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Wrestling

Engelkes Upsets Ranked Opponent, Huskies Fall to No. 14 Illinois

Strong showing motivates Huskies as they prepare for championship season

Champaign, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University wrestling team saw four of the wrestlers that won on Friday night against Ohio also post victories against No. 14 Illinois.  However, it wasn't enough to repeat a team victory and the Huskies (5-5, 1-3 MAC) fell to the Fighting Illini (4-2, 2-2 Big Ten)on Sunday afternoon, 25-12.
 
The Huskies started off on a positive note with a win from Kirk Johansen (Glendale Height, Ill./Glenbard North) at 125-pounds. Johansen was victorious over Travis Piotrowski of Illinois in a comfortable 4-1 decision.
 
At 141-pounds, Angel Velasquez (Modesto, Calif./John H. Pitman) fought hard into double overtime. The score was tied, 0-0, at the end of the first period but Mousa Jodeh was able to get a point on the board in the second. Trailing by one at the beginning of the final period, Velasquez came back to tie the score, sending the match into overtime. After a scoreless first overtime, the two were sent into double overtime, still tied at 1-1.  With 30 seconds to go in the second overtime, Barone tallied another point and eventually pulled out the win, 2-1.
 
The Huskies saw their second victory of the day at 149, when Steve Bleise (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea) recorded his 19th win of the season with a triumphant 3-1 decision.   
 
After the first four bouts, the Huskies trailed No. 14 Illinois by two points, 8-6.
 
Two nationally-ranked Illinois grapplers wrestled back-to-back against the Huskies at 165 and 174-pounds. At 165, No. 1 Isaiah Martinez won against NIU's Shaun'Qae McMurtry (Lockport, Ill./Nebraska) in a 22-7 technical fall.
 
However, at 174, Trace Engelkes (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) charged up the Huskies with the most exciting dual of the day as he upset No.9 Zach Brunson in a 6-2 decision.
 
"Trace was resolute in his pursuit of his positions and it paid off for him with an outstanding win," praised head wrestling coach Ryan Ludwig.
 
At 197, Shawn Scott (Holly, Mich./Holly) dug deep to pull out another win, improving to 17-3 on the season. Unlike Friday night's low-scoring decision in regulation, Scott and Illinois' Andre Lee went into overtime on the mats. Scott trailed Lee, 2-1, at the end of the first period but it was quickly tied up at the end of the second, 3-3. Trading points throughout the third period led to overtime but Scott eventually prevailed, securing the victory, 7-5.
 
Ludwig was pleased with how the team fought and was able to compete with the nationally-ranked Fighting Illini, knowing it will bode well for the Huskies at the end of the season.
 
"Every experience gets this team closer to its peak performance as we work through the back half of season toward the championships," said Ludwig.
 
The Huskies will return to the mats on Jan. 27 when they head to Kent, Ohio in a Mid-American Conference dual against Kent State, followed by a trip to Mount Pleasant, Mich. that Sunday (Jan. 29) to face Central Michigan in another MAC dual.
 
No. 14 Illinois 25, NIU 12
125: Kirk Johansen (NIU) dec. Travis Piotrowski (Illinois) 4-1
133: No. 6 Zane Richards (Illinois) tech. fall Alijah Jeffery (NIU) 20-5
141: Mousa Jodeh (Illinois) TB-1 Angel Velasquez (NIU) 2-1
149: No. 13 Steve Bleise (NIU) dec. Eric Barone (Illinois) 3-1
157: Kyle Langendefer (Illinois) dec. Caden McWhirter (NIU) 4-3
165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) tech. fall Shaun'Qae McMurtry (NIU) 22-7
174: Trace Engelkes (NIU) dec. No. 9 Zach Brunson (Illinois) 6-2
184: No. 13 Emory Parker (Illinois) dec. Bryce Gorman (NIU) 8-1
197: No. 9 Shawn Scott (NIU) SV-1 Andre Lee (Illinois) 7-5
285: No. 17 Brooks Black (Illinois) fall Caleb Gossett (NIU) 0:38
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Players Mentioned

Steve Bleise

Steve Bleise

Redshirt Sophomore
Trace Engelkes

Trace Engelkes

Redshirt Senior
Bryce Gorman

Bryce Gorman

Redshirt Sophomore
Caleb Gossett

Caleb Gossett

Redshirt Freshman
Alijah Jeffery

Alijah Jeffery

Redshirt Sophomore
Kirk Johansen

Kirk Johansen

Redshirt Freshman
Shaun

Shaun'Qae McMurtry

Redshirt Senior
Caden McWhirter

Caden McWhirter

Redshirt Freshman
Shawn Scott

Shawn Scott

Redshirt Senior
Angel Velasquez

Angel Velasquez

Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

Steve Bleise

Steve Bleise

Redshirt Sophomore
Trace Engelkes

Trace Engelkes

Redshirt Senior
Bryce Gorman

Bryce Gorman

Redshirt Sophomore
Caleb Gossett

Caleb Gossett

Redshirt Freshman
Alijah Jeffery

Alijah Jeffery

Redshirt Sophomore
Kirk Johansen

Kirk Johansen

Redshirt Freshman
Shaun

Shaun'Qae McMurtry

Redshirt Senior
Caden McWhirter

Caden McWhirter

Redshirt Freshman
Shawn Scott

Shawn Scott

Redshirt Senior
Angel Velasquez

Angel Velasquez

Redshirt Freshman