Midlands set to go

by Mike Garofola

Gone for two years but not forgotten, the 2022 Ken Kraft Midlands Wrestling Championships is back and better than ever.

After the tournament was sent to the sidelines due to the COVID outbreak, tournament director Tim Cysewski and his staff have injected real purpose into this 58th annual mega-event with the introduction of its first-ever women’s division, which will finish in grand fashion along with the men during the 6:00 finals at NOW Arena Saturday night in Hoffman Estates.

“I cannot tell you how excited we all are to be back, and running this great tournament, which we have all missed for the last two years, and to have a women’s division to help celebrate the 50th year of Title IX as well,” Cysewski said. 

Cysewski was an IHSA state champion in 1972 at Glenbrook South and then a four-year starter and 1976 All-American while at Iowa. He was next an assistant and then head coach at Northwestern University.

Cysewski’s resume speaks volumes on what he has given back to the wrestling community.

“Ken Kraft (former Northwestern wrestler, coach, and athletic director) is the founder of the Midlands, and he helped turn it into one of the most prestigious amateur collegiate events in the country,” Cysewski said. “He always said to stay ahead of the curve, and to do things differently to help this sport whenever possible. So the addition of a women’s division is something he would be proud of.” Prior to this year’s finals, Cysewski will help introduce four inductees to the Midlands Hall of Fame, including the wife of the late Ken Kraft, Marjo Kraft.

In addition to Mrs. Kraft, University of Chicago head coach Leo Kocher, Lee Wahlgren, and Jack Leese will all enter the Hall of Fame.

Leese, who began his coaching career at Glenbrook North before serving as an assistant to Chuck Farina at East Leyden, was the first full-time announcer at the IHSA State finals, in addition to being a long-time certified official.

Leese, who is retiring after the Midlands, was inducted into the IWCOA Hall of Fame in 1980.

Cysewski says in advance of the start of the tournament on Thursday, nearly 45 men’s teams, and close to a dozen women’s teams in this superb field are registered to compete.

After advancing seven into the last Midlands in 2019, the University of Iowa went on to lift the championship trophy for the seventh consecutive season, and 29th overall in program history.

The Hawkeyes are one of eight teams from the Big 10 scheduled to take part, including host Northwestern, Michigan, and Nebraska, all of which finished in the top 10 in the NCAA Championships a year ago.

Former IHSA stars, and state champions Abe Assad (Iowa, Glenbard North), Tony Cassioppi (Iowa, Hononegah), Austin Gomez (Wisconsin, Glenbard North), Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin, Joliet Catholic Academy) and Yahya Thomas (Northwestern, Mt. Carmel) among others, are all expected to compete.

Spencer Lee (Iowa) and Pat Glory of Princeton, the Nos. 1 and 2 men at 125 should give the audience plenty of thrills over the two days, as will 2019 Midlands champion (Cassioppi) at 285.

Gomez is the favorite at 149, while Hamiti, an All-American in his rookie season last year, is on course to meet rival Peyton Hall (West Virginia) at 165.

Competition begins on Thursday, December 29, at 9:30 am, with the second session set for a 7 pm start.

Both the men and women will begin to wrestle at 11 am on Friday.

“Tickets are still available at the NOW Arena, or at Ticketmaster, or, if you go to the Northwestern University website, NU.com, it will send you directly to tournament information, and how to buy tickets,” says Cysewski.

Rivera Returns, Wildcats Dominate in Big Ten Finale

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Northwestern wrestling closed out the Big Ten dual season in impressive fashion Sunday afternoon, cruising to a 37-9 victory over Maryland in the conference finale.

The Wildcats were triumphant in eight of the 10 matches on the day, with three of those wins coming via fall. The final team total marked the most points in a match for NU since Nov. 12, 2017, in a 37-3 win over Gardner-Webb.

The contest was highlighted by the return of No. 5 Sebastian Rivera, who made his first appearance since the Midlands Championships in December. Taking on King Sandoval at 133 pounds, Rivera wasted no time in picking up where he left off. The redshirt junior notched the first takedown of the match and turned it into a pin within seconds, winning by fall in the first period.

