Northern Illinois @ Northwestern

Northwestern Men's Wrestling beat Northern Illinois Men's Wrestling 29-8 in Evanston, IL on November 16, 2024. The Wildcats used multiple bonus-point victories to build a lead that Northern Illinois could not erase over the course of the dual.

Northwestern got a major lift from the bonus column, most notably Sam Cartella’s 15-0 technical fall at 149 and Evan Bates’ 19-4 technical fall at 197. Those dominant wins delivered big team points and helped create the separation that decided the dual. Cartella’s control and Bates’ pinning-threat offense stood out as the matches that swung momentum toward Northwestern.

Northern Illinois answered with two major decisions of its own. Markel Baker picked up a 14-3 major over Massey Odiotti at 133, a timely upset that kept the Huskies competitive, and Jacob Christensen closed with a 12-2 major at 285 to add important bonus points. Those efforts narrowed the margin on the scoreboard but came too late to overcome Northwestern’s string of bonus wins in the middle weights.

In the end Northwestern’s collection of tech falls and majors proved decisive, turning several individual bonus outcomes into a 21-point dual victory. Northern Illinois showed resistance with its own bonus performances at 133 and heavyweight, but Northwestern’s depth and ability to finish for extra team points produced the final 29-8 result in Evanston.