MAC Championship Central | ESPN3 Link

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Austin Eicher of the Northern Illinois University wrestling team made program history and booked a berth to nationals on Saturday at the Mid-American Conference Championships, leading the Huskies on the first day of action. With five wrestlers still alive in the brackets heading into Sunday, NIU concluded the evening at the Eastern Michigan Convocation Center with 40.5 team points, currently ranking seventh in the MAC team standings.

Thanks to two bonus-point victories, Eicher (Fenton, Mich./Hartland) became the first Huskie grappler since Kevin Fanta in 2013 – and the first freshman since Pat McLemore and Bryan O’Connor in 2008 – to advance to the MAC finals. Eicher, who moved up to the No. 6 seed in his 133-pound weight division after a higher seed missed weight, started his day by pinning No. 3 seed Cameron Kelly of Ohio in the third period. The NIU redshirt freshman then won his semifinal match when Shayne Wireman of Eastern Michigan was forced to forfeit due to injury with Eicher leading 2-0.

NIU wrestling head coach Ryan Ludwig was pleased with many of performances from his team on the opening day of the MAC Championships and highlighted Eicher, who will wrestle Corey Keener of Central Michigan on Sunday afternoon for the chance to become the 40th Huskie to win an individual MAC wrestling title.

“The MAC Championships are about fight and grit and showing how bad you want it. The five guys that we still have in it certainly earned that today,” Ludwig said on Saturday evening. “And it was a really big day for Austin. He came in with the intensity to make things happen, and he put himself in a great spot. We’re obviously looking forward to that final now.”

Eicher was one of three Huskies to advance to the semifinals on Saturday.

Steve Bleise (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea) recorded an 11-2 major decision in his quarterfinal match at 141 pounds over Kent State’s Anthony Tutolo, while Trace Engelkes (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) dominated Josh Davis of Eastern Michigan for a 4-0 decision in the 174-pound quarterfinals. Both Bleise and Engelkes then dropped their semifinals clashes by narrow decisions and will wrestle for placing – and NCAA Championships berths – tomorrow at the EMU Convocation Center.

In total, five Huskies survived Saturday’s action to earn the right to wrestle for MAC placing, crucial team points and bids to nationals on Sunday in Ypsilanti.

With Eicher in the finals, Bleise and Engelkes will be joined in the consolation semifinals by fellow Huskies Andrew Morse (Alto, Mich./Lowell) at 157 pounds and Shawn Scott (Holly, Mich./Holly) at 197 pounds after the veteran duo both advanced in their consolation matches late Saturday evening. With five MAC bids to NCAAs in each of their weight classes, Morse and Scott enter Sunday knowing one more victory is all that is needed to qualify for nationals. Engelkes will need to win out to earn third, while Bleise needs a top-four placing to secure a trip to nationals.

Adding to NIU's point tally, Alijah Jeffery (Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar) earned one consolation bracket win, a technical fall over Armando Torres of Eastern Michigan at 125 pounds, and Shaun'Qae McMurtry (Lockport, Ill./Nebraska) also contributed a decision over Rrok Ndokaj of Buffalo at 165 pounds before being eliminated.

The 40.5 points scored by the Huskies marked a greater total than NIU amassed in the entire MAC Championships last season, when the team tallied 40 points.

Wrestling will resume at the EMU Convocation Center on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT with the all-important consolation semifinals. The finals and other consolation matches will then start at 1:20 p.m. ET/12:10 p.m. CT after the MAC Championships finals parade and face-off introductions.

Coverage of the final day of the 2016 MAC Championships can be seen on ESPN3 or via the WatchESPN app. Follow @NIUWrestling on Twitter for complete updates from the event as well.

Full NIU results from the 2016 MAC Championships

Alijah Jeffery, 125 pounds
No. 2 Barlow McGhee (Mizzou) maj. dec. No. 7 Jeffery (NIU), 10-2
No. 7 Jeffery (NIU) tech. fall No. 8 Armando Torres (EMU), 15-0 – 4:36
No. 3 Brent Fleetwood (CMU) dec. No. 7 Jeffery (NIU), 3-0

Austin Eicher, 133 pounds, Finalist
No. 6 Eicher (NIU) pins No. 3 Cameron Kelly (Ohio), 5:21
No. 6 Eicher (NIU) injury default over Shayne Wireman (EMU), 2:09

Steve Bleise, 141 pounds, Consolation semifinalist
No. 3 Bleise (NIU) maj. dec. No. 6 Anthony Tutolo (KSU), 13-2
No. 2 Chris Mecate (ODU) dec. No. 3 Bleise (NIU), 8-5

Gabe Morse, 149 pounds
No. 3 Alexander Richarsdon (ODU) dec. No. 6 G. Morse (NIU), 4-2
No. 7 Colt Cotton (Buffalo) dec. No. 6 Gabe Morse (NIU), 3-2

Andrew Morse, 157 pounds, Consolation semifinalist
No. 3 Bryce Steiert (UNI) maj. dec. No. 6 A. Morse (NIU), 11-0
No. 6 A. Morse (NIU) maj. dec. No. 8 Alex Smythe (Buffalo), 11-1

Shaun’Qae McMurtry, 165 pounds
No. 2 Cooper Moore (UNI) dec. No. 7 McMurtry (NIU), 13-6
No. 7 McMurtry (NIU) dec. No. 8 Rrok Ndokaj (Buffalo), 8-6
No. 3 Austin Reese (Ohio) maj. dec. No. 7 McMurtry (NIU), 11-1

Trace Engelkes, 174 pounds, Consolation semifinalist
No. 4 Engelkes (NIU) dec. No. 5 Jacob Davis (EMU), 4-0
No. 1 Michael Ottinger (CMU) dec. No. 4 Engelkes (NIU), 5-4

Quinton Rosser, 184 pounds
No. 8 Joe Ariola (Buffalo) dec. No. 9 Rosser (NIU), 8-4
No. 7 Drew Foster (UNI) dec. No. 9 Rosser (NIU), 7-2

Shawn Scott, 197 pounds, Consolation semifinalist
No. 5 Anthony Abro (EMU) dec. No. 4 Scott (NIU), 4-3
No. 4 Scott (NIU) dec. No. 8 Cody Krumweide (UNI), 5-2

Arthur Bunce, 285 pounds
No. 3 Jake Gunning (Buffalo) pins No. 6 Bunce, 6:30
No. 2 Gage Hutchison (EMU) dec. No. 6 Bunce, 4-1

--NIU--