The ‘Cats also got wins from Jack Heyob, Michael DeAugustino, Alec McKenna, Yahya Thomas, Ryan Deakin, Shayne Oster and Jack Jessen in a contest they led 22-0 at the midway point.

The action began at heavyweight, where Heyob took on Parker Robinson in the opening bout. The first year was aggressive from the first whistle, leading early and scoring throughout the match in a dominant performance. The 9-0 victory by major decision was the first Big Ten win of Heyob’s young Northwestern career.

At 125, No. 11 DeAugustino followed suit by taking his opponent down early in the first period and maintaining his lead throughout the match. He came away with a 6-3 decision over Brandon Cray to stretch the visitors’ lead to 7-0.

After Rivera’s pin at 133, McKenna took to the mat in his final Big Ten dual as a Wildcat. Facing off against Hunter Baxter at 141 pounds, the senior showed no interest in savoring the moment. He took Baxter to his back halfway through the first and got the pin in just 1:55, making it consecutive wins by fall for NU.

In the final bout before intermission, No. 18 Yahya Thomas was matched up with Ryan Garlitz at 149. Despite missing Friday evening’s match against Rutgers, he showed no signs of rust, going on the attack while still holding his opponent scoreless in a 9-0 major decision. Thomas’ performance put Northwestern up by a score of 22-0 at the break.

As the second half of the dual got underway, No. 1 Deakin looked to continue the string of recent showings that have cemented his status as the best in his weight class. He did so quickly and convincingly, recording the team’s third win by fall and second in under two minutes as he stuck Lucas Cordio in 1:58. The junior improved to a perfect 17-0 on the campaign.

Oster was on next, coming in off the back of six-straight victories that have helped him climb to No. 13 in the nation. Wrestling against Kyle Cochran at 165, he showed the solid form that has made him tough to beat all season in a hard-fought match, pulling away late in a bout that he won via decision. The senior will look to finish off his last regular season with eight-straight wins in the ‘Cats final match.

At 184, Jessen was aggressive early against Kyle Jasenski, racing out to a 4-0 lead in the first minute and a half. After Jasenski suffered a leg injury and was unable to finish, Jessen’s win by injury default ran NU’s team score up another six points, putting the final at 37-9.

Chicago’s Big Ten Team will be back on the mat next weekend for the final dual meet of the 2019-20 regular season. The Wildcats will travel to face SIU-Edwardsville on Sunday, Feb. 23, with the action set to start at 2 p.m. CT.

No. 24 Northwestern 37, Maryland 9
College Park, Md. | XFINITY Center

HWT: Jack Heyob (NU) maj. dec. Parker Robinson (MD), 9-0 | NU 4, MD 0
125: #11 Michael DeAugustino (NU) dec. Brandon Cray (MD), 6-3 | NU 7, MD 0
133: #5 Sebastian Rivera (NU) Fall King Sandoval (MD), 2:41 | NU 13, MD 0
141: Alec McKenna (NU) Fall Hunter Baxter (MD), 1:55 | NU 19, MD 0
*Northwestern deducted one team point following the match at 141
149: #18 Yahya Thomas (NU) maj. dec. Ryan Garlitz (MD), 9-0 | NU 22, MD 0
157: #1 Ryan Deakin (NU) Fall Lucas Cordio (MD), 1:58 | NU 28, MD 0
165: #13 Shayne Oster (NU) dec. Kyle Cochran (MD), 9-3 | NU 31, MD 0
174: Philip Spadafora (MD) dec. Ankhaa Enkhmandakh (NU), 4-0 | NU 31, MD 3
184: Jack Jessen (NU) inj. def. over Kyle Jasenski (MD), 1:18 | NU 37, MD 3
197: Jaron Smith (MD) Fall #9 Lucas Davison (NU), 2:18 | NU 37, MD 9

No. 15 Illinois Edged Out By No. 8 Purdue, 18-14

February 16, 2020

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 15 Illinois wrestling was defeated by No. 8 Purdue, 18-14, at Huff Hall on Sunday. The Illini saw wins from senior Travis Piotrowski (133), redshirt senior Eric Barone (157), redshirt freshman Danny Braunagel (165) and redshirt sophomore Matt Wroblewski (197). Piotrowski’s victory in the 133-pound bout moves his record to 22-2 on the season, and he closes the Big Ten dual season an undefeated, 9-0, in conference bouts. Illinois (9-4, 6-3) ends its conference schedule in fourth place in the current Big Ten dual standings. 

