ISU's Mitch Mueller prepared to fill void
left by NCAA Champion Nate Gallick

BY MATT PFIFFNER
Iowa State freshman 141-pounder Mitch Mueller doesn't just want to replace former Cyclone great Nate Gallick, he wants to take over where the 2006 NCAA Champion left off.

Mueller, one of several outstanding first-year starters in the lineup for the Cyclones this season, has lofty goals for his freshman campaign.

"I want to be a National Champion. I don't care if I'm a freshman or not," he said. "But I realize I have to wrestle one match at a time and not overlook anyone."

One opponent Mueller definitely won't overlook is this Sunday in Iowa City, when he faces returning All-American Alex Tsirtsis in Mueller's first taste of the Iowa/Iowa State rivalry.

Tsirtsis will be looking for his first win in the series, after falling to Gallick the past two seasons. That is just one of many interesting match-ups in Sunday's dual.

Gallick won't be wrestling for the Cyclones this time, but he is still involved in the program, as an assistant under new coach Cael Sanderson. Having Gallick around has paid dividends for the former Iowa City West State Champion and Junior Freestyle National Champion.

"I have big shoes to fill. But he's helped me a lot with the little things I need to know, not just the wrestling," Mueller said of Gallick. "He pushes me in practice and is a great workout partner."

Mueller said Sanderson, Gallick and the rest of the coaching staff has prepared the team well for the season, which has seen the Cyclones get off to an excellent start.

"It was a tough preseason and the practices have been really tough, but they've gotten us ready," he said.

Mueller joined his fellow freshman starters in taking a redshirt season last year. That experience wasn't always easy, but was a necessity, Mueller said.

"It was good taking the redshirt year. You get beat on a little bit in the room, but you start picking things up and you get used to getting that weight down and wrestling your matches," he said.

Just a few matches into his varsity career, Mueller said the big difference between collegiate and high school wrestling is easy to pinpoint.

"The quality of opponents is the main difference. You have to be ready to go every match," he said. "And I have to wrestle smart. You have to be more tactical wrestling these matches."

Mueller's mindset going into matches may have changed, but one thing Mueller said won't change is his attitude once he gets out onto the mat.

"I haven't changed really. Overall, I have the same mentality. Score points and keep on them," the Cyclone said.

Mueller and the rest of the Cyclones face the Hawkeyes at 4 p.m. Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. It is the first meeting between new coaches Tom Brands and Cael Sanderson and that, along with a number of highly-anticipated matches, should make this a meet to remember in what has been a great series.