“Say cheese.”

These innocuous words meant to coax broad smiles out of youngsters take on an entirely different meaning when Iowa State’s high-achieving, but weight-class-separated twin brothers, Evan and Jacob Frost, pose for photos.

Evan’s cutting and carefully managing his weight to be the #4 Cyclones’ top 133-pounder.

Jacob’s able to enjoy more flexibility with his diet while occupying Iowa State’s No. 1 spot at 149.

So how’s that going for Evan?

“The thing that gets me is, when we’re taking pictures next to each other, and he just looks two weight classes above me, whereas for our whole lives, he’s just been a little bit bigger than me,” said Evan Frost, who like his brother is seeking to become a two-time All-American this season. “So now he just looks more full.”

Evan Frost is ranked #3 by FloWrestling at 133 and will face #2 Ben Davino of top-ranked Ohio State in Sunday’s 3 p.m. (EST) Journeyman Collegiate National Duals in Nashville, before squaring off with #12 Matty Lopes of Lehigh in a 5 p.m. match.

Jacob Frost, ranked #7 by Flo at 149, will take on fourth-ranked Ethan Stiles off the Buckeyes to kick off Sunday’s two-dual slate of bouts.

“Obviously, one of them is getting to eat a lot more when they go over to the (training facility),” Cyclone head coach Kevin Dresser said. “But they’re both workers. Obviously, Evan’s having to manage weight a lot more than Jacob is. Jacob seems to still manage to be heavy at 149. I don’t mean heavy in a bad way. He’s just not walking around weighing 149 all the time. 

“Evan — it’s no secret — is a guy that really has had to manage his weight really well, and he’s done a real good job of it the last three or four weeks — but it’s one of those things that can really get away from you. And people (who) don’t really pay attention to the sport in detail don’t understand how important that is. That component, when you do it right, you saw what happened (at the Cliff Keen Invitational) in Las Vegas, you saw a guy (who) felt really good.”

Evan Frost, along with Anthony Echemendia (141), Rocky Elam (197), and Yonger Bastida (heavyweight), won titles at the Cliff Keens and help give the Cyclones a strong core to work with as they prepare to face the National Duals champion Buckeyes in the Music City.

“We’re gonna have to get tough again because Ohio State, they’re good,” said Dresser, whose team ended a 20-match skid against Iowa in the Cy-Hawk dual earlier this month. “They’re really good.”

So are both Frost brothers, who share a tough major in mechanical engineering, and a regimented class schedule despite now being 16 pounds apart.

“There’s gotta be a lot of dedication to (the academic) side of it, just because we’re in a hard major,” said Evan Frost, who is 9-0 this season. “So if I’m not doing things right on this side, you know, I start doing bad in class, my mom starts texting me. My grandma starts texting me, stuff like that, so it’s really important.”

Especially as he fastidiously controls portion sizes to make weight — even as his twin, Jacob, gets more leeway at the training table.

Initially, it’s really hard mentally, but once you’re in it, you’re in it,” Evan said. “I had a long talk with (Iowa State assistant and two-time national champion for Iowa Brent) Metcalf about it, and I was feeling sorry for myself — you know, ‘I don’t know if I can make it, blah, blah, blah.’ Metcalf pretty much sat me down and shot me straight and said, “If we’re gonna do it, we’re gonna do it.’”

No ifs, ands, or boneless, skinless chicken breasts swapped for ribeye steaks about it.

“It’s really just a with of mindset,” Evan Frost said. “That’s all it is.”

Yonger The Wiser

Bastida is ranked #1 by Flo at heavyweight and will face #3 Nick Feldman of the Buckeyes and seventh-ranked Nathan Taylor of the Mountain Hawks in Nashville.

The Cuban transplant’s less bombastic than he was in the past after struggling at nationals in 2024 and being sidelined with a knee injury last season, but he’s as accomplished as ever.

“I’ve been on both sides, you know, losing, going back out there and just winning, winning,” Bastida said. “You know, how it happened two years ago when I lost at the end. So I’ve been in different situations, (and) I’ve been through it all. So now, it’s just keep the focus going and whatever happens, happens.”

And about those two top-seven matchups on Sunday …

“Just wrestle hard, man,” he said. “That’s all I have to do and keep the focus going. I know what to do. We’ve been working last week and this week now. I have a few more training (sessions) before those matches. So just focus and get ready to battle.” 

Measuring Sticks

Dresser’s team will face a team ranked above it for the second time this season — and so far so good. Ohio State supplanted Penn State atop Flo’s team tournament rankings, so as Bastida said, it’s time to “let it fly.”

 “If things don’t go your way at three o’clock, you’re gonna have to clean the slate and jump back on at five o'clock,” Dresser said. “So that will be a big challenge for our guys.”