When it comes to being respected, the NIU wrestling team is past that. When it comes to dominance, the Huskies are hoping to get there.

To kick off the 2007-2008 campaign, the NIU wrestling team travels to Ames, Iowa to take on Iowa State University, the third ranked team in the country.

After that, NIU has dates against No. 1 Minnesota and No. 6 Northwestern, all in the month of November.

“It’s hard to get these teams on our schedule,” head coach Dave Grantsaid. “You have to schedule them early before conference play begins. It’s a great opportunity and we always try and schedule four to five top 10 teams every year.”

The Huskies will be without three familiar faces this season – Johnny Galloway, Mike Grimes and Danny Burk – all who graduated last year after ending the season nationally ranked. But as is the case with every successful program, new guys are expected to step in and fill the void.

“It’s always a different room when you lose seniors like that,” assistant coach Ryan Ludwigsaid. “We have some young talent and we expect to have them come in and beat people.”

For the Huskies, there is hardly a middle ground. Of the starting 10, four are seniors and the rest underclassmen. One of those seniors is Pat Castillo, the highest ranked Huskie. After competing in the 125-pound division last year and earning a MAC Championship, the Western Springs native is jumping up to a more comfortable 133-pound class where he is ranked 11th in the nation. There to greet Castillo at his new weight class is the seventh-ranked wrestler in the nation, Iowas’s Nick Fanthorpe.

“It’s a great opportunity for Pat,” Ludwig said. “He’d rather wrestle a guy in the top 10 every day. He’s feeling good right now and when he’s feeling good he’s scary.”

After today’s meet against Iowa State, the Huskies will remain in Ames for the Cyclone Open on Saturday and won’t have their first home meet until Nov. 30 when they face Northwestern.