“I thought our effort was pretty good,” said head coach Jim Heffernan. “At 125 their guy was ranked quite a bit higher than our guy, and I think Cardani competed really well against him. Travis (Piotrowski) was solid as always. Danny Braunagel stepped up and scored bonus points when we needed them. Matt Wroblewski did a great job keeping us in it. Those were the positives. I think we got beat to the punch way too much… We didn’t fight back well enough. Some positives today, but some negatives too.”

Senior Travis Piotrowski scored the first dual points of the day for the Illini with a win in the 133-pound bout against Travis Ford-Melton. Piotrowski tallied three takedowns, an escape and tacked on the riding time point, going on to win the bout by decision, 8-2. Ranked fifth nationally, Piotrowski, is now 22-2, the most wins in a season in his career. He is also undefeated at 13-0 across all dual bouts this season. 

Redshirt senior Eric Barone picked up his third straight victory with a win today in the 157-pound bout. Taking on Nate Limmex, Barone got out to a quick, 2-0, lead with a takedown in the opening seconds of the first. He picked up another point for an escape, and added the riding time point to take a 4-2 decision over Limmex. 

In the next bout at 165-pounds, redshirt freshman Danny Braunagel was in total control against Tanner Webster. Braunagel tallied four takedowns, two four-point nearfalls and a two-point nearfall en route to earning the tech. fall in the third at the 6:19 mark of the match with the score at 19-2. Ranked 13th nationally, Braunagel is now 19-6 this year and finishes the conference season with a record of 6-2. 

Redshirt sophomore Matt Wroblewski earned a victory in the 197-pound match. Taking on Jared Florell, Wroblewski was trailing 2-1 after the first. On top in the second period, Wroblewski didn’t allow an escape, riding out Florell in the period. Wroblewski then escaped from bottom to start the third. He tacked on a late takedown plus the riding time point earned through the second period ride out to take a 5-3 decision victory. 

Up next, No. 15 Illinois will compete in its final dual of the season, hosting Fresno State on Friday, February 21 at 4 p.m. at Huff Hall. Illinois wrestling will honor seven seniors for Senior Day prior to the dual.  

Full Results

125: No. 6 Devin Schroder (PUR) dec. No. 21 Justin Cardani (ILL), 3-0 | PUR 3, ILL 0
133: No. 5 Travis Piotrowski (ILL) dec. Travis Ford-Melton (PUR), 8-2 | ILL 3, PUR 3
141: Parker Filius (PUR) dec. No. 13 Dylan Duncan (ILL), 8-7 | PUR 6, ILL 3
149: No. 19 Griffin Parriott (PUR) dec. Mousa Jodeh (ILL), 6-2 | PUR 9, ILL 3
157: Eric Barone (ILL) dec. Nate Limmex (PUR), 4-2 | PUR 9, ILL 6
165: No. 13 Danny Braunagel (ILL) tech. fall Tanner Webster (PUR), 19-2 | ILL 11, PUR 9 
174: No. 4 Dylan Lydy (PUR) SV-1 No. 13 Joey Gunther (ILL), 3-1 | PUR 12, ILL 11
184: Max Lyon (PUR) dec. No. 13 Zac Braunagel (ILL), 6-2 | PUR 15, ILL 11
197: No. 32 Matt Wroblewski (ILL) dec. Jared Florell (PUR), 5-3 | PUR 15, ILL 14
285: No. 25 Thomas Penola (PUR) dec. No. 26 Luke Luffman (ILL), 5-3 | PUR 18, ILL 14 

For complete coverage of Fighting Illini Wrestling, visit FightingIllini.com, follow the Illini on Twitter (@illiniwrestling) and Instagram (illiniwrestling) and like Fighting Illini Wrestling on Facebook. 

