No. 13 ‘Cats Close Regular Season On Road This Weekend

EVANSTON, Ill. (February 9, 2023) – No. 13 Northwestern wrestling (5-3, 4-3 B1G) closes the regular season portion of its 2022-23 schedule on the road this weekend with a pair of dual meets. 
 
The Wildcats will lift the lid on the road swing Friday night, making the short trip west to DeKalb, Ill. to take on Northern Illinois at 7 p.m.  A visit to West Lafayette, Ind. follows for a Super Bowl Sunday matinee with Purdue in an 11 a.m. tilt that will be televised on Big Ten Network.
 
With a victory this weekend, Northwestern can secure a winning record in dual meets for a second straight season, a feat that hasn't been accomplished since the 2013-14 and 2014-15 campaigns.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Three 'Cats picked up wins as Northwestern dropped a 21-12 decision to No. 4 Ohio State last Sunday inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.
 
Lucas Davison provided fireworks at 285 pounds, picking up his second win by pinfall in as many outings following a victory over Tate Orndorff with just under a minute remaining in the third period.
 
Michael DeAugustino (125 pounds) collected a top-10 win, dealing Malik Heinselman a 4-1 defeat, while Frankie Tal-Shahar (141 pounds) continued the impressive finish to his regular season, downing Dylan D'Emilio, 3-2, to extend his win streak to three.
 
SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Northern Illinois enters Friday's dual at 7-4 overall.  Piloted by 12^th-year Head Coach Ryan Ludwig, the Huskies picked up wins over Ohio, 23-10, and Buffalo, 15-14, respectively, to run their record in Mid-American Conference (MAC) action to 4-1.
 
Ludwig's crew is led by Izzak Olejnik.  The reigning MAC champion at 165 pounds, Olejnik, a three-time NCAA qualifier, holds a 21-2 record on the year and placed fourth overall at the 58^th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships.
 
Wrestling at 141 pounds, Javion Jones has also impressed, amassing a 15-7 mark in 2022-23.  Jones has been victorious in three of his last four bouts, winning back-to-back matchups by major decision.
 
SCOUTING PURDUE
Purdue, which visits Maryland on Friday, is in search of its first win of the Big Ten dual season, currently sitting at 0-6 in league action and 4-9 overall.
 
Under the direction of Head Coach Tony Ersland, Purdue notched wins in four weight classes last Saturday against No. 10 Nebraska as it dropped a 22-12 decision to the Cornhuskers inside Holloway Gymnasium.
 
Ersland's lineup features a pair of the nation's best at 125 pounds and 157 pounds in Matt Ramos and Kendall Coleman.  Ramos, ranked No. 4 by FloWrestling, has been on a tear of late, rattling off five straight wins since a pinfall defeat at the hands of Iowa's Spencer Lee back on January 8, a bout Ramos held a lead in.  Sitting at No. 7 nationally, Coleman has been just as tough, boasting a 5-1 league mark bolstered by a three-match win streak.
 
SERIES STUFF
Friday's matchup will mark 37^th meeting between Northwestern and Northern Illinois.  The Wildcats own a 24-10-2 (.694) lead in the all-time series, an advantage that was extended by a 22-12 Northwestern win when the two teams met on February 13, 2022 at the Trienens Performance Center, an effort that saw six Wildcats record individual victories.
 
The Wildcats and Huskies have not clashed in DeKalb since February 8, 2013 when Northwestern cruised to a 36-6 triumph.
 
Sunday will mark the 93^rd installment in the rivalry between Northwestern and Purdue in wrestling.  Purdue owns a slim 47-43-2 (.522) edge in the series.
 
Led by bonus point wins from Davison (Technical Fall) and Ryan Deakin (Fall) on Feb. 19, 2022, the 'Cats secured a 20-15 win over Purdue in their regular season finale in 2021-22.  Northwestern's last victory in West Lafayette came on February 9, 2018, 24-16.
 
WEEKEND PROBABLES
#13 Northwestern
125: #7 Michael DeAugustino (4-4)
133: #12 Chris Cannon (13-6)
141: #12 Frankie Tal-Shahar (6-4)
149: #4 Yahya Thomas (17-2)
157: #15 Trevor Chumbley (19-5)
165: #15 Maxx Mayfield (20-8)
174: #18 Troy Fisher (15-5)
184: Evan Bates (11-14)
197: HM Andrew Davison (14-11)
285: #4 Lucas Davison (16-2)
 
Northern Illinois
125: Blake West (17-7)
133: Bryce West (4-8) -OR- Lucian Brink (8-8)
141: Javion Jones (15-7) -OR- Caleb Brooks (3-5)
149: Anthony Cheloni (11-7)
157: Anthony Gibson (9-7) -OR- Tulga Zuunbayan (7-7)
165: #13 Izzak Olejnik (21-2) -OR- Jake Evans (5-6)
174: Hayden Pummel (14-11)
184: Matthew Zuber (12-12) -OR- Devonjae Hudson (2-7)
197: Jacob Christensen (0-6)
285: Terrese Aaron (8-12) -OR- Jordan Sommers (3-5)
 
Purdue
125: #4 Matt Ramos (24-3)
133: Dustin Norris (10-12)
141: #17 Parker Filius (15-7)
149: Jaden Reynolds (4-11)
157: #7 Kendall Coleman (24-3)
165: Stoney Buell (11-12) -OR- Cooper Noehre (8-11)
174: Macartney Parkinson (9-12) -OR- Brody Baumann (17-4)
184: Ben Vanadia (10-13)
197: Hayden Filipovich (5-18)
285: Hayden Copass (6-5)
 
*All individual rankings courtesy of FloWrestling (February 6)
 
UP NEXT
Northwestern will be idle until it raises the curtain on the postseason at the Big Ten Championships, March 4-5, in Ann Arbor, Mich.