North Central’s depth shines in 39-5 win over Illinois Wesleyan
The wrestlers who usually watch from North Central’s bench got their turn on Tuesday night, and they didn’t waste it.
North Central sent out a lineup of non-regular starters and still rolled past Illinois Wesleyan 39-5 at Gregory Arena in Naperville, Illinois. The Cardinals won nine of 10 bouts, six by technical superiority, to open College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin dual action.
North Central is ranked No. 4 in the HerMat NCAA dual meet rankings and No. 3 in the HerMat NCAA tournament rankings. The Cardinals improved to 2-0 in duals, while Illinois Wesleyan fell to 0-2.
North Central has a ranked wrestler at all 10 weights in the latest HerMat NCAA rankings, but none of them wrestled. In fact, none of the 10 wrestlers who started in the season-opening win at Northern Michigan on Nov. 2 were in Tuesday’s lineup. That includes No. 2 Riley Rayome at 124 pounds, No. 4 Jael Miller at 180 pounds and No. 4 Caroline Ward at 207 pounds.
The backups showed why the Cardinals are so tough to match up with. Mekala James, who stepped in at 131 pounds, beat Augustana’s Moni Griffin, ranked No. 18 at 131 pounds, 10-5 at the Pointer Open three days earlier. Tirza Twoteeth, who wrestled at 207 pounds, lost only to Ward, her own teammate, 5-0 at the same event.
Justine Perez opened the dual with a forfeit at 103 pounds. Nadia Thomas of North Central followed at 110 pounds with two four-point throws on her way to a 12-0 technical superiority over Illinois Wesleyan’s Quynn Foster in 48 seconds. At 117 pounds, Eliana Paramo of North Central scored an early takedown and added four turns for a 10-0 technical superiority over Illinois Wesleyan’s Simone Dyer, putting the Cardinals ahead 13-0.
Milana Borrelli of North Central built a 5-0 lead at 124 pounds before closing out a 10-0 technical superiority over Illinois Wesleyan’s Isabella Hull. James was even quicker at 131 pounds. She went up 6-0 with a takedown and two turns, then finished Illinois Wesleyan’s Arynn Garrard with a four-point throw in 47 seconds.
Taylor Miess picked up a forfeit at 138 pounds to make it 26-0. Clare Waite of North Central then needed only 57 seconds to beat Illinois Wesleyan’s Jillian Giller 10-0 at 145 pounds.
Illinois Wesleyan’s lone win came at 160 pounds, where Kennedy Murray pinned North Central’s Cait Jones in 1:52. It was Murray’s second straight dual with a fall. She also pinned Millikin’s Natalie Corona in Illinois Wesleyan’s 37-11 loss to Millikin two days earlier.
North Central closed with two more wins. Caitlyn Flaherty of North Central led Illinois Wesleyan’s Naima Harvey-Bowen 6-0 at 180 pounds before a four-point takedown ended the bout at 2:56, just before the first period expired. At 207 pounds, Twoteeth scored on an early pushout, hit a four-point throw and pinned Illinois Wesleyan’s Camille Harris in 1:48.
North Central stays home for another conference dual on Thursday, Nov. 12, when Carthage visits Gregory Arena. Carthage’s Jazz Ocampo is ranked No. 18 at 207 pounds.
Results:
103: Justine Perez (North Central) won by forfeit
110: Nadia Thomas (North Central) tech. Quynn Foster (Illinois Wesleyan), 12-0 0:48
117: Eliana Paramo (North Central) tech. Simone Dyer (Illinois Wesleyan), 10-0 0:50
124: Milana Borrelli (North Central) tech. Isabella Hull (Illinois Wesleyan), 10-0 1:35
131: Mekala James (North Central) tech. Arynn Garrard (Illinois Wesleyan), 10-0 0:47
138: Taylor Miess (North Central) won by forfeit
145: Clare Waite (North Central) tech. Jillian Giller (Illinois Wesleyan), 10-0 0:57
160: Kennedy Murray (Illinois Wesleyan) pinned Cait Jones (North Central), 1:52
180: Caitlyn Flaherty (North Central) tech. Naima Harvey-Bowen (Illinois Wesleyan), 10-0 2:56
207: Tirza Twoteeth (North Central) pinned Camille Harris (Illinois Wesleyan), 1:48