NO. 18 ILLINOIS DROPS TOUGH BATTLE AT NO. 4 PENN STATE

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 18 Fighting Illini wreslting dropped a tough battle at No. 4 Penn State, 22-16, Friday night. The Illini took four of the first six bouts, but could not hold on to pull off the upset on the road in their Big Ten opener. Illinois saw wins by redshirt freshman Justin Cardani (125), senior Travis Piotrowski (133), redshirt senior Eric Barone (157) and redshirt freshman Danny Braunagel (165).   

“Overall a pretty good effort against a good team in a really tough environment,” said head coach Jim Heffernan. “It was great to see (Eric) Barone get back on track. There was a lot of fight from our guys, and that’s something we need to expect from our guys every time out now. We need to be consistent, and if we are, we will continue to improve and get better.”

Redshirt freshman Justin Cardani led off with a strong performance for the Illini in the 125-pound bout against Brandon Meredith. After a scoreless first period and first minute of the second frame, Cardani was able to turn Meredith and pick up a four-point nearfall to take a 4-0 lead. Cardani tacked on a point for an escape in the third, and continued to control the match on the way to a 6-0 decision over Meredith. Cardani is now 8-5 on the season and 4-1 in dual matchups. 

Senior Travis Piotrowski extended the Illini lead in his matchup against Austin Clabaugh. After controlling almost the entirety of the match and building an 8-3 lead, Piotrowski finished things off in the final seconds of the third, putting Clabaugh on his back and getting the fall time at 6:54. It was Piotrowski’s first pin of the season and the fourth of his career, which put Illinois up, 9-0, over Penn State. Piotrowski is now 14-2 on the season and still an unbeaten, 5-0, in duals this season.

After the Illini lost the next two matches, redshirt senior Eric Barone was able to keep the Illini in front with a win in the 157-pound bout over Bo Pipher. With the match scoreless early in the second, Barone was able to score two for a reversal, and then add two more with a two-point nearfall to take a 4-0 lead. Barone would add the point for riding time, and take a 5-2 decision over Pipher. Barone is now 7-7 on the year. 

Redshirt freshman Danny Braunagel was dominant in what would be the last Illini victory of the evening. He tallied four takedowns and a two-point nearfall en route to earning a 12-3 major decision over Konner Kraeszig. Braunagel is now 14-4 this season and 4-1 in dual matchups. 

Major secured @danny_braunagel takes a 12-3 major decision over Konner Kraeszig, securing the bonus points with this takedown!#Illini 16, PSU 7517:25 PM – Jan 10, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacySee Illinois Wrestling’s other Tweets

Up next the Illini return home to take on Indiana at Huff Hall on Sunday, January 12 at 1 p.m. CT. Prior to the dual, the Illini will host their Great Escape Youth Wrestling Clinic, beginning at 11 a.m. CT. An autograph session with the Illinois wrestlers will be held after the match.

Full Results

125: Justin Cardani (ILL) dec. Brandon Meredith (PSU), 6-0, ILL 3, PSU 0
133: No. 9 Travis Piotrowski Fall Austin Clabaugh (PSU), 6:54, ILL 9, PSU 0
141: No. 4 Nick Lee (PSU) major dec. No. 14 Dylan Duncan (ILL), 13-5, ILL 9, PSU 4
149: Jarod Verkleeren (PSU) dec. Mousa Jodeh (ILL), 6-2, ILL 9, PSU 7
157: No. 22 Eric Barone (ILL) dec. Bo Pipher (PSU), 5-2, ILL 12, PSU 7
165: No. 14 Danny Braunagel (ILL) major dec. Konner Kraeszig, 12-3, ILL 16, PSU 7
174: No. 1 Mark Hall (PSU) DQ No. 16 Joey Gunther (ILL), 5 stalling calls, ILL 16, PSU 13 
184: No. 8 Aaron Brooks (PSU) dec. No. 11 Zac Braunagel (ILL), 9-4, ILL 16, PSU 16 
197: Shakur Rasheed (PSU) dec. Matt Wroblewski (ILL), 3-0, PSU 19, ILL 16
285: Seth Nevills (PSU) dec. Luke Luffman (ILL), 6-3, PSU 22, ILL 16

For complete coverage of Fighting Illini Wrestling, visit FightingIllini.com, follow the Illini on Twitter (@illiniwrestling) and Instagram (illiniwrestling) and like Fighting Illini Wrestling on Facebook. Print Friendly Version

Davison, Deakin Highlight Big Ten Opener

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EVANSTON, Ill. – No. 1 Ryan Deakin and redshirt first-year Lucas Davison each notched massive victories Friday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena in the dual match against Big Ten foe No. 18 Purdue, with the ‘Cats also getting wins from Alec McKenna and Shayne Oster.

