Contact: Alex Mielcarz, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, ajmielcarz@noctrl.edu 

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Oct. 28, 2026) - The North Central College men's wrestling team topped the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) preseason poll, garnering nine first-place votes and 81 points in the poll.  

The Cardinals, who carry a 67-conference match-winning streak into this year's campaign, were a perfect 7-0 in CCIW play last season, outscoring their opponents 282-53 along the way.  

North Central claimed its fourth straight CCIW title last season and will begin its pursuit of a fifth consecutive crown on November 10, when it hosts Illinois Wesleyan University in the CCIW opener. 

The Cardinals return six All-CCIW performers, including Will Erbeck (285 lbs), AJ Frescura (197 lbs), Jake Luce (174 lbs), Mekhi Cave (165 lbs), Tyler Starr (149 lbs) and Ethan Spacht (133 lbs)  

Millikin University followed North Central in the preseason poll with 71 points and one first-place vote. Elmhurst University trails behind the Big Blue in third (63 points), followed by the Milwaukee School of Engineering in fourth (54 points) and Aurora University in fifth (51 points). Augustana College, Wheaton College, Carthage College, Illinois Wesleyan and Concordia University Wisconsin fill out places six through ten, respectively.  

The opener against the Titans on November 10 is the start of a four-dual home stretch for the Cardinals, with three of them being CCIW affairs. The four duals take place over nine days and feature, in addition to IWU, Carthage, Augustana and non-conference opponent, the College of New Jersey.  

The Cardinals begin their season on November 7, when they will head North to Wisconsin to take part in the Pointer Open, hosted at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, beginning at 9 a.m.