The average wrestling meet at Victor E. Court features about 300 spectators.

This weekend at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, the Scottrade Center will be packed with about 20,000 screaming fans.

“It’s probably the greatest thing I’ve ever been to,” said Duke Burk, who is making his second consecutive appearance in the tournament. “It’s awesome being down on the mat and looking up and seeing that many people. But I think it’s even better looking up and seeing your own fans, like my family.”

In addition to competing in the tournament, Burk has attended nationals almost every year since he was in seventh grade.

“I think I skipped a year or two when it was in Kansas and when it was in New York,” Burk said. “But other than that I’ve gone every year.”

NIU senior Pat Castillo is making his third consecutive trip to nationals, and has also attended the event as a fan.

“It’s just every fan screaming and you’re not sure what match they’re screaming for,” Castillo said. “It’s loud in there and it’s pretty interesting.”

Castillo, the No. 10 seed at 133 pounds, hopes to at least place in the tournament in his final season. The senior has failed to do so in his first two appearances in the tournament.

“Hopefully the third time is the charm for me,” Castillo said. “It feels good making it back there for my final year; hopefully I can go out with a bang.”

Even though an elbow injury limited him to 15 matches this season, redshirt freshman Pat McLemore is making the trip down to St. Louis by virtue of winning the MAC tournament.

“I’m kind of following in Duke’s footsteps; he went last year as a freshman,” McLemore said. “Hopefully I can get NIU a little more recognition.”

Prior to competing on Feb. 9, McLemore had not wrestled since the end of November. The initial diagnosis on his injury was that he was out for the season.

“I met with coach [Dave] Grant and he said the best case scenario is that I would get back by Eastern Michigan,” McLemore said. “Luckily that’s what happened. My body responded well.”

“I said you never know until you know, so lets just get working like were gonna get back in there,” said NIU head coach Dave Grant. “The next day he was in the wrestling room dancing around with one arm.”

McLemore is not seeded and will face No. 4 seed Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State in the first round.

Since Burk also went to nationals as a freshman, he knows what McLemore can expect.

“No matter how good you are, you’re always gonna have that first time at nationals,” Burk said. “You get first time jitters, a lot of people go out there and just sit there and freeze. We’re just gonna have to help him and know that all you have to do is relax and if he wrestles like he did at the MAC, he’ll be fine, but if he freezes it up, he’ll be in a lot of trouble.”