Many Division I programs like to schedule lower division teams to start off the season, hoping to build early confidence. However, that’s not what the NIU wrestling team likes to do. They stared off the season by traveling to Ames, Iowa to take on Iowa State, the third-ranked team in the country and lost 39-4.
The Cyclones came into the match with seven of their 10 starters ranked in the top 20, while NIU had two.

“It was a great atmosphere here; probably about 3,000-4,000 people,” head coach Dave Grant said. “It was the first time some of our freshman wrestled varsity matches. This was a good learning experience and we’ll move forward from here.”

Redshirt sophomore Duke Burk, ranked No. 14 nationally, got the lone win for the Huskies by posting a 14-2 major decision win over Mitch Artist in the 174-pound match. The Peoria native set the tone of the match early by earning a two-point takedown 36 seconds into the first period. Burk closed out the match by getting five third-period points to cap off the win.

In the 133-pound class, 11th ranked Pat Castillo had a chance to make an early statement as he faced Iowa State’s seventh-ranked Nick Fanthorpe. The match was tied at one with just over one minute left in the final period until Fanthorpe scored a two-point takedown, leading to a 6-1 win.

“It was a really tight match,” Grant said. “When it comes down to the last minute it’s in anybody’s hands.”

Behind freshmen T.J. Wunnicke and Pat McLemore, the Huskies kept it close in the 125-pound and 141-pound matches, but couldn’t pull out a win, losing 2-0 and 7-3.

“Some of the mistakes we made were simply standing on the edge [of the mat],” Grant said. “Those are mistakes you don’t want to make in March and we can get pat that.”

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