Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Travels to No. 8 Illinois, No. 3 Minnesota
2/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 7, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern (5-7, 0-3) takes its search for a conference win elsewhere this weekend, with a pair of Big Ten tilts at Illinois and Minnesota. The Wildcats meet the eighth-ranked Illini at 7 p.m. Friday and the third-ranked Gophers at 2 p.m. Sunday.
NU senior Jason Erwinski (Tinley Park, Ill./Mt. Carmel) he will take on two of the nation's best at 165 pounds. Erwinski is 18-9 overall and 3-0 since dropping down a weight class. He meets top-ranked Matt Lackey of Illinois on Friday. Lackey is undefeated (25-0) and the early favorite for the Big Ten and NCAA Championships. He also won his first Midlands title last December at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Fighting Illini are 7-3 this season and 1-2 in conference play.
Erwinski will get little time to rest before facing sixth-ranked Jacob Volkman less than two days later. Volkman is 19-4 this season. The Golden Gophers also feature the top-ranked wrestler at 133 pounds, Ryan Lewis, and the second-ranked wrestlers at 149 and 157 pounds, Jared Lawrence and Luke Becker. The three are a combined 54-8.
Erwinski met Volkam last season at 174 pounds in the 'Cats' 38-6 loss to the Gophers, and Volkman prevailed 13-5. Minnesota owns a 34-17-1 series edge.
Northwestern is 29-35-2 against Illinois. The Wildcats lost to the Illini 27-6 in 2002, and last defeated them in the 1992-93 season.
