Northwestern’s 2023-24 season officially kicked off Saturday with two titles and nine podium finishes at the Michigan State Open. 

Sophomore 141-pounder Joel VanderVere and freshman 157-pounder Jacob Bostelman grappled their way through their respective weight class brackets through points instead of pins. Vandervere, competing in the open division for his weight class, reached first place by three decisions following an opening bye. 

Bostelman, who competed in his weight class’ freshman/sophomore division, marked his Wildcats singlet debut and the start of the tournament with two technical falls. 

Although Bostelman allowed his first opponent two points, his second one struggled to catch up as Bostelman made shots towards a 16-0 win. Bostelman capped off his evening with two closer decisions and a title after a successful 4-3 end to a three-period match for first place.

From the various other wrestlers in the freshman/sophomore division, freshman 141-pounder Kolby McClain made the top-three with a second place finish. Despite falling short of a first-place match win by major decision against Central Michigan’s Jimmy Nugent, McClain proved himself a force to be reckoned with a quarterfinal pin five seconds before the end of the first period and a semifinal 7-1 tiebreaker victory.

NU saw two players claim podium finishes for the 197-pound weight class’ open division: No. 20 sophomore Evan Bates and graduate student Jack Jessen. The two received byes before respective major decision wins in the quarterfinals.

Bates was able to mark a semifinal victory with a 5-2 decision win, but fell short by a major decision against Oklahoma’s No. 2 Stephen Buchanan in the title match. Just before the 197-pound finals match, Buchanan took Jessen from the championship bracket to the consolation bracket in the semifinals after a 19-2 win by technical fall.

The ‘Cats head to St. Charles, Missouri for the Lindenwood Open this upcoming Saturday, one of their three scheduled tournament appearances before their first dual-meet match of the season against Northern Illinois.

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