IOWA CITY — Cash Wilcke is a quiet, soft-spoken man.

Wilcke, a sophomore 197-pounder for the University of Iowa wrestling team, prefers to let his actions on the mat speak form themselves.

These days, Wilcke is speaking volumes.

Wilcke, who advanced to the round of 12 at last year's NCAA Tournament, is 13-0 and ranked fifth in the nation heading into today's dual against sixth-ranked Oklahoma State at 3 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. He is scheduled to face third-ranked Preston Weigel (3-0).

Wilcke isn't loud and brash, isn't fancy or flashy. All he does is go to work and put up wins, which is just the way he likes it.

“It’s exciting. Last year was kind of new to me, getting in the lineup and everything. It was good for me because now I’m more familiar with how the season goes and that kind of stuff. This year it’s doing the right things and doing things I can control and it’s paying off," Wilcke said. “We’ve got some higher-level competition coming up. I’m excited to see how it goes.”

"I don't have to lay out the expectations for him on a weekly basis or twice a month. Like, 'OK, let's have a talk again on why you're here, commitment level, what we expect," Iowa coach Tom Brands said. "He's in the category that we have guys that are about not just business. I come in and take care of business and then I leave and I can be my old, fun-loving self. They come in and have fun. This is fun. Let's go out and kick some butt, score some points. That's entertaining."

Wilcke, a two-time state champion for Odebolt-Arthur/Ida Creek-Battle Grove High School, made the transition from 184 to 197 last season to fill the void left by the graduation of two-time All-American Nathan Burak. Wilcke started out well, slumped in the middle of the season, then put on his best performance when it mattered most, finishing eighth at the Big Ten Championships to qualify for the national tournament.

Wilcke made an impressive run through the field in St. Louis, knocking off a pair of ranked opponents before losing a one-point match to 11th-ranked Kevin Beazley of Old Dominion in a match for a spot on the podium.

While the loss was tough, Wilcke refused to let it define him. Instead, he used it to make him better.

“That fueled me a lot. It was tough on me getting that far and coming up short. I used that a lot this summer to motivate me. It shows that I’m right there with those guys. I was right there. Just a little more work and I would have been there," Wilcke said. “I had a rough year midway through the year last year. Having that run last year was good for my confidence, showing I can compete with those guys and using that to motivate me this year.”

Wilcke got bigger and stronger to compete at a weight where he was undersized a year ago. This year, he is a true 197-pounder, and it is showing in his results on the mat.

“Last year I was a little more soft. This year I am a little bigger. I’m filling in the spot well," Wilcke said.

Wilcke has an abundance of top-notch wrestlers to work out with in the practice room. Need someone stronger? Steven Holloway steps in. Need someone with solid fundamentals? Enter true freshman Jacob Warner. Want a clinician on his feet? Grab ahold of Burak. Wilcke is taking full advantage to make himself better in all three phases.

“I usually wrestle with him once a week. He’s a bigger 197, so it’s nice to grab him, get ahold of him and wrestle a guy that’s stronger than me. I use my other ways to score points on him," Wilcke said of Holloway. “I usually go with (Warner) about once a week, too. Even though he’s younger, he’s strong for his age, too. He moves well. He’s beaten good guys. It’s good for me that he’s in our room and I get a good partner like that to work out with.”

Wilcke, who was undersized when he first got to Iowa, had to improvise, find different ways to score points. His signature move has come to be known as the "Wilcke duckunder." And he has become a master at setting it up.

"I taught it to myself. I felt it one day and did it. I kept going from there, practicing it more and I got pretty good at it. My freshman year in here, being smaller than some guys, I had to find different ways to score. It’s kind of a slick way to score. I kept working on it and I’m pretty good at it now," Wilcke said. “I’ve got a lot of other stuff, too. If it’s there, I do it. It works a lot.”

 Wilcke has flown under the radar a bit this season. While other are drawing all of the attention, Wilcke is quietly building his résumé, one match at a time, one win at a time, including a title at the Midlands. He is in a position to make some real noise heading down the stretch, not with his mouth, but with his wrestling, which is just the way Wilcke wants it.

“That doesn’t really bother me. I don’t really pay attention to that kind of stuff. I don’t take anybody lightly when I go out and wrestle. Whatever they want to do with my name, that’s their choice," Wilcke said. "We've got some tougher competition coming up. I'm looking forward to that," Wilcke said. "I'm just going to go out and wrestle whoever they put in front of me."