Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Midlands Championships
'Cats Put Three on the Podium at Ken Kraft Midlands Championships
12/30/2025 8:21:00 PM | Wrestling
EVANSTON, Ill. - Three Northwestern wrestlers reached the podium at the 61st Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships on Tuesday, capping off two days of action at Ryan Fieldhouse. Sean Spidle highlighted the placewinners for the 'Cats, finishing third at 133 lbs, while both Billy Dekraker (141 lbs) and Eddie Enright (174 lbs) finished in fifth.
No. 24 Spidle opened his tournament with a pair of wins on Monday morning, defeating both Indiana's Blaine Frazier, 8-3, and Central Michigan's Andrew Austin, 10-1, to advance to the quarterfinal round at 133 lbs. After dropping a narrow 3-1 decision, Spidle then battled back in the wrestlebacks to earn his podium position. The run included an upset of No. 20 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) by 6-2 decision in tiebreakers, and a 7-2 decision over Isaiah Cortez (Spartan Combat RTC) to secure his third-place finish.
Dekraker, ranked No. 28 by InterMat, also reached the quarterfinals with two early wins on the tournament's first day. He kicked off his Midlands with a dominant 18-1 technical fall over Tee Ward (NIU) and followed it up with a victory by decision, 8-2, over Nick Blackburn (Central Michigan). After falling to the back half of the bracket, Dekraker kept battling. Two more victories by decision secured his podium place and helped him to a fifth-place finish in his first career Midlands appearance.
Rounding out the podium finishers, No. 27 Enright collected three bonus-point victories en route to his fifth-place finish. The redshirt first-year ran off four straight wins in the consolation bracket to reach the podium, then defeated Cash Stewart (Cal Poly) by decision, 8-4, in the fifth-place match. His tournament included a shutout major decision over Pitt's Bode Marlow, 12-0, and a pair of 19-4 tech falls. Enright has now podiumed in each tournament he has competed in this season after winning the freshman/sophomore division of the Michigan State Open in November and also finishing fifth at the CKLV Invitational earlier this month.
UP NEXT
After the New Year, the 'Cats will turn their attention to Big Ten dual action, which is set to begin on Friday, January 9, when Northwestern hosts Maryland at Welsh-Ryan Arena. First whistle is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and action will be streamed on B1G+.
Complete Midlands Championships Results (all rankings listed are InterMat Rankings)
125: No. 21 Dedrick Navarro
Champ. Round 1 - Dedrick Navarro won by major decision over Rocco Hayes (Virginia) (Maj 12-2)
Champ. Round 2 - Dedrick Navarro won by tech fall over CJ Campbell (Illinois) (TF 16-1)
Quarterfinal - Tyler Chappell (Pittsburgh) won in sudden victory - 1 over Dedrick Navarro (SV-1 4-1)
Cons. Round 4 - Colyn Limbert (Pittsburgh) won by medical forfeit over Dedrick Navarro (MFFL)
133 lbs - Luis Bazan
Champ. Round 1 - Cameron Chinavare (Central Michigan) won by decision over Luis Bazan (Dec 8-5)
Cons. Round 1 - BYE
Cons. Round 2 - Massey Odiotti (Northwestern) won by major decision over Luis Bazan (Maj 11-2)
133 lbs - Massey Odiotti
Champ. Round 1 - BYE
Champ. Round 2 - Aaron Seidel (Virginia Tech) won by tech fall over Massey Odiotti (TF 16-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Massey Odiotti won by major decision over Luis Bazan (Northwestern) (Maj 11-2)
Cons. Round 3 - Massey Odiotti won by decision over Teddy Flores (Michigan) (Dec 8-1)
Cons. Round 4 - No. 24 Sean Spidle (Northwestern) won by decision over Massey Odiotti (Dec 4-0)
133 lbs: No. 24 Sean Spidle - THIRD PLACE
Champ. Round 1 - Sean Spidle won by decision over Blaine Frazier (Indiana) (Dec 8-3)
Champ. Round 2 - Sean Spidle won by major decision over Andrew Austin (Central Michigan) (Maj 10-1)
Quarterfinal - No. 25 Marcel Lopez (SIUE) won by decision over Sean Spidle (Dec 3-1)
Cons. Round 4 - Sean Spidle won by decision over Massey Odiotti (Northwestern) (Dec 4-0)
Cons. Round 5 - Sean Spidle won in tie breaker - 1 over No. 20 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) (TB-1 6-2)
Cons. Semi - Sean Spidle won by decision over Gabe Whisenhunt (Oregon State) (Dec 8-5)
3rd Place Match - Sean Spidle won by decision over Isaiah Cortez (Spartan Combat RTC) (Dec 7-2)
141 lbs - No. 30 Billy Dekraker - FIFTH PLACE
Champ. Round 1 - Billy Dekraker won by tech fall over Tee Ward (Northern Illinois) (TF 18-1)
Champ. Round 2 - Billy Dekraker won by decision over Nick Blackburn (Central Michigan) (Dec 8-2)
Quarterfinal - Elijah Cortez (Spartan Combat RTC) won by decision over Billy Dekraker (Dec 4-2)
