Contact: Sam Fretto, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu

Naperville, Ill. (Nov. 6, 2024)- The North Central College men's wrestling team has extended their CCIW win streak to 51 duals after dominating the Carthage College Firebirds in their home opener inside of Gregory Arena. The Cardinals won by a score of 44 to 3. 

North Central won nine of their matches winning four by tech fall, three by decision, one by pin, and one by forfeit. 

The Cardinals got off to an early 6-0 lead after Cameron Phillips in the 125-pound weight class got a win by forfeit. With the forfeit Philips improves to 2-2 on the season. 

At 133-pounds Ethan Spacht took on Carter Leiber where he would score a pin in a minute and 10 seconds giving the Cardinals a 6-0 lead. Spacht improves to 6-1 on the young season.  

Josh Robison and Cole Nelson faced off in the 144-pound weight class, in a match that went the distance. Robison was able to make the comeback victory getting a 10-8 decision thanks to a takedown in the final seconds. His decision victory gave the Cardinals a 15-0 lead. Robison moves to 3-2 on the season. 

North Central would keep rolling along in the 149-pound weight class with another decision win as Dylan Burnoski scored a 6-3 decision victory over Eljiah Zepeda. The decision gave the Cardinals an 18-0 lead and Burnoski his first win of the season. 

The Cardinals suffered their first loss of the evening as Luke Christie fell to Zaren Anderson via a 4-2 decision in the 157-pound weight class. The Firebirds got on the board with that win trailing 18-3. Christie is now 3-3 on the season.

Alex Villar wrestled his first match of the season as the All-American and No. 5-ranked 165-pound wrestler scored a 16-1 technical fall after dominating his counterpart Christian Gilbert for six minutes and 10 seconds. Villar's victory propelled the Cardinals to a 23-3 lead and Villar scored his first victory of the season in his first match. 

In the 174-pound weight class Javen Estrada dismantled Max Becker, scoring 3 takedowns in just under a minute before winning his match via fall in just a minute and 28 seconds. The Cardinals held a 29-3 lead after Estrada's victory and Estrada got his first win of the 2024-25 season.

At 184-pounds, Casey Aikman continued the dominance for the Cardinals as he scored a 21-6 technical fall over Devin Rogers. Aikman had 7 takedowns in two minutes and 57 seconds. Aikman extended the Cardinals lead to 34-3 and improved to 4-2 on the season. 

Elijah Brockie, wrestling his first match of the season, scored a 17-2 technical fall victory over Diego Fuentes in the 197-pound weight class. Brockie dominated early on but Fuentes stayed alive before getting taken down one final time after six minutes and 50 seconds. Another 5 points would be added to the Cardinals total. 

In the final match of the night, No. 3-ranked wrestler in the 285-pound weight class, Robby Bates wrestled his first match of the season and scored a 17-2 technical fall over Mason Kochersperger as time expired. Bates scored a last second take down and got an extra point for riding time to secure the technical fall.

The Cardinals (1-0, 1-0 CCIW) continue CCIW action as they travel to Rock Island, Ill. on Wednesday Nov. 13 for a dual vs the Augustana College Vikings where they will look to extend their CCIW win streak to 52 duals. Click HERE for the full schedule. 

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