Deakin, competing in his first match since becoming the top-ranked wrestler in the nation, took on a fellow top-ten grappler in No. 8 Kendall Coleman. After a tense first period in which he went up 2-0, Deakin rattled off seven in the second and five more in the third, all without giving up a single point.

The redshirt junior came away with an impressive 14-0 major decision, dismantling of the Boilermaker as he improved to 9-0 on the campaign. Dating back to the Cliff Keen Invitational in December, Deakin has now won three-consecutive bouts against Top-10 opponents and has not trailed at any point in those contests.

In the penultimate bout of the evening, Davison took on No. 2 Christian Brunner, as the two faced off for the third time already this season. After a scoreless first period, Davison took a one-point lead in the second with an escape, and went into the third up 1-0. After a break for injury to Brunner, Davison chose to start on bottom and recorded another escape to double his lead, before a late takedown from the Boilermaker forced overtime. 

Within the first 30 seconds of the sudden victory period, Davison took Brunner down on the edge of the mat and was awarded the winning points. After a challenge from the Purdue bench, the call stood, and Davison sealed a victory over the second-ranked wrestler in the nation. 

Alec McKenna got the ‘Cats on the board in the third bout of the evening with a dominant 8-3 decision. Following intermission, Shayne Oster notched a 4-2 win. After taking a 2-2 tie into the final stanza Oster got a reversal and rode his opponent out for the remainder of the period. With a riding time point in his favor, Oster won the match by a score of 5-2.

At 174, unranked Tyler Morland gave a valiant effort, going toe-to-toe with No. 4 Dylan Lydy of Purdue. The grapplers exchanged escapes to take a 1-1 bout into the final period. Lydy was awarded a point for stalling and that was how the bout ended. Lydy, the reigning Midlands champion, improved to 21-0 on the season. 

The Wildcats dropped the dual by a score of 21-13. With the loss, the ‘Cats sit at 2-2 on the season.

Chicago’s Big Ten Team will take to the mat again this Sunday in State College as they battle No. 3 Penn State at Rec. Hall. The Wildcats will be back in Evanston next Saturday, January 18th to take on Indiana on Alumni Day. 

#18 Purdue 21, #13 Northwestern 13
Evanston, Ill. | Welsh-Ryan Arena | Jan. 10, 2020

125: #5 Devin Schroder (PUR). maj. dec. #7 Michael DeAugustino (NU), 11-2 | PUR 4, NU 0
133: #5 Travis Ford-Melton (PUR) maj. dec. Dylan Utterback (NU), 14-4 | PUR 8, NU 0
141: Alec McKenna (NU) dec. Parker Filius (PUR), 8-3 | PUR 8, NU 3
149: Nate Limmex (PUR). dec. Eric Yang (NU), 3-1 | PUR 11, NU 3
157: #1 Ryan Deakin (NU) maj. dec. #8 Kendall Coleman (PUR), 14-0 | PUR 11, NU 7 
165: Shayne Oster (NU) dec. Tanner Webster (PUR),  5-2 | PUR 11, NU 10
174: #4 Dylan Lydy (PUR)  dec. Tyler Morland (NU), 2-1 | PUR 14, NU 10
184: Max Lyon (PUR) dec. Jack Jessen (NU), 7-2 | PUR 17, NU 10
197: Lucas Davison (NU) dec. #2 Christian Brunner (PUR), 4-2 (SV-1) | PUR 17, NU 13
285: Thomas Penola (PUR) maj. dec. Jack Heyob (NU), 8-0 | PUR 21, NU 13

*All team rankings come from the NWCA Coaches’ Poll as of Jan. 7.
*All individual rankings come from InterMat as of Jan. 7.

