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Results
Team Scores

WHEATON, Ill. (Jan. 30, 2010) - North Central College senior Gabe Youel recorded a landmark achievement at the Pete Willson Wrestling Invitational at Wheaton College on Saturday, becoming the event's first four-time champion in 60 years. He was one of two individual champions for the Cardinals, who posted a fourth-place finish in the 30-team event.

Youel's victory at 184 pounds made him the first four-time winner since the namesake of the tournament, Wheaton's Pete Willson, in 1950. Also claiming first-place honors was Nathan Fitzenreider at 133, as the pair provided a sizable chunk of the Cardinals' total of 89 points. The University of Wisconsin-Parkside, an NCAA Division II representative, won the team title with 175.5 points. Runner-up Heidelberg University was the only other team to have multiple individual champions.

Youel's first match in the tournament resulted in a 15-0 victory by technical fall, as he needed just 3:46 to pile up the necessary points for a stoppage against Muskingum College's Danny Dunn. He then recorded a 12-4 major decision against Mount Union College's Andy Jenkins and advanced to the finals with a 5-3 victory over fourth-seeded Nick Kraus of Trine University.

In the championship, Youel (26-3) went up against second-seeded Lucas Haag of UW-Parkside, and came out on top of a tough match with a 3-2 decision.

Fitzenreider (30-3), meanwhile, impressively steamrolled all five of his opponents on the way to the 133-pound title. He pinned his first two opponents, Oscar Trujillo of Wabash and Jonny Brennen of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, before a 9-2 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Ross George.

In the semifinals, Fitzenreider notched an 11-3 major decision against Elmhurst College's Jake Denhof, then defeated Olivet College's Adam Wilson in the finals by major decision, 10-2.

North Central got a third-place finish from Joe Norton at 125. The senior opened with an 18-5 major decision against Marcus Lubner of Concordia (Wis.), followed by an 8-7 victory over UW-Platteville's Allen Fish. Norton (21-4) suffered a 3-1 loss to Alex Johns of the University of Indianapolis in the semifinals, but bounced back to defeat Riki Reynolds of Mount Union, 5-4, and Albie McKinney of UW-La Crosse, 6-5, in the consolation bracket.

Cowan Brown and Vinnie Sapienza also finished in the top eight for the Cardinals, as Brown finished fifth at 174 and Sapienza placed eighth at 197.

The Cardinals host Wheaton in a dual meet on Thursday, beginning at 7 p.m.