March 6, 2004

COLLEGIATE WRESTLING --- Northern Illinois University at Mid-American Conference Championships / at Athens, Ohio / OU Convocation Center / First Session Results / Saturday / March 6, 2004

NORTHERN ILLINOIS FIRST ROUND RESULTS
125-POUNDS: Mark McKnight (UB) dec. Dave Aranda (NIU), 6-2
133-POUNDS: Sam Hiatt (NIU) maj dec. Phillip Plowman (EMU), 14-1
141-POUNDS: Andy Hiatt (NIU) pinned Brian Sebally (UB), 5:29
149-POUNDS: Josh Wooton (NIU) dec. Marcus Gordon (EMU), 10-4
157-POUNDS: Joe Henning (NIU) dec. Chad Roush (EMU), 7-2
165-POUNDS: Alex Nelson (NIU) received a bye
174-POUNDS: Ed Willis (OU) dec. Danny Burk (NIU) 9-2
184-POUNDS: Ben Heizer (NIU) major dec. Nick Terbay (OU), 9-0
197-POUNDS: Greg Reardon (NIU) received a bye
HEAVYWEIGHT: Joe Sapp (NIU) dec. Tim Breyer (EMU), 8-3

HUSKIE GRAPPLERS MOVE EIGHT INTO MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
ATHENS, Ohio - The Northern Illinois University wrestling team advanced eight wrestlers into the semifinals of the 2004 Mid-American Conference Wrestling Championships on Saturday (March 6). The Huskies eight entries into the final foursomes was only topped by Central Michigan University, which placed ten wrestlers (one in every weight class) into the second day's championship brackets. Central Michigan also holds a narrow two and a half point edge on the Huskies entering Sunday's action.

"We are pleased with how we wrestled tonight," Huskie boss Dave Grant said. "Our strategy was to come out and get as many pins and major decision points as we possibly could, and we got one pin and two major decisions."

DeKalb products Sam Hiatt and Andy Hiatt were the first Huskies to advance to the big dance, with Sam earning a 14-1 major decision in the 133-pound class, while Andy earned one of only two pins in Friday night's action, besting the University at Buffalo's Brian Sebally in 5:29. It was Andy Hiatt's second victory by fall on the season.

Both Josh Wooton and Joe Henning earned victories by decision in the 149 and 157-pound weight classes respectively. Wooton defeated Eastern Michigan University's Marcus Gordon 10-4, while Henning handled the Eagles' Chad Roush 7-2. With the victory, Wooton remains a perfect 6-0 against Mid-American Conference foes.

Ben Heizer defend his No. 2 ranking nationally by tallying a major decision victory over OU's Nick Terbay, 9-0. Freshman Joe Sapp also earned his first victory of the MAC Championships, an 8-3 decision over Tim Breyer of Eastern Michigan. Alex Nelson and Greg Reardon received free passes into the semifinals of the six wrestler brackets in the 165 and 197-pound weight classes.

Dave Aranda and Danny Burk both hope to make their way back to the top through wrestle-backs on Saturday morning. Aranda fell to UB's Mark McKnight at 125-pounds by a 6-2 score. Burk suffered a similar fate at 174-pounds, dropping a 9-2 decision to OU's Ed Willis.

"The real wrestling starts tomorrow," Grant added. "All we can do is take each matches as it comes. Here at the end of the season when everyone wrestles hard and tries harder, anything can happen."

Action resumes Sunday morning at the OU Convocation Center with the semifinals and wrestle-back brackets beginning at 10 a.m. (ET), while the championship session gets underway at 4 p.m. (ET).

--Copy by Matt Baylor

TEAM STANDINGS after first session
1. Central Michigan 28.5 points
2. Northern Illinois 26
3. Ohio 18
4. Buffalo 13
4. Kent State 13
6. Eastern Michigan 11
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