a lot to show,” Carter said. “I think the biggest thing is just my confidence. Working on (that) and once I can get that down, just being able to open up more, I’ll be a lot better — I’ll have better results.”

Dresser’s been impressed by Carter as he’s served as a relief pitcher of sorts for Elam, who’s been on a so-called “pitch count.” Carter’s 8-4 overall and will have other opportunities in open competitions and possibly more duals as Elam continues to monitor his health and schedule accordingly.

“His wrestling’s got to get better,” Dresser said. “His work ethic and his toughness and everything is really good. I like everything about him. He’s just like a lot of young kids. He’s still pretty young and he’s got to get better at wrestling. So it’s nice — and Rocky will get back in there next weekend.”

Until then, Carter will continue to hone his craft — whether he’s truly “the guy” or not.

“It’s just a blessing just being able to work every day just to get better,” said Carter, who at one point last season thought about giving up the sport. “Awesome coaches, awesome teammates. They always want to help out, so I think my decision to stay was definitely important, and I’m glad I did so.”

Takedown Talk

Iowa State heavyweight Yonger Bastida is on a mission this season — and not just to win, but to score. 

A lot. 

The top-ranked senior heavyweight (14-0) has scored bonus points in eight of his wins, while also beating four top-six wrestlers this season. So what’s his takedown-to-takedown ratio? A staggering 60-to-1.

“Pretty impressive for a heavyweight,” Dresser said of his 2022 All-American from Cuba. “It’s not like he’s lined up a bunch of cream puffs. He’s knocked out a lot of really good guys.”

Poulin’s Push

125-pound transfer Stevo Poulin admits he’s taken his lumps at times early this season. The Northern Colorado transfer and returning All-American (6-5) also said he’ll be the better for it when it matters most in March. To wit, all five of Poulin’s losses have come to fellow ranked wrestlers,  and he’s coming off a convincing 7-1 win over 19th-ranked Ezekiel Witt of North Dakota State.

“I think having a hard schedule early in the year is sort of a blessing,” the 11th-ranked Poulin said. “I’m getting challenged early and starting to figure everybody out. It’s a long season. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon, so I think taking some (lumps) now are gonna benefit me in March.”

That’s always a mercurial month, of course, but especially at 125, where both fortunes and rankings can fluctuate wildly.

“Yeah, my freshman year going into NCAAs I just came off a Big 12 title,” Poulin said. “I was the #5 seed in my bracket and I lost (in the) first round to the 20-something seed. And then my next year I was the 20th seed and did the same. So, really, it’s whoever shows up on that weekend, and even last year when I (was an All-American), I was like the 10th seed, so no matter what seed I am going into that tournament, I’m just giving it everything I’ve got. I don’t really care if I have the 1 seed or the 20th seed first match, because in my mind, to win the tournament, you’ve gotta beat them all anyways.”