May 9, 2007

DeKalb, Ill. - The Northern Illinois University wrestling squad celebrated the 2006-07 season at its annual banquet held on Saturday, April 28. Head coach Dave Grant and his staff reflected on the accomplishments of the past season and handed out multiple awards.

The Upperclassman Academic Award was given to Sophomore John Weinert (Stickney, Ill.) for his perfect 4.00 GPA in sociology. Vince Castillo (Western Springs, Ill.) was honored with the Freshman Academic Award for his dedicated work in the classroom where he earned a 3.69 GPA.

Senior Mike Grimes (Villa Park, Ill.) received the Huskie Achievement Award in honor of his outstanding season which included a 25-8 overall record and an incredible run at the prestigious Midlands Championships that culminated in a first place finish at 149-pounds.

Senior Danny Burk (Peoria, Ill.) garnered the Most Dedicated Award for his tireless work ethic that led him to his first at-large bid in the NCAA Championships and a second-place finish at the MAC Championships at 174-pounds.

Duke Burk (Peoria, Ill.) was honored with The Outstanding Freshman Award due to his 24-9 record that included a second-place finish in the MAC Championships and an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. While this would have been impressive for any wrestler, the fact that it was accomplished by a freshman makes it a truly exceptional achievement.

The Most Outstanding Wrestler Award went to Senior Johnny Galloway (Iowa City, Iowa) and if you've seen him wrestle, you'd know why. Galloway, one of the most physically gifted athletes in NIU wrestling history, dominated the majority of his competition en route to a 22-5 record and came one win away in the NCAA Championships from achieving All-American status.

The Bruce Swierczewski Most Valuable Wrestler Award was given to junior Pat Castillo (Western Springs, Ill.). Castillo's resume speaks for itself as he led the team with 28 wins, won the MAC Championship at 125-pounds giving him an automatic birth in the NCAA Championships and he was named the Most Outstanding Wrester of the MAC Championships.

As a team the Huskies finished 6-4-1 overall in dual meet competition and 3-2 in the MAC to finish third in the regular season. The NIU wrestling squad also finished third in the MAC Championships behind nationally ranked Central Michigan and Kent State, where they sent four wrestlers to the Nationals in Auburn Hills Michigan.