The Iowa men’s wrestling team has had four different athletes in the lineup at 133 pounds this season, and no one has locked down the spot well into the conference schedule — but Cullan Schriever seems to be a favorite.

Brody Teske started the season well at 133 with a pair of wins during the Hawkeyes’ first two duals of the season against Cal Baptist and Oregon State, where he picked up a ranked win against No. 22 Gabe Whisenhunt in the latter.

However, a loss to No. 19 Evan Frost in the Iowa State dual soon after saw Teske fall out of the lineup and open the door for those behind him to compete for his spot.

The Hawkeyes then had two different wrestlers in the lineup at the following two duals, with Jace Rhodes getting the call against Penn and Cullan Schriever against Columbia.

Rhodes lost his matchup against No. 13 Michael Colaiocco, but Schriever won in his first match of the season against No. 11 Angelo Rini.

Schriever, hailing from Mason City, Iowa, was left out to begin the season due to a suspension after his involvement in the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s probe into illegal sports wagering.

Iowa had only four athletes listed on the lineup against Columbia, and after the dual, Hawkeye head coach Tom Brands said the team would continue to do so “until we figure it out.”

The Hawkeyes went into the winter break with a question mark at 133, hoping to find some clarity at the spot during the Soldier Salute at the end of December. There, Iowa had five wrestlers compete at 133 with Teske making the finals.

Teske beat Nebraska’s Jacob Van Dee in a tight 5-4 decision to claim the 133-pound title, earning his spot in the Hawkeyes’ lineup ahead of the conference schedule.

Iowa’s first dual meet after the winter break was against Nebraska, where Van Dee and Teske would face off again at 133.

This time, Van Dee got the better of Teske, beating him, 10-4, and once again opening the door for others to get into the lineup in his place.

“We’ve got to figure something out at 133,” Brands told the media after the dual meet.

Iowa’s next dual came against Minnesota, and for the first time this year, Kale Petersen got the nod at 133. The freshman failed to deliver at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and narrowly lost the match to No. 29 Tyler Wells, 6-4.

For the Purdue dual, Brands returned to Schriever, who made the most of the opportunity, beating Dustin Norris by a whopping 20-7.

“I love being back out on the mat; I love competing,” Schriever said. “So each time out, I’m thankful to be out there. Each time out is another opportunity, so I just look forward to maximizing that.”

Brands said Schriever could have earned a tech fall in the match, but was impressed with his ability to fight back after being taken down early in the bout.

“He is doing his job — we love it,” Brands said of Schriever’s status in the lineup. “He’s going to have the next two matches, and we love what’s happening … we’ve got to keep a good thing going there.”

Schriever wrestled and won in Iowa’s next dual against Illinois, beating No. 30 Tony Madrigal, 9-1 — further establishing himself in the 133 slot.

“I don’t really think of it as being ‘the guy,’” Schriever said of the competition at 133. “This is the next step toward what I want to do, which is to be the national champion in March. I don’t think of it as a competition. I think of it as this is the next time that I get to prove myself and that I get to get better.”

Teske also saw action in the dual as he wrestled at 141 instead of No. 1 Real Woods. Teske won his matchup as well, beating Will Baysingar, 5-0.

“It’s a good problem to have. When you’ve got people on your tail, it holds you accountable,” Schriever said of the race for 133. “It’s not just my weight either. I have Drake Ayala to wrestle; I have Real Woods to wrestle; I have Spencer Lee to wrestle. I think that being in a room like we have is good for everybody — no matter the weight class.”