Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Jordan Herald/Northwestern Athletics
Spidle Punches Ticket to NCAA Championships on Day One of Big Ten Championships
3/7/2026 9:33:00 PM | Wrestling
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Sean Spidle is headed back to the NCAA Championships after earning an automatic bid on day one of the Big Ten Championships in State College, Pa. Spidle, one of two Northwestern wrestlers to secure a podium place on the tournament's opening day, will wrestle in his second straight NCAA Championships later this month.
After falling to the back half of the bracket early on, Spidle (133 lbs) defeated ninth-seeded Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) in a tight 1-0 victory by decision in the blood round. With his podium spot and his NCAA bid secured, he will wrestle on for placement tomorrow morning in the tournament's third session.
Also on the Big Ten podium will be first-year Billy Dekraker, who will finish in at least eighth place in his first conference Championships. Dekraker picked up a pair of victories over ranked wrestlers en route to the podium, defeating No. 31 Henry Porter in the round of 16 with a dominant 15-0 technical fall before downing No. 30 Greyson Clark in wrestlebacks. With a victory in the seventh-place match tomorrow, Dekraker would also secure his first trip to the NCAA Championships. His podium finish is the first by a Northwestern first-year at the Big Ten Championships since 2021, when David Ferrante finished seventh at 165 lbs.
While they are no longer in podium contention, a trio of Wildcats can still earn NCAA Championship bids tomorrow; Dedrick Navarro (125 lbs), Eddie Enright (174 lbs) and Gabe Christenson (285 lbs) will continue competition in the ninth-place brackets with hopes of earning trips to Cleveland.
Big Ten Championship action will resume in State College tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT with Session III, which will feature consolation and seventh-place matches.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS (Through Session II)
125
Champ. Round 1 - Nicolar Rivera (Wisconsin) won by decision over Dedrick Navarro (Dec 8-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Dean Peterson (Iowa) won by decision over Dedrick Navarro (Dec 5-0)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Dedrick Navarro won by major decision over Abram Cline (Maryland) (MD 10-0)
133
Champ. Round 1 - Blake Boarman (Purdue) won by decision over Sean Spidle (Dec 3-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Sean Spidle won by decision over Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) (Dec 1-0)
Cons. Round 3 - Zan Fugitt (Wisconsin) won by major decision over Sean Spidle (MD 14-2)
141
Champ. Round 1 - Billy Dekraker won by tech fall over Henry Porter (Indiana) (TF 15-0, 4:19)
Quarterfinal - Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) won by fall over Billy Dekraker (Fall 1:04)
Cons. Round 2 - Billy Dekraker won by decision over Greyson Clark (Purdue) (Dec 5-4)
Cons. Round 3 - Dario Lemus (Maryland) won by decision over Billy Dekraker (Dec 9-7)
149
Champ. Round 1 - Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin) won by decision over August Hibler (Dec 9-7)
Cons. Round 1 - August Hibler won in sudden victory - 1 over Joey Buttler (Indiana) (SV-1 9-8)
Cons. Round 2 - Carter Young (Maryland) won by major decision over August Hibler (MD 8-0)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Drew Roberts (Minnesota) won by decision over August Hibler (Dec 5-0)
157
Champ. Round 1 - Kannon Webster (Illinois) won by fall over Ty Wilson (Fall 4:28)
Cons. Round 1 - Bryce Lowery (Indiana) won by decision over Ty Wilson (Dec 4-1)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Victor Voinovich (Iowa) won by major decision over Ty Wilson (MD 8-0)
165
Champ. Round 1 - Braeden Scoles (Illinois) won by tech fall over Jacob Bostelman (TF 20-4, 4:32)
Cons. Round 1 - Jack Conley (Michigan State) won by decision over Jacob Bostelman (Dec 4-2)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Jack Conley (Michigan State) won by decision over Jacob Bostelman (Dec 4-1)
174
Champ. Round 1 - Ethan Riddle (Minnesota) won by decision over Eddie Enright (Dec 4-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Colin Kelly (Illinois) won by decision over Eddie Enright (Dec 4-1)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Eddie Enright won by major decision over Seth Digby (Maryland) (MD 12-3)
184
Champ. Round 1 - Dylan Fishback (Ohio State) won by tech fall over J.D. Perez (TF 17-2, 3:27)
Cons. Round 1 - J.D. Perez won by decision over Cale Anderson (Wisconsin) (Dec 12-8)
Cons. Round 2 - Chris Moore (Illinois) won by tech fall over J.D. Perez (TF 19-3, 6:20)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - J.D. Perez won by decision over Cale Anderson (Wisconsin) (Dec 10-7)
197
Champ. Round 1 - Remy Cotton (Rutgers) won by major decision over Alex Smith (MD 15-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Gavin Nelson (Minnesota) won by decision over Alex Smith (Dec 4-3)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Gavin Nelson (Minnesota) won by decision over Alex Smith (Dec 5-2)
285
Champ. Round 1 - Cole Mirasola (Penn State) won by fall over Gabe Christenson (Fall 0:26)
Cons. Round 1 - Gabe Christenson won by decision over Joey Schneck (Maryland) (Dec 7-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Luke Luffman (Illinois) won by major decision over Gabe Christenson (MD 14-2)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Gabe Christenson won by decision over Joey Schneck (Maryland) (Dec 4-2)
After falling to the back half of the bracket early on, Spidle (133 lbs) defeated ninth-seeded Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) in a tight 1-0 victory by decision in the blood round. With his podium spot and his NCAA bid secured, he will wrestle on for placement tomorrow morning in the tournament's third session.
