Northwestern will have a much different dynamic than in years past. The Wildcats will be without Jake Herbert, a two-time defending NCAA National Champion.
“It’s been difficult not having him,” redshirt sophomore Robert Kellogg said. “This year we’re meshing more as a team and looking more toward multiple guys, whereas last year everyone just looked up to Jake.”
Things won’t be made any easier by two of NU’s best wrestlers taking redshirt years. Jason Welch, who went 2-2 at the NCAA Championships last year as a freshman, and two-time All-American Brandon Precin, will redshirt this season.
Consequently, coach Tim Cysewski wants this year’s team to focus on being more balanced and consistent in matches.
“This year is going to have to be more of a team effort,” Cysewski said. “Everyone is going to have to put their best foot in every match. We don’t have the outstanding individual talent to make up for guys making mistakes.”
This weekend marks NU’s first dual match – an event when individual scores are combined for a team score – without Precin, Welch and Herbert. The Cats face three opponents: St. Cloud State, a relative unknown, Stanford, a team looking to avenge a loss to NU last season and Purdue, a conference rival. Each team presents a different challenge, though NU seems relatively confident heading into the weekend.
“We are expecting to win every dual and put on a show for the crowd,” Kellogg said. “But we are assuming all the other teams are going to bring their best.”
St. Cloud State was ranked in the Division II top 20 last year and finished the season with a 8-5 record in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
“You can’t look past anybody in this sport,” NU’s 20-year veteran coach said. “In wrestling, anyone can beat anyone – it’s not like football and basketball. Everyone has to play their toughest.”
Last year, NU defeated Stanford 25-15 in Palo Alto, Calif., though the Cardinals are more experienced this year and will be out to get revenge for last year’s defeat.
“We beat them last year but at the same time we didn’t wrestle well,” Cysewski said. “It was our first road trip, and some of the guys got caught up in the California sunshine. Now (Stanford) is coming to our backyard, so it gives us an advantage. But ultimately they don’t know much about us, and we don’t know much about them.”
Though the Cats do not face the Boilermarkers during conference play per the Big Ten’s schedule rotation, the match highlights the type of opponent NU will face later in the season.
“Purdue is the most improved team in the Big Ten,” Cysewski said. “In this conference every team has five to six very good guys. There are going to be lots of close matches with us and Purdue.”
Each of NU’s opponents have competed in an open invitational this season, but this weekend will be each team’s first duals. Cysewski said he expects the squads to focus on taking down his team.
“Being from the Big Ten everyone wants a piece of us – we’ve got a bull’s-eye on our back,” Cysewski said. “We’re going to do anything we can to slow the match down and play very physically.
In light of the loss of Herbert and Co., NU will use this weekend’s matches to see who will emerge from a young but promising squad.
“Who is going to be the next Jake Herbert?” Cysewski said. “It could be a freshman, it could be a senior – it could be anybody. The test this weekend is to see who steps up.”
The test begins when NU faces St. Cloud State at 10 a.m. It then plays Stanford at noon before finishing with Purdue two hours later. All matches are at Welsh-Ryan Arena. [email protected]
