NCAA wrestling preview: Iowa State's Casey Swiderski emerging as young leader

The Iowa State wrestling team suffered a tight loss to bitter rival Iowa on Nov. 26 in Ames. The dual was right there for the taking for Iowa State, but the Cyclones fell short 18-14, dropping four close matches and losing their 19th in a row to the Hawkeyes.

Then came an unusual sight following the dual, with freshman Evan Frost and sophomore Casey Swiderski taking the podium to speak with reporters. While it's not unusual for wrestlers who won a match to answer questions from the media following a team loss, it was a bit odd to see a young guy like Swiderski at the podium considering seniors David Carr and Yonger Bastida both took wins in the dual.

Swiderski commanded the press conference as if he were the veteran on the team. Telling reporters that Iowa State was ready to win a team trophy for the first time since 2010 despite the result and taking time to say losses from Cody Chittum and MJ Gaitan were "fixable" moving forward.

"I was really proud of him and the leadership mentality and the way that he spoke," assistant coach Brent Metcalf said. "From a coach's point of view, I saw just a lot of growth there. When you come in as an 18-, 19-year-old as a freshman, you don't know much. You're kind of winging it. He's a year in with a year's more of information."

Swiderski is the No. 8 seed at 149 pounds for this week's NCAA Wrestling Championships, which will be held Thursday through Saturday in Kansas City.

Seeing Swiderski speak like that was a far cry from the wrestler fans saw in other moments during his Cyclone career. Visible, obvious frustrations taking place center stage following matches were at times the norm for the former No. 1 overall recruit in the nation. While talented, his emotions could get the best of him.

Coach Kevin Dresser remembers watching Swiderski when he was at Dundee High School in southeast Michigan, seeing the ultimate competitor − a "mean streak," as Dresser called it. He went on to win four individual state titles and four team titles for the Vikings to become one of the most-coveted recruits during the 2022 cycle. Dresser knew then that if he got him to come to Ames, the next step would be unleashing that energy in a positive manner.

"You can see sometimes in a match when things go wrong, he's dropping the F-bomb and it's not at anybody out there, it's at him," Dresser said. "He's his own worst critic. We gotta have him quit picking on him. As he starts to control those emotions and just opens up and wrestles, he's going to continue to get better because he's got a lot of tools."

At this season's wrestle-offs, Swiderski and Anthony Echemendia had a fiery match for the starting spot at 149 pounds to begin the year. Following his loss, Swiderski had an outburst, showcasing visible anger in the defeat.

But there was a change following that loss. Dresser said Swiderski had the best two weeks of practice he had ever had since being at Iowa State. Seeing that for himself in the practice room, Echemendia went to the coaching staff and told them that he would bump down to 141 pounds so Swiderski could get in the lineup. He did so without any encouragement from the coaching staff or teammates.

"You need that guy on the team, you need that guy in the lineup," Echemendia said. "For me, it was super important to see him competing because I know how important it is for him. When we're in the room, it is a war against this dude."

Flash forward to February, and Swiderski and Echemendia are talking prior to a dual. Swiderski was giving Echemendia advice on how he can combat Northern Iowa's Cael Happel, having wrestled him before, telling him to believe in himself and the rest will follow.

Following Echemendia's win over Happel, the two were on the podium together after a rivalry win over Northern Iowa. Asked about their current relationship and how they push each other in the room, Swiderski leaned over and extended his hand to Echemendia when answering the question and shook his hand.

"He made that decision so I could slide in there. I've actually never told him this, but I respect the hell out of it," Swiderski said.

Swiderski from October to March has shown growth in using his explosive energy where it can be useful. As Gaitan took Missouri's Peyton Mocco to his back during the consolation bracket of the Big 12 Championships, it was Swiderski hooting, hollering and smacking the mat just off to the side in support of his teammate moments after his own win on another mat in the consolations.

Swiderski fell in the Big 12 149-pound semifinals to Oklahoma State's Jordan Williams in another highly contested match. He was irate after the loss, pointing and yelling toward Oklahoma State's coaching corner. It wasn't but a few hours afterward, though, that Swiderski took to social media to apologize for not giving his full effort in the match. The following day, he went on to take third.

There are moments, like at the Big 12s, where that fire comes out. When Swiderski lets the lion out of the cage and lets words and shouts fly. The difference now is that he sees it, has the ability to rein it in quickly and reflect with senior-like insight to situations.

Swiderski's teammates believe he's going to win big at NCAAs this week. Former Big 12 champion Paniro Johnson, who was suspended for the season after getting caught up in the state's gambling probe, sees it first-hand in practice.

"I think Casey can win a national title at 149," Johnson said. "He's as good as it gets."

After his experience at the Big 12 meet this season, Swiderski is seeing it too.

"I apologize to the Cyclone fans for wrestling for one minute in that (semifinal) match," Swiderski said after taking third. "I made it a point to come in here against that first dude in the consolations semifinals to wrestle for seven minutes like I did in the final minute of the semifinal match. I think it worked out. If I can continue to do that in Kansas City ... good luck."

First-round scouting report for Iowa State

125 pounds: No. 24 Kysen Terukina vs. No. 9 Patrick McKee (Minnesota)

McKee is a two-time All-American for the Golden Gophers. A sixth-year senior, he placed second this year at the Big Ten Tournament and is ranked No. 5 by Intermat.

133 pounds: No. 8 Evan Frost vs. No. 25 Braden Basile (Army)

Basile is 20-12 as a true freshman, taking third at the EIWA championships. He finished behind former national champion Vito Arjau of Cornell and No. 2 seeded Ryan Crookham of Lehigh.

141 pounds: No. 5 Anthony Echemendia vs. No. 28 Jordan Hamdan (Michigan State)

Hamdan is a two-time NCAA qualifier and 21-11 on the season. He did not place at the Big Ten Championships but earned an at-large bid from the NCAA committee.

149 pounds: No. 8 Casey Swiderski vs. No. 25 Matthew Williams (Army)

A first-time NCAA qualifier, Williams is 26-8. He took fourth at the EIWA championships.

157 pounds: No. 14 Cody Chittum vs. No. 19 Tommy Askey (Appalachian State)

Askey is a two-time NCAA qualifier and SoCon champion at 147 pounds. He's 22-5 as a junior.

165 pounds: No. 4 David Carr vs. No. 29 Evan Maag (George Mason)

Maag is the MAC champion at 165 pounds, sitting at 27-9 as a redshirt freshman. In the semifinals, Maag defeated Swiderski's brother, Tyler, who wrestles at Central Michigan.

174 pounds: No. 15 MJ Gaitan vs. No. 18 Benjamin Pasiuk (Army)

A four-time NCAAA qualifier, Pasiuk is the third wrestler from Army who will square off with Iowa State in the first round. Pasiuk took second at the EIWA championships.

184 pounds: No. 17 Will Feldkamp vs. No. 16 Nate Dugan (Princeton)

Feldkamp's injuries late in the year bumped his seeding down with a few losses, dropping him to the No. 17 spot. As a result, he faces Dugan, a 23-7 first-time NCAA qualifier. A win likely pits Feldkamp with No. 1 Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa.

285 pounds: No. 2 Yonger Bastida vs. No. 31 Bennett Tabor (Minnesota)

Tabor is a first-time NCAA qualifier in his first season as a starter, going 20-7 to earn the No. 31 seed as an at-large bid earner for nationals.

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: NCAA preview on Iowa State wresting's Casey Swiderski