••••••
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Thunder wrestling wins dual matches

Thunder wrestling wins dual matches against Hannibal-LaGrange and Lincoln College in a return to action

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Lincoln, Illinois – The Wheaton wrestling team returned to action on Thursday with a pair of dual matches at Lincoln College. The triangular with Lincoln and Hannibal-LaGrange was the first action for the Thunder wrestling team since December 14. Wheaton defeated the host Lynx of Lincoln College 48-3. The Thunder also earned a 43-11 victory against Hannibal-LaGrange.

Giovany Armira was a 4-3 victor at 133-pounds against Lincoln’s Jack Hale. Natan Jara earned a 4-1 decision over Desirgeon Keys of the Lynx at 197-pounds. Charles OwensIsaac OdellGrant Miller and Jacob Murrie (PICTURED) earned wins by pin against Lincoln.

In the victory against Hannibal-LaGrange, Murrie won by fall in 58 seconds. Luke Gentry won a 6-1 decision against Corban Watson at 184-pounds. Jara won a major decision, 14-4, against Drew McCollum.

The Wheaton wrestling team returns to action January 18 at University of Dubuque’s “Jim Fox Duals”.


Wheaton 48, Lincoln College 3
125 – Brendan Johnston (Wheaton) won via forfeit
133 – Giovany Armira (Wheaton) def. Jack Hale (Lincoln), 4-3 decision
141 – Ethan Harsted (Wheaton) won via forfeit
149 – Dominic Tenayuca (Lincoln) def. Andrew Harrell (Wheaton), 7-5 decision
157 – Charles Owens (Wheaton) def. Ke’Shawn Hess (Lincoln), Fall (5:15)
165 – Jacob Murrie (Wheaton) def. Gabriel Castillo (Lincoln), Fall (2:20)
174 – Hunter Harrison (Wheaton) won via forfeit
184 – Isaac Odell (Wheaton) def. Brian Holloway (Lincoln), Fall (4:05)
197 – Natan Jara (Wheaton), def. Desirgeon Keys (Lincoln), 4-1 decision
285 – Grant Miller (Wheaton) def. Jacob Adams (Lincoln), Fall (2:00)

Wheaton 43, Hannibal-LaGrange 11
125 – Brendan Johnston (Wheaton) won via forfeit
133 – Giovany Armira (Wheaton) won via forfeit
141 – Ethan Harsted (Wheaton) won via forfeit
149 – Andrew Harrell (Wheaton) won via forfeit
157 – Gage Maxwell (Hannibal-LaGrange) def. Charles Owens (Wheaton), Technical Fall 18-0
165 – Jacob Murrie (Wheaton) def. David Reyes (Hannibal-LaGrange), Fall (0:58)
174 – Austin Hawes (Hannibal-LaGrange) def. Stephen Watson (Wheaton), Fall (2:03)
184 – Luke Gentry (Wheaton) def. Corban Watson (Hannibal-LaGrange), 6-1
197 – Natan Jara (Wheaton), def. Drew McCollum (Hannibal-LaGrange), 14-4 major decision
285 – Grant Miller (Wheaton) won by forfeit