Cons. Round 4 - Billy Dekraker won by decision over Brogan Fielding (Unattached Ohio State) (Dec 6-3)
Cons. Round 5 - Billy Dekraker won by decision over Aiden Simmons (Cal Poly) (Dec 10-4)
Cons. Semi - Dylan Chappell (Bucknell) won by decision over Billy Dekraker (Dec 5-3)
5th Place Match - Billy Dekraker won by medical forfeit over No. 25 Henry Porter (Indiana) (MFF)
141 lbs - Giosue Hickman
Champ. Round 1 - Dylan Chappell (Bucknell) won by major decision over Giosue Hickman (Maj 11-1)
Cons. Round 1 - BYE
Cons. Round 2 - Kole Brower (Illinois) won by fall over Giosue Hickman (Fall 5:52)
149 lbs - Sam Cartella
Champ. Round 1 - Sam Cartella won by fall over Lucan O`Brien (Northern Illinois) (Fall 2:57)
Champ. Round 2 - Michael Gioffre (Illinois) won by decision over Sam Cartella (Dec 4-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Sam Cartella won by decision over Matt Repos (Lehigh) (Dec 7-3)
Cons. Round 3 - Sam Cartella won by tech fall over Aidan Torres (Indiana) (TF 17-0)
Cons. Round 4 - Owen Reinsel (Lehigh) won by decision over Sam Cartella (Dec 5-4)
157 lbs - Gunnar Myers
Champ. Round 1 - BYE
Champ. Round 2 - Landen Johnson (Northern Illinois) won by fall over Gunnar Myers (Fall 6:00)
Cons. Round 2 - BYE
Cons. Round 3 - Gunnar Myers won by medical forfeit over No. 22 Mason Shrader (Central Michigan) (MFF)
Cons. Round 4 - Conner Harer (Rutgers) won by decision over Gunnar Myers (Dec 1-0)
165 lbs - Jacob Bostelman
Champ. Round 1 - Jacob Bostelman won by decision over Landen Johnson (SIUE) (Dec 4-2)
Champ. Round 2 - Jacob Bostelman won by decision over Chris Crawford (Indiana) (Dec 5-3)
Quarterfinal - No. 21 Noah Mulvaney (Bucknell) won by injury default over Jacob Bostelman (Inj. 6:08)
Cons. Round 4 - Zach Hanson (Stanford) won by medical forfeit over Jacob Bostelman (MFF)
174 lbs - No. 28 Eddie Enright - FIFTH PLACE
Champ. Round 1 - Eddie Enright won by tech fall over Damarion Ross (Northern Illinois) (TF 19-4)
Champ. Round 2 - Dom Federici (Lehigh) won by decision over Eddie Enright (Dec 14-11)
Cons. Round 2 - Eddie Enright won by decision over Collin Guffey (Stanford) (Dec 8-1)
Cons. Round 3 - Eddie Enright won by tech fall over Brandon Carr (Franklin & Marshall) (TF 19-4)
Cons. Round 4 - Eddie Enright won by decision over Dominic Lopez (SIUE) (Dec 6-4)
Cons. Round 5 - Eddie Enright won by major decision over Bode Marlow (Pittsburgh) (Maj 12-0)
Cons. Semi - No. 31 Derek Gilcher (Indiana) won by major decision over Eddie Enright (Maj 14-5)
5th Place Match - Eddie Enright won by decision over Cash Stewart (Cal Poly) (Dec 8-4)
174 lbs - Andre Rocker
Champ. Round 1 - No. 31 Derek Gilcher (Indiana) won by tech fall over Andre Rocker (TF 16-1)
Cons. Round 1 - Nick Marienfeld (Central Michigan) won by fall over Andre Rocker (Fall 6:14)
184 lbs - Marcell Booth
Champ. Round 1 - Joseph Walker (Michigan) won by tech fall over Marcell Booth (TF 17-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Ali Adel (Northern Illinois) won by decision over Marcell Booth (Dec 7-2)
184 lbs - Matt Kubas
Champ. Round 1 - No. 32 Chris Moore (Illinois) won by tech fall over Matt Kubas (TF 19-4)
Cons. Round 1 - BYE
Cons. Round 2 - Caleb Roe (Northern Illinois) won by decision over Matt Kubas (Dec 17-10)
184 lbs - J.D. Perez
Champ. Round 1 - Tye Monteiro (Stanford) won by decision over J.D. Perez (Dec 19-16)
Cons. Round 1 - J.D. Perez won by major decision over Nico Ronchetti (SIUE) (Maj 10-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Luke Daly (Pittsburgh) won by decision over J.D. Perez (Dec 4-1)
197 lbs - Alex Smith
Champ. Round 1 - BYE
Champ. Round 2 - Seth Shumate (Ohio State) won by decision over Alex Smith (Dec 9-8)
Cons. Round 2 - Alex Smith won by tech fall over Nathan Elstner (Northern Illinois) (TF 20-4)
Cons. Round 3 - Alex Smith won by decision over Levi Bussey (Cal Poly) (Dec 9-3)
Cons. Round 4 - Brokton Borelli (Stanford) won by fall over Alex Smith (Fall 5:50)
285 lbs - Gabe Christenson
Champ. Round 1 - BYE
Champ. Round 2 - Sean Carroll (Northern Illinois) won by decision over Gabe Christenson (Dec 4-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Gabe Christenson won in sudden victory - 1 over James Campbell (Michigan State) (SV-1 8-5)
Cons. Round 3 - Gabe Christenson won by decision over Jackson Mankowski (Stanford) (Dec 5-0)
Cons. Round 4 - Rocco Dellagatta (Spartan Combat RTC) won by decision over Gabe Christenson (Dec 4-1)
285 lbs - Dirk Morley
Champ. Round 1 - Dirk Morley won in sudden victory - 1 over James Campbell (Michigan State) (SV-1 4-1)
Champ. Round 2 - No. 32 Bryan Caves (Central Michigan) won by decision over Dirk Morley (Dec 5-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Aidan Fockler (Central Michigan) won in sudden victory - 1 over Dirk Morley (SV-1 4-1)
Players Mentioned
