To say that NIU’s wrestling team is young would be an understatement.

The team doesn’t start a single upperclassman in its 10-man lineup. True freshmen Steve Zimmerman, Izzy Montemayor, Derrick Yant and Zak Saevre have been in the lineup most of the year. Intermatwrestle.com ranked this season’s freshman class No. 28 in the nation.

Arguably, the best wrestler of the group so far and possibly the best wrestler on the team has been Zimmerman.

The Chicago native is 16-3 on the year and has won two tournaments. One of his losses has come against 11th-ranked Steve Brown of Central Michigan, while his other two losses came at the prestigious Midlands Tournament at Northwestern — something Zimmerman watched as a fan last year.

It’s safe to say it’s been a pretty successful season so far, especially since he came to NIU expecting to redshirt.

“I thought I would definitely be redshirting,” Zimmerman said. “Through what the coaches have been teaching me, all the new stuff I’ve been learning, I think that’s why I’ve had such a successful year.”

Zimmerman started off the year with a victory at the Pointer Open and followed that up with the title at the Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, Neb.

“He’s a pretty gritty wrestler,” said NIU head coach Dave Grant. “That’s what it takes when you get into college.”

But even with those wins, Zimmerman says his biggest win of the season was his 2-0 loss to Brown, somebody he could face in this weekend’s MAC Championships.

“You learn a lot more from when you lose,” Zimmerman said. “I learned that I can compete with guys like that. Now I know that I’m up there with him.”

There is a good chance Zimmerman could see Brown in the semifinals of this weekend’s MAC Championships, where he and the rest of the Huskie wrestlers will be looking to earn a berth into the NCAA Championships in St. Louis.

“I’m definitely looking forward to him,” Zimmerman said. “He’s that one guy that I’m looking at right now.”

Last year at Chicago’s St. Rita High School, Zimmerman won the Class AA State Championship at 152 pounds.

“It would be up there with state, winning the MAC Championship and going to nationals at one of the tougher weight classes in the country,” Zimmerman said.

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