Millikin Wrestling Goes 2-2 at NWCA National Duals

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The Millikin wrestling team went 2-2 at the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. Millikin two losses eliminated them from the two-day tournament that features 92 teams from NCAA Division II and III as well as NAIA and NJCCA. 
Millikin’s two wins build on its school record setting performance this season for wins in a season, which now stands at 18 with five losses.
        Millikin opened the day with a 32-12 win over Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
At 125 pounds, freshman Joey Rivera got Millikin going in the right direction with a 17-2 technical fall victory.  Freshman Sean McKenna won 12-3 (MD) at 141 and Peter McCusker won 7-1 at 149 to put the Big Blue up 12-6.  The Birt brothers each scored wins by fall with Tristan Birt winning at 149 with a pin at 5:51 and Bradan Birt scoring his pin at the 1:02 mark.  Jake Tisza won 5-1 at 174 and Taylor McGiffen scored a 20-5 technical fall win at 184 to round out the Millikin scoring.
        The Big Blue advanced to a second round match against Wartburg College who entered the day ranked second in the country in the NWCA Division III team rankings.  Millikin lost 25-18 with Rivera winning 13-7 at 125 pounds and Bradan Birt picking up a 7-3 decision at 165.  The Big Blue closed out the match with two pins with Logan Hagerbaumerwinning at 197 and Frank Tomaskovic winning by fall at 285.
        Millikin then had to wrestle its third straight match of the day defeating Roger Williams 30-17.  Rivera again opened the match with a victory this time a 4-2 decision.  MeKenna made it 6-3 Millikin with a 10-6 win at 141 pounds.  With Millikin trailing 14-6, Bradan Birt pinned Michael Mirmina in 13 seconds at 165 pounds to make it a 14-12 Roger Williams lead.  Millikin trailed 17-12 with three matches remaining.  McGiffen turned the momentum of the match to the Big Blue’s favor with a win by fall at 1:40 at 184 pounds to put Millikin on top 18-17.  Hagerbaumer then rallied to win by fall at 6:25 at 197 pounds to secure the win for Millikin.  The Big Blue picked up six points by forfeit at 285 pounds.
        Millikin closed out the tournament with a 45-0 loss to North Central College with most of the Big Blue backups seeing action.
        The Big Blue will face North Central again on January 21 when they travel to Naperville for a dual with the Cardinals.

Millikin 34 Wisconsin-Oshkosh 12

Wartburg 25 Millikin 18

Millikin 30 Roger Williams 17

North Central 45 Millikin 0

Peter McCusker

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Martinez, Nguyen-Smith Impress at NWCA Duals

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Emmanuel Results
Limestone Results
Gannon Results

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan. 10, 2020) – Competing in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals in Louisville, the North Central College women’s wrestling team came away with one victory in a loaded NCAA women’s field.

The Cardinals faced No.4th-ranked Emmanuel College (Ga.) in their first dual and took the Lions down to the wire, but came up one point short as they fell 23-22. Amanda Martinez notched North Central’s first win as she won the 130-pound contest via a 9-5 decision. Keeping the momentum on the Cardinals’ side was Asia Nguyen-Smith (136) who earned an 11-0 tech fall victory over Passion Hollins. Following a forfeit loss, the Cardinals rattled off three-straight wins as Kim Nunez (155) and Yelena Makoyed (191) each earned tech falls while Malea Palahniuk won via forfeit at 170-pounds, but it wasn’t enough as Emmanuel would win the dual.

In their next dual meet, North Central took on Limestone College (S.C.) in the consolation bracket. Following a forfeit loss at the 101-pound division, Angelina Graff (109) and Abby Eisenbeis (116) got the Cardinals back on track as they each earned victories to give North Central a 7-6 lead. Limestone earned five points via forfeit at the 123-pound weight class but both Nguyen-Smith (130) and Martinez (136) pinned their opponents in under one minute to give the Cardinals their lead back. Nunez earned a forfeit win at 170-pounds while Makoyed earned her second tech fall win of the day to give North Central a 26-16 win over Limestone.

In the second round of the consolation bracket, North Central would compete against Gannon University (Pa.). The Golden Knights and Cardinals shared win via forfeits at the 101 and 109-pound weight classes to push the score to 5-5. At the 116-pound division, Mikayla Vega took down Eisenbeis to give Gannon the lead. Following a Cardinal forfeit, Nguyen-Smith (130) won her third match of the day as she won via tech fall over her Golden Knight opponent. Martinez (136) also won her third contest of the day by defeating Gabrielle Malinowski via a 10-0 tech fall. Gannon would go on to win the final four matches and win the dual, 32-15.

North Central is idle until Feb. 8th when they head to the McKendree University Bearcat Open. The event is set to begin at 9:00 am and will take place in the Melvin Price Convocation Center.

Women’s Wrestling Defeats Presbyterian College 41-6 On First Day of NWCA National Duals

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(LOUISVILLE, Ken. – Jan. 10) – The No. 1 McKendree University women’s wrestling concluded day one of the 2020 NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championship by defeating Presbyterian College 41-6. The bearcats are now 1-0 in the tournament.

