On Friday afternoon, we reported that Northern Colorado All-American Stevo Poulin announced his intention to transfer to Iowa State. Today, his UNC teammate Vinny Zerban, also announced that he will transfer to wrestle for the Cyclones, as well. 
Zerban is a three-time national qualifier who is coming off a 2024-25 season that saw him win the Big 12 and finish sixth in the nation in Philadelphia. He went 22-7 last year for the Bears. During the regular season, he posted wins over two wrestlers who went on to make the national podium in March. 
Zerban’s Big 12 title helped him earn the #7 seed at the 2025 national tournament. He advanced to the quarterfinals before being stopped by Cornell’s Meyer Shapiro. To clinch All-American honors, Zerban defeated Big Ten runner-up Brandon Cannon of Ohio State, 11-6. 
As a freshman, Zerban made an impact at the 2023 NCAA Tournament, where he was seeded 32nd but advanced to the NCAA bloodround. 
At this time, it’s a bit unclear exactly how Zerban will fit into the Iowa State lineup. The Cyclones have former national qualifier Paniro Johnson who spent the first half of the season at 157 lbs, before moving to 149. They also have All-American Anthony Echemendia returning from a season-ending injury - presumably to wrestle 149. 
With Zerban in the fold, Iowa State could unveil a 2025-26 lineup that features seven returning All-Americans. In addition to the Northern Colorado contingent, the Cyclones have also added Isaac Dean (184 lbs) and Rocky Elam (197) in the offseason to bolster the upperweights. 
Though the transfer portal has closed for the year, Zerban was able to enter after Troy Nickerson left his position as head coach of the Bears to take the same position at Army West Point.

Final X has concluded for 2025 (save for Vito Arujau/Jax Forrest in Fargo). With this edition in the books, it marks five iterations of Final X (2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023). After four Final X’s we started tabulating some records from the action. 
With another event completed, we’ve updated the Final X record book. All of the normal records you’d associate with wrestlers and a reoccurring event within the sport. 
Keep in mind that the very first edition of Final X did not include Greco-Roman wrestlers and neither did 2025, so most of the records have a heavy influence of freestyle wrestlers. 
There are some past examples of delayed wrestle-off’s like Arujau/Forrest. I have counted those results as “Final X” though they took place at a later date and a different venue. 
So, enjoy and keep these numbers in mind as Final X rolls around in 2026!
 
Most Series Wins
5 - Kyle Snyder 
5 - Jacarra Winchester
4 - Kyle Dake 
4 - Sarah Hildebrandt 
 
Most Individual Match Wins
10 - Kyle Snyder
10 - Jacarra Winchester
8 - Kyle Dake
8 - Sarah Hildebrandt
8 - Helen Maroulis
8 - Kayla Miracle
 
Highest Winning Percentage (Minimum 6 matches wrestled)
1.000 - Adeline Gray 
1.000 - Sarah Hildebrandt 
1.000 - Helen Maroulis
1.000 - Tamyra Mensah-Stock 
1.000 - Kyle Snyder 
1.000 - David Taylor
 
Most Individual Matches Wrestled (Career)
13 - Kayla Miracle
11 - Jordan Burroughs 
11 - Forrest Molinari 
11 - Jacarra Winchester
10 - Mallory Velte 
9 - Yianni Diakomihalis
9 - Thomas Gilman 
9 - Pat Smith 
 
Most Losses (Individual Matches)
6 - Mallory Velte
5 - Yianni Diakomihalis
5 - Daton Fix 
5 - Brady Koontz 
5 - Kayla Miracle
5 - Forrest Molinari 
 
Most Falls
3 - Adeline Gray 
3 - Helen Maroulis
1 - Multiple
 
Most Techs
5 - Tamyra Mensah-Stock 
4 - Amit Elor 
4 - Helen Maroulis 
4 - Jacarra Winchester 
3 - Kamal Bey 
3 - Sarah Hildebrandt 
3 - Kyle Snyder 
3 - David Taylor 
 
Quickest Fall
1:00 - Alan Vera/Timothy Young: (2022)
1:04 - Adeline Gray/Korinahe Bullock (2018)
1:51 - Helen Maroulis/Amanda Martinez (2025)
1:54 - Dom Parrish/Katie Gomez (2023)
1:57 - Whitney Conder/Victoria Anthony (2019)
 
Largest Margin of Victory
12 points - Nahshon Garrett/Joe Colon: 12-0 (Match 3 - 2018)
12 points - Thomas Gilman/Vito Arujau: 14-2 (Match 2 - 2022)
12 points - Helen Maroulis/Alex Hedrick: 12-0 (Match 2 - 2018)
 
Largest Cumulative Series Deficit in a Victory
-6 points - Erin Clodgo: vs Rachel Watters: 4-2, 0-8, 4-4 (2018)
-4 points - Spencer Woods: vs Ryan Epps: 3-3, 0-9, 5-0 (2023)
-4 points - Hayden Zillmer: vs Nick Gwiazdowski: 0-5, 4-3, 5-5 (2022)
-1 point - Brady Koontz: vs Dalton Duffield: 0-8, 4-1, 7-3 (2023)
*** Zac Braunagel had a negative -9 margin but won his final bout by forfeit (2023)
***Ildar Hafizov won match one via fall, lost 9-0, and won 2-1 in match three (2023)
***PJ Duke lost match one 10-0, won match two 17-10, and won via fall in match three (2025)
 