Also on the Big Ten podium will be first-year Billy Dekraker, who will finish in at least eighth place in his first conference Championships. Dekraker picked up a pair of victories over ranked wrestlers en route to the podium, defeating No. 31 Henry Porter in the round of 16 with a dominant 15-0 technical fall before downing No. 30 Greyson Clark in wrestlebacks. With a victory in the seventh-place match tomorrow, Dekraker would also secure his first trip to the NCAA Championships. His podium finish is the first by a Northwestern first-year at the Big Ten Championships since 2021, when David Ferrante finished seventh at 165 lbs.
While they are no longer in podium contention, a trio of Wildcats can still earn NCAA Championship bids tomorrow; Dedrick Navarro (125 lbs), Eddie Enright (174 lbs) and Gabe Christenson (285 lbs) will continue competition in the ninth-place brackets with hopes of earning trips to Cleveland.
Big Ten Championship action will resume in State College tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT with Session III, which will feature consolation and seventh-place matches.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS (Through Session II)
125
Champ. Round 1 - Nicolar Rivera (Wisconsin) won by decision over Dedrick Navarro (Dec 8-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Dean Peterson (Iowa) won by decision over Dedrick Navarro (Dec 5-0)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Dedrick Navarro won by major decision over Abram Cline (Maryland) (MD 10-0)
133
Champ. Round 1 - Blake Boarman (Purdue) won by decision over Sean Spidle (Dec 3-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Sean Spidle won by decision over Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) (Dec 1-0)
Cons. Round 3 - Zan Fugitt (Wisconsin) won by major decision over Sean Spidle (MD 14-2)
141
Champ. Round 1 - Billy Dekraker won by tech fall over Henry Porter (Indiana) (TF 15-0, 4:19)
Quarterfinal - Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) won by fall over Billy Dekraker (Fall 1:04)
Cons. Round 2 - Billy Dekraker won by decision over Greyson Clark (Purdue) (Dec 5-4)
Cons. Round 3 - Dario Lemus (Maryland) won by decision over Billy Dekraker (Dec 9-7)
149
Champ. Round 1 - Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin) won by decision over August Hibler (Dec 9-7)
Cons. Round 1 - August Hibler won in sudden victory - 1 over Joey Buttler (Indiana) (SV-1 9-8)
Cons. Round 2 - Carter Young (Maryland) won by major decision over August Hibler (MD 8-0)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Drew Roberts (Minnesota) won by decision over August Hibler (Dec 5-0)
157
Champ. Round 1 - Kannon Webster (Illinois) won by fall over Ty Wilson (Fall 4:28)
Cons. Round 1 - Bryce Lowery (Indiana) won by decision over Ty Wilson (Dec 4-1)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Victor Voinovich (Iowa) won by major decision over Ty Wilson (MD 8-0)
165
Champ. Round 1 - Braeden Scoles (Illinois) won by tech fall over Jacob Bostelman (TF 20-4, 4:32)
Cons. Round 1 - Jack Conley (Michigan State) won by decision over Jacob Bostelman (Dec 4-2)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Jack Conley (Michigan State) won by decision over Jacob Bostelman (Dec 4-1)
174
Champ. Round 1 - Ethan Riddle (Minnesota) won by decision over Eddie Enright (Dec 4-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Colin Kelly (Illinois) won by decision over Eddie Enright (Dec 4-1)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Eddie Enright won by major decision over Seth Digby (Maryland) (MD 12-3)
184
Champ. Round 1 - Dylan Fishback (Ohio State) won by tech fall over J.D. Perez (TF 17-2, 3:27)
Cons. Round 1 - J.D. Perez won by decision over Cale Anderson (Wisconsin) (Dec 12-8)
Cons. Round 2 - Chris Moore (Illinois) won by tech fall over J.D. Perez (TF 19-3, 6:20)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - J.D. Perez won by decision over Cale Anderson (Wisconsin) (Dec 10-7)
197
Champ. Round 1 - Remy Cotton (Rutgers) won by major decision over Alex Smith (MD 15-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Gavin Nelson (Minnesota) won by decision over Alex Smith (Dec 4-3)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Gavin Nelson (Minnesota) won by decision over Alex Smith (Dec 5-2)
285
Champ. Round 1 - Cole Mirasola (Penn State) won by fall over Gabe Christenson (Fall 0:26)
Cons. Round 1 - Gabe Christenson won by decision over Joey Schneck (Maryland) (Dec 7-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Luke Luffman (Illinois) won by major decision over Gabe Christenson (MD 14-2)
9th-Place Quarterfinal - Gabe Christenson won by decision over Joey Schneck (Maryland) (Dec 4-2)
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