Contact: Sam Fretto, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Jan. 24, 2026)- Hosting the 13th-ranked dual team, the University of Chicago, for its final home dual of the season, the North Central College men's wrestling team came up short, 24-14, inside of Gregory Arena on Saturday afternoon. The final three matches of the dual decided the dual in favor of the Maroons.
Both sides double forfeited in the 125-pound bout as the Cardinals opted to send No. 1-ranked Chip Guzman into the 133-pound match against No. 14 Jackson Rustad. Guzman prevailed wrestling up a weight class, earning a 19-4 technical fall over Rustad, giving North Central a 5-0 lead.
Aboo Assaf wrestled in the 141-pound match for the Cardinals against Xavier Ortega and scored a 17-2 technical fall win to widen the gap to a 10-0 Cardinals advantage. The Maroons took back the momentum in the following three matches, as Tyler Starr battled with twelfth-ranked Max Mukhamedaliyev in the 149-pound match and fell by a 9-0 major decision. At 157 pounds, Daniel Ward wrestled for the Cardinals, taking on Daniel Gunlogson, which ended in an 8-1 decision in favor of U-Chicago. The Maroons tied the dual up at 10-10 with a victory in the 165-pound bout as Nick Cheshire defeated Mekhi Cave by an 8-5 decision.
North Central retook the lead 14-10 after Jake Luce picked up a 16-3 major decision over Hutch Lynott at 174 pounds. U-Chicago went on a run to finish the dual, winning the remaining three matches, first at 184 pounds with Jackson Davis picking up a 15-0 technical fall over Joseph Gliatta, then No. 8-ranked Gunnar Garriques forced a 15-0 technical fall on Henry Rydwelski to give the Maroons a 20-14 lead.
In the final match, the Cardinals needed a pinfall out of Luke Chrisse in the 285-pound match to win the dual. Chrisse battled Edward Perry but ultimately fell short, losing in a 15-7 major decision. The Cardinals suffered their first home dual loss since Jan. 10, 2017.
North Central returns to action on Friday, Jan. 30, when they travel to Wheaton, Ill., for the Pete Willson Invitational, hosted by Wheaton College. The weekend-long event starts at 1 p.m. on Friday and continues on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 11 a.m.
