Wrestling | March 21

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Blake West (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee) competed at the first day of the 2024 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, representing the Northern Illinois University Huskies.
 
"We are always proud of the way Blake competes," said NIU head coach Ryan Ludwig. "He represents all the good qualities we stress in this program. He had a fine season and made strides towards his ultimate goals. As disappointed as he is to exit the tournament, there are a lot of things to be proud of from this year."
 
In his opening round, the No. 26-seeded West faced the No. 13-seeded Jakob Camacho of NC State. Camacho grabbed a pair of takedowns in the first period while West matched each takedown with an escape. West had three more escapes but fell in a 10-7 decision to Camacho.
 
West faced the No.23-seeded Tanner Jordan of South Dakota State in the first consolation round. West got the first point of the match, an escape, to start the second period. A late takedown and nearfall gave Jordan a 7-1 lead heading into the final period. Jordan added nine points to defeat West in a major decision, 16-2.
 
With his appearance at the tournament, West marked the 53rd consecutive year that NIU has appeared at the NCAA Championship. West finishes his season with a record of 27-8.
 
Results
 
125: Blake West (27-8) 

• Champ. Round 1 - Jakob Camacho (NC State) 14-5 won by decision over Blake West (Northern Illinois) 27-8 (Dec 10-7)
• Cons. Round 1 - Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State) 25-10 won by major decision over Blake West (Northern Illinois) 27-8 (MD 16-2)