Highest Scoring Individual Match
34 points - Wyatt Hendrickson/Trent Hillger: 20-14 (Match 2 - 2025)
27 points: PJ Duke/Yianni Diakomihalis: 17-10 (Match 2 - 2025)
23 points - Vito Arujau/Nahshon Garrett: 13-10 (Match 2 - 2023)
22 points: Adaugo Nwachukwo/Kayla Miracle: 14-8 (Match 1 - 2025)
20 points: Cristelle Rodriguez/Everest Leydecker: 12-8 (Match 1 - 2025)
20 points - Yianni Diakomihalis/Evan Henderson: 11-9 (Match 1 - 2022)
19 points - Alex Sancho/Alston Nutter: 10-9 (Match 1 - 2022)
18 points - Yianni Diakomihalis/Evan Henderson: 14-4 (Match 2 - 2022)
18 points - Ildar Hafizov/Dalton Roberts: 11-7 (Match 1 - 2022)
 
Highest Scoring Two-Match Series
44 points - Wyatt Hendrickson/Trent Hillger: 10-0, 20-14 (2025)
38 points - Yianni Diakomihalis/Evan Henderson: 11-9, 14-4 (2022)
34 points - Vito Arujau/Nahshon Garrett: 6-5, 13-10 (2023)
33 points - Cristelle Rodriguez/Everest Leydecker: 12-8, 8-5 (2025)
30 points - Thomas Gilman/Vito Arujau: 12-2, 14-2 (2022)
 
Highest Scoring Three-Match Series
41 points - Adaugo Nwachukwo/Kayla Miracle: 14-8, 3-4, 8-4 (2025)
39 points - Nahshon Garrett/Joe Colon: 5-7, 10-5, 12-0 (2018)
37 points - Kayla Miracle/Jennifer Page: 2-13, 12-2, 5-3 (2022)
37 points - Jacarra Winchester/Abby Nette: 4-6, 9-7, 11-0 (2025)
37 points - PJ Duke/Yianni Diakomihalis: 0-10, 17-10, Fall (2025)
33 points - Seth Gross/Daton Fix: 5-5, 5-4, 9-5 (2022)
31 points - Whitney Conder/Victoria Anthony: 10-4, 2-4, 11-0 (2018)
 
Lowest Scoring Two-Match Series (No Falls/FFT)
4 points - Max Nowry/Brady Koontz: 1-1, 1-1 (2022)
5 points - James Green/Jason Chamberlain: 2-0, 2-1 (2018)
 
Lowest Scoring Three-Match Series (No Falls/FFT)
12 points - Jordan Burroughs/Chance Marsteller: 4-0, 2-2, 5-0 (2022)
14 points - J’den Cox/Nate Jackson: 4-2, 2-3, 3-0 (2022)
19 points - Emma Bruntil/Forrest Molinari: 6-3, 2-3, 3-2 (2023)
 
Fewest Amount of Points Surrendered in a Career (Minimum 6 matches wrestled)
0 points - Sarah Hildebrandt (8 matches)
0 points - Helen Maroulis (8 matches)
3 points - Tamyra Mensah-Stock (6 matches)
7 points - Kyle Snyder (10 matches)
8 points - David Taylor (6 matches)
9 points - J’den Cox (7 matches)
 
Number of Weight Classes Wrestled
3 - Jenna Burkert (59 kg/2018, 57 kg/2019, 55 kg/2022)
3 - Kyle Dake (79 kg/2018-19, 74 kg/2022-23, 86 kg/2025)
3 - Zahid Valencia (79 kg/2018, 86 kg/2022, 2025, 92 kg/2023)
3 - Hayden Zillmer (92kg/2018, 125 kg/2022, 97 kg/2025)
 
Most Series’ Against an Opponent
2 - Jordan Burroughs/Isaiah Martinez (2018-19)
2 - Whitney Conder/Victoria Anthony (2018-2019)
2 - Kyle Dake/Jason Nolf (2022-23)
2 - Kyle Dake/Zahid Valencia (2018, 2025)
2 - Daton Fix/Thomas Gilman (2018-19)
2 - Ildar Hafizov/Dalton Roberts (2022-23)
2 - Helen Maroulis/Alex Hedrick (2018, 2022)
2 - Chance Marsteller/Jordan Burroughs (2022-23)
2 - Kayla Miracle/Mallory Velte (2018-19)
2 - Kayla Miracle/Adaugo Nwachukwo (2023, 2025)
2 - Cohlton Schultz/Adam Coon (2019, 2023)
2 - Kyle Snyder/Kyven Gadson (2018-19)
 
Year with Most Three-Match Series’
10 - 2022
7 - 2023
5 - 2019
 
Three-Match Series Wins
2 - Jordan Burroughs (2019, 2022)
2 - Ildar Hafizov (2022-23)
2 - Pat Smith (2019, 2023)
2 - Mallory Velte (2018, 2022)
2 - Jacarra Winchester (2022, 2025)
 
Lost the First Match and Won the Series
2 - Pat Smith (2019, 2023)
2 - Jacarra Winchester (2022, 2025)
1 - Multiple
 
Most Matches Won Without a Series Victory
2 - Joe Colon (1-2; 2018, 1-2; 2019)
2 - Dalton Roberts (1-2; 2022, 1-2; 2023)

Post match interviews with most of the winners from Final X:
Men's freestyle
57 kg - Spencer Lee

65 kg - Real Woods

70 kg - PJ Duke

74 kg - David Carr

79 kg - Levi Haines

 
86 kg - Zahid Valencia

92 kg - Trent Hidlay

125 kg - Wyatt Hendrickson

Women's Freestyle
53 kg - Felicity Taylor

55 kg - Cristelle Rodriguez

57 kg - Helen Maroulis

65 kg - Macey Kilty

68 kg - Kennedy Blades

76 kg - Kylie Welker