NIU’s wrestling team continued to shine in its double dual meet on Saturday.

The Huskies improved their record to 4-3 with a 48-6 win over SIU-Edwardsville (1-3) and a 35-6 win over Missouri Baptist (2-2). NIU won 17-of-20 matchups, including five by pins and three by forfeit.

“Guys are getting better every week,” said NIU head coach Dave Grant. “I’m very pleased considering some of the experience levels that these guys were wrestling in high school.”

Freshman Izzy Montemayor pushed his win total to 18 with a decision and a forfeit and No. 18 redshirt sophomore Tresten DeShazer captured his 16th and 17th wins of the season along with his 13th pin.

Redshirt freshman Scott Penny recorded two pins in his two matches, including one in 0:36 over Terrence Connors of SIUE.

In place of freshman Steve Zimmerman, redshirt junior Will McDermott won two decisions in his first dual meet of the season.

According to Grant, Zimmerman sat out due to a hurt hamstring and was also slightly overweight.

The Huskies opened winter break with a bang. On Dec. 13, NIU blasted Loras with a 43-6 victory in Sycamore. Zimmerman stayed perfect with a fall for his 13th win of the season. Four other Huskies grabbed falls, including DeShazer for his eighth pin of the year.

NIU continued the break with a tough test in Evanston at the Midlands Championships on Dec. 29 and 30. After a 13-0 start, Zimmerman lost his first two matches of the season.

DeShazer’s run of great performances did not stall with a sixth place finish. He compiled five wins, including four falls with two of them coming against No. 7 seed Jimmy Conroy of Pittsburgh and No. 6 Kyle Hutter of Old Dominion.

“He’s pretty dangerous as far as he can contend with anybody,” Grant said. “It was a great tournament for him and it’s given him a lot of confidence.”

The Huskies finished in 20th place out of 47 teams.

Before entering the final stretch of the dual meet season, NIU competed in its last tournament of the regular season Jan. 3. With many of the regulars resting, Montemayor and redshirt junior Dan Ruettiger both took first place at the “Flash” Flanagan Open in Dubuque, Iowa.