Wisdom.

In a word, that’s what Iowa State 157-pounder Cody Chittum gleaned from a disappointing performance at last season’s NCAA Championships.

“Wisdom was one of them, but probably, too, is just knowing what to expect,” FloWrestling’s top-ranked pound-for-pound wrestler in the class of 2023 said months ago when the Cyclones held their annual media day. “I still don’t know what happened, but I don’t want to keep going to that moment, that memory. All I know, is that if I do something that will change me, that will make me a national champ every day one percent, then that one percent will add up almost to 100 percent.”

Fast forward to Sunday’s dual meet with Oklahoma State.

Chittum, ranked #10 by Flo, entered an on-paper toss-up bout with #12 Caleb Fish — who had just upset #5 Ryder Downey of Northern Iowa.

Chittum won the match, 4-2, but saw a late shot almost result in disaster as Fish nearly countered with a takedown that nullified due to reaction time.

But even that potential setback ties into Chittum’s newfound “wisdom.” In late January, the mat is a laboratory, unlike in March, when a lack of aggression tends to lead to defeat.

“I don’t have any issue with confidence,” Chittum said. “I put myself out there, win or lose. That’s why I (went) out there and took that shot at the end because you know what? What if I need a shot in the NCAA tournament? I’m gonna throw it out there. If he got a takedown, so what? I’m going for another game plan. I just have to keep improving.”

What are some other words Chittum chooses to describe his approach to the sport?

Chaotic. Psychotic. And — in a perhaps boring but potentially match-changing twist — highly organized habit-oriented taskmaster.

“His life works in systems,” said ninth-ranked 141-pounder Jacob Frost, who upended #6 Tagen Jamison in Sunday’s dual, which Oklahoma State won, 27-12, over the short-handed Cyclones. “Our locker room — sometimes (head coach Kevin) Dresser will get on us. There’s a towel in the corner or a pair of socks here, whatever, (and Chittum) fully took control of our locker room. We’ve got a bucket for things that were in the corner, and seeing him get really organized and work the locker room as a system and a whole. This guy’s locker, everything’s folded up nicely. That’s just how he operates, and seeing him grow through that and keep going, it’s been really nice to see.”

Therein lies the wisdom. Chittum views the wrestling lat as a gladiator’s arena. It’s brutal. It’s bloody. And yes, it’s chaotic — but in a good way. The litany of injuries he’s absorbed in two seasons at Iowa State have led him to personify the “control the controllable” maxim that may be trite, but it’s also tried and true.

“I can’t say (I’m a leader) right now because I haven’t done anything,” Chittum said. “I don’t have any credentials. But I try to set an example. I’m not a leader, but I just try to help everyone out.”

Here’s another word: Yet. That one should be tacked onto Chittum’s insistence he’s not a leader right now. His coaches and teammates beg to differ, but it’s a results-based world, and Chittum doesn’t feel he’s worthy of the title until he ambles up the podium.

“There were a lot of demons I had to face,” he said. “Let’s just say that. A lot of things I went through by myself. Just figuring it out. Figuring out life. Figuring out who you are and what you really want to do, and if you’re willing to do it.”

Decision Time At 141

Dresser said 141-pounder Anthony Echemendia may wrestle in an open tournament this weekend, which clouds Iowa State’s lineup at that weight class, given how good Frost has been in his stead.

Frost notched his most impressive win, on paper, in his young career on Sunday.

Echemendia — who’s been out since sustaining a high-ankle sprain at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational — became the Cyclones’ first All-American at 141 since 2009 last season.

“It’s gonna be something to figure out here,” said Dresser, who’s seen five starting wrestlers go down for the season, or a significant amount of time because of various injuries. “So (it) just makes my job even easier — like it’s been really easy all year. It’s just gonna get easier.”

Beat Up, Better For It

Iowa State heavyweight Daniel Herrera’s been thrust into the lineup because of All-American Yonger Bastida’s season-ending knee injury, and he’s absolutely exceeded expectations. Sunday’s matchup with the Cowboys’ #3 Wyatt Hendrickson, however, ended with Herrera yielding bonus points in a loss by technical fall.

There’s a silver lining to that helping of humble pie, though.

“It was a man versus a boy out there,” Dresser said. “So we needed a two-by-four and a switchblade to win that match, right? And when you put those in your singlet, you get in trouble. That was the best chance we had right there, a two-by-four and a switchblade. But you know what? Daniel Herrera — I told him, ‘Look at that guy. And when you get to the weight room all spring, summer and fall, that’s what you want to look like.’ But we love the progress of Mr. Herrera.”