The term “shut down” is a foreign one to Iowa State’s high-energy and FloWrerstling’s fourth-ranked heavyweight Yonger Bastida. He pushes. He grinds. He scraps and scores with abandon — until he simply can’t.

That’s the unwelcome position the talented Cuban transplant finds himself in, however, as rehabilitation of an onerous knee injury has not gone as planned, which led to Cyclone head coach Kevin Dresser to announce this week that Bastida will seek a medical redshirt.

So Bastida is indeed “shut down” in hopes of rapidly ramping back up into podium-worthy form next season.

“The crazy thing about that injury is you try to analyze it when you have so many things happen to you,” said Dresser, whose team has been beset by injuries this season. “But he did that in the beginning of November, warming up (and) just horsing around with a teammate. They were just horse playing, like wrestlers do and one of our big guys fell on his leg sideways.”

Fast forward to the Iowa dual on Nov. 23. Bastida returned to the mat and beat #11 Ben Kueter, 7-2, but the resulting three team points didn’t prevent a 21-15 loss to the Hawkeyes. The match did reveal that Bastida’s injury was more complex and significant than previously known, which helped lead to this week’s decision to withhold him from competition the rest of the season.

“(He) came off the mat and said, ‘It’s not good,’” said Dresser, whose shorthanded squad faces Oklahoma on Friday night and Oklahoma State on Sunday at Hilton Coliseum. “So we sat him again, tried to get him ready again, and the second time it just wasn’t happening.”

Dresser’s depleted lineup took another hit this week when talented 197-pound transfer Christian Carroll left the team for personal reasons. 

“He’s back at home and no hard feelings,” Dresser said. “Great kid. Just gotta get some things figured out, so the door’s not shut, but because he’s not involved in the university, he’s not on our roster right now, he’s not enrolled at Iowa State, I’m not allowed to comment (further).”

So on paper, the Cyclones’ prospects against the Sooners and Cowboys this weekend appear bleak — but at least Sunday’s 4 p.m. dual will be broadcast live on ESPN, providing Dresser’s program and the sport in general a top platform from which to grow.

“That’s pretty darn unusual,” Dresser said. “If I’m not mistaken, the first time last year we wrestled Iowa was the first time a dual meet was on ESPN, the flagship, and I think this is the second one. So we’ve gotta get ready to go, because that train could run away from us fast if we don’t get out there and make some things happen.”

The injury bug has hit the Cyclones early and often this season — and to several of their #1 guys. ISU lost All-American Casey Swiderski in the preseason, then starting 165-pounder Connor Euton suffered a season-ending knee injury. All-American Anthony Echemendia sustained a high ankle sprain shortly after that, and he’s slowly inching toward a return as #14 Jacob Frost’s put together a series of impressive performances in his stead.

“(Echemendia’s) back out on the mat,” Dresser said. “Outside chance (for) Sunday, but probably not. He’s really close. He’s healing up good.”

That’s the best news for Iowa State amid an otherwise bleak outlook on the injury front. Dresser said he’s rarely endured a season in which several of his top guys face significant health issues, but that’s the hand he’s been dealt — and it’s up to his younger and inexperienced wrestlers to make the most of unexpected high-profile opportunities.

“We’re gonna have to make do and try to put the very best team we can get on the mat in March,” Dresser said. “I still really, really like this team. They can be competitive and compete for a Big 12 title if we get the right guys in there.”

That’s becoming increasingly difficult as the injuries pile up. Veteran #14 125-pounder Kysen Terukina is likely out this weekend, and #10 157-pounder Cody Chittum is “a maybe” in the next two duals because of an elbow injury.

 “The beat goes on,” Dresser said. “It’s just one of those things.”

Welcomed News About National Duals 

Dresser expressed excitement that the National Duals will return next November — and not just because there’s a purse in excess of $1 million attached. Oklahoma State announced this week it will host the 16-team invitational event on Nov. 15-16 in Tulsa.

“It’s the greatest product we have for the average fan,” Dresser said. “Your diehard fans will go to Philadelphia (this March) for three days and sit there for six of seven hours a day, but your average fan’s not gonna do that. So if you can put together a two-hour time frame, and that’s why ESPN’s picking up (Sunday’s dual between the Cyclones and the Cowboys) — that’s got a lot of excitement, and you’re gonna grow our sport a lot.”