If you didn't know Cael Sanderson, it wouldn't come as a surprise that the Iowa State junior gets whipped around by his teammates every day in practice.

	Cael Sanderson's pursuit of the record is comparable to Mark McGwire's 1998 chase of Roger Maris, says Dan Gable.

But if you knew Sanderson's story and realized that he's the one who will challenge Dan Gable's 100-match collegiate winning streak this weekend, your jaw would drop at the thought of anyone coming close to defeating him.

Yet that's what happens just about every day in the Iowa State wrestling room. Cyclones coach Bobby Douglas pits Sanderson against numerous teammates simultaneously, the result of which is often a whipped Sanderson, keeled over on the wrestling mat gasping for air. It's a sight that has gone unseen for those outside the inner workings of the Iowa State program.

"I get beat up a lot," admits Sanderson. "Pretty badly, too. I'm just not much of a practice wrestler."

Nobody seems too concerned. That's because when the fans fill the arena and the matches count, Sanderson is at his best. In the past three years, it has meant being better than everyone.

Sanderson, the undisputed top collegiate wrestler in the country, has not lost since arriving on the Ames, Iowa campus. He's a two-time national champion, and the first person ever to win the NCAA's Most Outstanding Wrestler award in his freshman and sophomore years.

Sunday against Hofstra, he'll put his 99-match winning streak on the line with hopes of tying Iowa State alumnus Gable's mark of 100 straight victories.

It's a record that many considered untouchable -- until Sanderson came along, that is.

"It first hit me his freshman year when he won the conference tournament," Douglas said. "Freshmen winning the Big 12 Tournament at that weight class just doesn't happen. It sent a signal that he was something special.

"He's just a gifted athlete with a passion, a love for this sport. And there's this constant internal competitiveness where he wants to win so badly."

Gable, whose streak ended in 1970 with a loss to Washington's Larry Owings in the NCAA finals, believes that to the wrestling world, Sanderson's pursuit of the record is comparable to Mark McGwire's 1998 chase of Roger Maris' home run record.

"It doesn't have the same meaning with the publicity or national press or prestige, but it's sort of like him chasing Babe Ruth or something like that," Gable said. "And yet you'd never guess it. He's just doing his job without it affecting him one bit.

"People ask me if I'd like to see him get beat. Absolutely not. He deserves it, and this way, we can keep the record at Iowa State."

Sanderson, a unique blend of speed, flexibility and scrambling ability for a 184-pounder, has had few close matches in his three seasons for the Cyclones. Two years ago, he defeated West Virginia's Vertus Jones 6-5 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star meet. He avenged the close victory last year, defeating Jones in the NCAA final 19-6.

	“	People ask me if I'd like to see him get beat. Absolutely not. He deserves it and this way, we can keep the record at Iowa State. ... He's truly incredible. Nobody can keep up with him. ”
		— Dan Gable on Cael Sanderson

His only other scare came last season, when Sanderson edged Minnesota freshman Damien Hahn, a highly regarded recruit, 4-3 in the finals of the Omaha Open. The two could butt heads again in next weekend's National Duals, or in the NCAA Championships in March.

So far this season, nine of Sanderson's 17 wins have come via pin, with all but two of the remaining eight victories won by major decision. To keep Sanderson focused against inferior competition, Douglas stresses more than just winning.

"The objective I give him is to score as many points as possible and completely remove his mind from winning and losing," he said. "That keeps him sharp. And we coach him that everyone is after him and that he has to almost over-prepare for his matches."

Hence the daily beat-downs in practice. Though it's frustrating for a competitor like Sanderson, he understands it's the price he must pay to improve. Just like the days growing up in his parents' Utah home, when his two older brothers, who also wrestled for Iowa State, would toss him around like a rag doll.

"They've been a huge part of everything I've accomplished," said Sanderson, whose father, a Utah high school coach, was also a major influence. "Growing up, we were workout partners and they taught me a lot. I was the youngest and they beat up on me all the time. Today they are my support group. We help each other."

Gable, who retired in 1997 after an illustrious coaching career at archrival Iowa, now spends part of his time as a wrestling analyst for Iowa Public Television, where he has seen plenty of Sanderson.

"He's truly incredible," Gable said. "For one, nobody can keep up with him. He's a guy that keeps you off-balance, comes at you from all different angles. And that risky style is even more amazing because anytime you get risk involved in wrestling, your percentages of getting caught are that much better. But he has this uncanny ability to get away with it."

While Gable holds the record for most consecutive victories at 100, Carlton Haselrig of Division II Pittsburgh-Johnstown went 122 matches without a loss, though he did suffer a tie during the streak.

Pat Smith of Oklahoma State is the only wrestler to win four NCAA Division I national titles, another mark Sanderson has in his sights. But if you think that's where the goals end, you'd be wrong.

"World Olympic champion," Douglas said of his pupil's ultimate goal. "Multiple times."

Nobody would put it past Sanderson, not with what he has accomplished so far and with the hunger that remains in his eyes. He failed to make the Olympic team this past year and still today, some six months later, the defeat is something that gnaws at him.

"It's hard, it was hard for me to get it off my mind," Sanderson said. "It was all I thought about for a long while. It's still what keeps me going, trying to improve and get better each day."

Even if it means getting shoved around in practice.

Wayne Drehs is a staff writer at ESPN.com.