Below are the results for the Bearcats after day one.

The Bearcats received a bye in the first round of competition.

McKendree – 41
Presbyterian College – 6

101-lb:Pauline Granados (Rialto, CA/Wilmer Amino Carter High School) won by forfeit. (MCK 5, PU 0)
109-lb:Carly Valleroy (St. Louis, MO/Mehlville High School) won by fall (Fall 2:28) over Cassy Lopez. (MCK 10, PC 0)
116-lb:Theresa Rankin (Grass Lake, MI/Grass Lake High School) was defeated by fall (Fall 1:39) to Jaslynn Gallegos (MCK 10, PC 5)
123-lb:Alexia Ward (Portland, OR/Westview High School) won by technical fall (TF 13-1) over Haven Pennington (MCK 14, PC 6)
130-lb:Shaina Murray (Watchung, NJ/Wyoming Seminary Prep) won by fall (Fall 1:15) over Isabelle Badon (MCK 19, PC 6)
136-lb:Emma Bruntil () won by technical fall (TF 10-0) over Adelyhda Perez (MCK 23, PC 6)
143-lb:Alara Boyd (Muncie, IN/Yorktown High School) won by fall (Fall 1:15) over Morgan Norris (MCK 28, PC 6)
155-lb:Joye Levendusky (Avon, NY/Avon High School) won by technical fall (TF 10-0) over Hannah McElroy. (MCK 32, PC 6)
170-lb:Andrea Sennett (Wheeling, IL/Wheeling High Shcool) won by technical fall (TF 10-0) over Madajah Trapier. (MCK 36, PC 6)
191-lb:Sydnee Kimber (Sitka, AK/Mt Edgecombe High School) won by forfeit. (MCK 41, PC 6)

The Bearcats next competition will be against No.5 ranked Colorado Mesa University on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 9:00 A.M.-McK-Print Friendly Version

Buffalo Upends SIUE

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BUFFALO, N.Y. – Gage Datlovsky‘s first major decision of the season set the pace early, but SIUE wrestling fell to Mid-American Conference rival Buffalo 26-12.

“We wrestled hard, and I’m proud of the effort,” said SIUE Head Coach Jeremy Spates.

Buffalo improved to 7-6 overall and 3-2 in the MAC, extending its dual meet winning streak to five matches. The Cougars dropped to 1-7 overall and 0-4 in the MAC.

Datlovsky overpowered Jordan Reyes in the opening match at 125 pounds 15-2. SIUE also picked up wins from Tyshawn Williams at 149 pounds, Kevin Gschwendtner at 174 pounds and Colton McKiernan at 285 pounds.

“We’re frustrated with the loss, but we feel like we are getting better as a team,” said Spates. “We have to keep working.”

SIUE’s next action is next Saturday at Central Michigan. The home MAC season begins Jan. 24 in First Community Arena at the Vadalabene Center against Cleveland State.

Buffalo 26 SIUE 12
125: Gage Datlovsky (SIUE) over Jordan Reyes (Buffalo) (MD 15-2)
133: Derek Spann (Buffalo) over Jacob Blaha (SIUE) (Fall 1:48)
141: Marcus Robinson (Buffalo) over Saul Ervin (SIUE) (Dec 11-5)
149: Tyshawn Williams (SIUE) over John Arceri (Buffalo) (Dec 2-1)
157: Michael Petite (Buffalo) won by forfeit
165: Troy Keller (Buffalo) over Chase Diehl (SIUE) (TF 18-0 3:36)
174: Kevin Gschwendtner (SIUE) over Jake Lanning (Buffalo) (Dec 7-4)
184: Peter Acciardi (Buffalo) over Ryan Yarnell (SIUE) (Dec 8-4)
197: Sam Schuyler (Buffalo) over Jake McKiernan (SIUE) (Dec 14-7)
285: Colton McKiernan (SIUE) over Nolan Terrance (Buffalo) (Dec 1-0)

SIUE penalized one team point for bench misconduct.