Bryan Loughlin
The Northern Illinois wrestling team comes back to DeKalb after a month-long road trip to take on Mid-American Conference foe Ohio in a Friday night dual.
The match between the Huskies and Bobcats gets under way at 7 p.m. inside Victor E. Court.
“Ohio is a talented team,” said NIU head coach Ryan Ludwig. “Heading into MAC competition, the wrestling will be intense. Conference success paves the way to the national tournament.”
The Huskies come into Friday’s dual with a 7-3 record following a pair of wins – 26-12 over Appalachian State and 31-13 over SIU Edwardsville – last Sunday in Edwardsville, Ill. Between the two duals, NIU notched four pins, while Nick Smith, Kevin Fanta, Andrew Morse, Bryan Loughlin and Jared Torrence recorded individual wins in both duals.
Meanwhile, Ohio enters the meet with a 3-3 dual record and a 1-1 MAC mark.
Thus far, the Bobcats’ victories have come against Eastern Michigan, Appalachian State and Anderson, along with defeats to Virginia, Chattanooga and Central Michigan. However, Ohio has excelled in tournaments, taking fourth at the Navy Classic and seventh at both the Reno Tournament of Champions and The Southern Scuffle.
Individually, the Bobcats are led by returning All-American Jeremy Johnson at heavyweight and 2012 NCAA qualifier Ryan Garringer at 184. Johnson, who is ranked 15th nationally by Intermat, has a 21-7 record this season. In addition, Spartak Chino (157), Harrison Hightower (165), Cody Walters (174) and Phil Wellington (197) also figure prominently into the Bobcat lineup.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the door. Fans can also follow along with the action online and on Twitter @NIUscores.
For more information on NIU wrestling and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.
