Iowa State @ West Virginia

Iowa State knocked off West Virginia 24-18 in Morgantown on January 8, 2025, in a Big 12 dual that came down to bonus-point wrestling. The Cyclones piled up decisive victories that ultimately provided the margin of victory, and Mountaineers answers kept the match tight down the stretch.

Iowa State collected a huge chunk of its points through bonus results. Evan Frost posted a 20-3 technical fall at 133 pounds for five team points, and Paniro Johnson followed with a fall worth six team points. Cody Chittum added another fall at 157, and those three bonus outcomes accounted for 17 of Iowa State’s points and forced West Virginia to chase the dual on bonus scoring.

West Virginia did respond with its own high-scoring efforts. Peyton Hall’s 16-6 major decision at 165 gave the Mountaineers four team points and helped fuel a comeback run that kept the dual within reach. West Virginia’s string of bonus wins trimmed the gap, but they could not overcome the early burst of falls and the margin it created.

In the end the bonus-point differential decided the meet. Iowa State’s trio of tech fall and pins supplied the cushion the Cyclones needed, and despite a late rally by West Virginia the Mountaineers fell six points short. The final 24-18 score reflected a matchup determined more by bonus outcomes than by close decisions.