Jan. 23, 2008
DeKALB, Ill. - The Northern Illinois wrestling team tries to maintain its unblemished Mid-American Conference record, Friday, when the Huskies host No. 24 Kent State at 7 p.m. at Victor E. Court in the Convocation Center.
The Huskies (8-4, 2-0 MAC) have won eight of their last nine dual meets, including wins over MAC foes Buffalo and Ohio. Veteran head coach Dave Grant believes his young team, which regularly fills half its line-up with freshmen, will have to force itself upon the Golden Flashes.
"It's going to be about who can dictate their style," Grant said. "Their style is to stand outside and shoot, our big thing is keeping our hands on them to create pressure."
At 125 pounds, true freshman TJ Wunnicke (Dodgeville, Wis./Dodgeville) will look to keep his six-match winning streak going against Golden Flash freshman Nic Bedelyon, who has compiled a 19-8 record with six falls this season. In Wunnicke's latest string of victories, he's notched four pins and a technical fall, and his eight pins are tied for the most of any Huskie.
"The NCAA committee is probably going to take two 125-pounders to the national tournament from the MAC," Grant said. "Central Michigan has a pretty good one; Kent State has a pretty good one; We have a pretty good one. So, to get to St. Louis, this is a big match."
Wunnicke isn't the only newcomer who has made his mark on Grant's squad. Junior transfer Jesse Linczmaier (Fox Lake, Ill./Grant) has been the Huskies' go-to 165-pounder, compiling a 14-5 record, including a 5-1 mark in dual meets. He'll have an opportunity to make a mark nationally when he wrestles Kent State's Kurt Gross, the 15th-ranked 165-pound wrestler in the nation.
"Jesse filled a nice spot for us," Grant said. "Obviously he's got a good work out partner with Duke (Burk), and our heavier weights have turned out to be very competitive."
The Huskies will count on their seniors for leadership against the 9-4 Golden Flashes, who are yet to lose to an unranked opponent.
Two-time NCAA qualifier Pat Castillo (Western Springs, Ill./Lyons Township) is a proven leader at 133 pounds. His 18-5 record has him ranked No. 11 in his class, and the three-time Midlands placefinisher leads the nation with 12 major decision victories, including earning them in his last four bouts. Castillo will battle No. 16 Danny Mitcheff, who has put forth a 22-6 record on the mat this year.
"Pat's got a lot of confidence going into this match," Grant said. "He's been a dominant factor in the conference for years. He just wears people down, but Mitcheff's got some talent."
Senior Dave Benner (Fowler, Ind./Benton Central) is another wrestler on a roll with a challenge looming. After a 4-6 start, Benner has won nine of his last 12 contests, including his last five in a row. He'll collide with Kent State's 16th-ranked heavyweight, Jermail Porter, who leads the Golden Flashes with 24 wins this season, and defeated Benner 7-4 last season.
"Dave has improved quite a bit as a competitor from a year ago, and he's starting to turn the corner on our style," Grant said.
Kent State is the first of three ranked opponents the Huskies will face over the next three weeks. Northern Illinois hosts No. 25 Northern Iowa, Feb. 1, then travels to fifth-ranked Central Michigan for a Feb. 7 dual.
"There are lot of great match-ups against Kent State," Grant said. "We've got to be at our best, ready to wrestle."
