Dawson major decision lifts Northern Illinois to 19-14 win over Central Michigan
DeKalb, Ill. — Northern Illinois defeated Central Michigan 19-14 on Jan. 16, 2026, as No. 20 Devon Dawson’s 15-7 major decision at 285 supplied the decisive margin.
DeKalb, Ill. — Northern Illinois defeated Central Michigan 19-14 on Jan. 16, 2026, with No. 20 Devon Dawson’s 15-7 major decision at 285 providing the decisive swing.
The Huskies opened the dual with three straight victories. No. 29 Blake West beat Archer Anderson 15-11 at 125, Markel Baker followed with a 9-5 decision at 133 and Charles Curtis secured an 8-5 sudden-victory win at 141 to give Northern Illinois an early edge.
Central Michigan answered in the middle weights. Jimmy Nugent won 2-0 at 149 and No. 27 Mason Shrader posted a 13-3 major decision at 157. Luke Cochran added a 12-1 major at 197; Shrader’s and Cochran’s bonus wins accounted for eight team points and pulled the visitors within one late in the dual.
Northern Illinois regained momentum through the middle of the lineup. Brett Smith beat No. 21 Chandler Amaker 7-3 at 165 and Tommy Bennett followed with a 15-10 decision at 174. Central Michigan’s Adrien Cramer won 8-1 at 184, setting the stage for the final matchup at heavyweight.
Northern Illinois trailed 15-14 entering the 285-pound bout. Central Michigan’s Bryan Caves opened with an early takedown and a two-point nearfall, but Dawson responded with late first-period scoring. Dawson recorded a takedown at the 0:12 mark of the opening period and a four-point nearfall at 0:03 to flip the frame; a Dawson takedown at 0:13 of the third extended the margin and produced the 15-7 major decision that sealed the dual.
The three major decisions—Shrader’s 13-3, Cochran’s 12-1 and Dawson’s 15-7—were the primary bonus-point swings that decided the meet. Northern Illinois combined Dawson’s bonus with its decision wins and non-bonus scoring to finish five points ahead.
The result marked a conference dual decided by late scoring and bonus-point outcomes in DeKalb. NIU’s athletics release noted the dual came down to the final bout with the Huskies leading 15-14 before heavyweight scoring produced the final margin.