Dec. 26, 2007

DeKALB, Ill. - In the midst of the holiday season, the Northern Illinois wrestling team is preparing for one of its biggest annual traditions, the 45th Midlands Wrestling Tournament in Evanston, Ill.

The Huskies will face wrestlers from teams across the Midwest Dec. 29-30, including No. 1 Iowa, No. 2 Iowa State, No. 6 Central Michigan, No. 9 Northwestern, and No. 10 UT-Chattanooga.

Only one NIU wrestler is seeded in the "Midlands 45" early seeds. Senior Pat Castillo (Western Springs, Ill./Lyons Township) was tabbed eighth at 133 pounds. The two-time NCAA Qualifier is currently ranked 12th in his weight class nationally, and has compiled an impressive 7-3 record with five major decisions and one pin. Castillo's three losses have come by a total of seven points, and were all to top-10 opponents.

Matches at the Midlands Tournament will be held in five sessions, with two on the 29th, and three on the 30th. The Big Ten Network will be covering the tournament, with the finals airing live Sunday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m., and the semifinals airing at a later date on tape delay.

For complete information on the Midlands Tournament, including schedules, ticket information and directions to the arena, visit the Official Midlands Wrestling Tournament page.