DeKALB – 14 NIU grapplers earned podium spots en route to NIU Wrestling’s 11th-place team finish at the MSU Open on Saturday. 

NIU had four more placers than it did in last year’s MSU Open on Nov. 5, 2022.

HUSKIES IMPROVE

After failing to place at last year’s tournament, four wrestlers flew up the leaderboards and earned podium positions on Saturday. 

Scoring just 7 points a season ago, redshirt sophomore Hayden Pummel took home fourth place and poured on 15.5 team points at 174. Following a first-round bye, Pummel won five of his seven bouts to earn a podium finish. 

Following last year’s third-round elimination against fellow Huskie redshirt sophomore Devonjae Hudson, senior Matt Zuber clinched fourth place at 184. Zuber dropped Wisconsin graduate student Shane Liegel in the consolation semifinal before losing to University of Oklahoma redshirt senior Giuseppe Hoose in the third-place title match. 

After going winless during last year’s tournament, redshirt sophomore Nathaniel Genobana hoisted the fifth-place trophy in the Open 133 weight class on Saturday. Genobana went toe-to-toe with teammate senior Lucian Brink for the fourth-place title with Genobana losing in a 9-5 decision. 

After suffering a pin in just the third round, senior Michael Kaminski secured fourth-place honors and added 11.5 points to the team total at the 133 weight class. Boasting a 4-2 record, Kaminskiy suffered a loss in the match for third place to earn fourth place in his weight class. 

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM DEBUTING HUSKIES

Highlighted by a pair of second-place finishes, four Huskies placed in the Freshman/Sophomore division during Saturday’s tournament. 

Freshman Collin Arch achieved a 4-1 record, securing a third-place position in the 149 weight class. Arch’s performance commenced with a 4-2 victory over Ohio State University redshirt freshman Gavin Brown and concluded with a 4-1 decision in the third-place bout against Central Michigan University freshman Louden Stradling. 

Representing the 157 weight class, freshman Brett Smith contributed 17.5 team points as he wrestled his way to a third-place finish. Smith defeated Michigan State University freshman Jack Conley with a 17-1 technical fall in the third-place bout.

Freshman Gavynn Carpenter started the tournament 3-0 before dropping the title match at 157 by a 4-3 decision against Northwestern University freshman Jacob Bostelman. Carpenter earned second place and added 15 team points onto the board. 

UP NEXT

Tournament play resumes with the Lindenwood Open at 9 p.m. Saturday at Robert F. Hyland Arena.