NIU wrestling Coach Dave Grant knew he had a challenge this year when facing eight top 25-ranked opponents, the hardest schedule in school history.

But the NIU wrestling team capped the season with its fifth-straight 10-win campaign and sent three wrestlers to the NCAA Championships who narrowly missed All-American status.

The No. 24-ranked Huskies began the season in dominating fashion at the Pointer Open by taking seven of the 10 championships in Stevens Point, Wisc. At the Kaufman-Brand Open, the largest open event in the nation, the Huskies continued their torrid streak by winning three more championships and totaling 11 place-winners.

NIU finally kicked off its dual meet schedule Dec. 1 at home against Big 10 foe Northwestern. But despite having Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert in the building, the Huskies couldn’t keep pace and fell 28-10.

A similar fate was staring NIU in the face as they traveled to Madison, Wisc., to face No. 12 Wisconsin. With only one match remaining, the Badgers led 17-12. But a second-period pin by sophomore Nick McClone put NIU up 18-17 as the Huskies emerged with their first victory against Wisconsin in 34 years.

The schedule didn’t get easier for NIU the rest of the way. After pounding overmatched opponents Wisc.-Whitewater and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, the Huskies fell victim to No. 18 Indiana by a 28-9 score.

From there, NIU made history at the Midlands Championships. With a plethora of top 25-ranked schools in attendance, the Huskies tied for sixth place, their best team placing since 1971. Sophomore Pat Castillo made a historic run through the 125-pound bracket, reaching the championship match before falling to Michigan State’s Nick Simmons.

The team’s first-ever trip to the prestigious National Duals, however, did not go as planned. Top 10-ranked opponents Michigan and Iowa made short work of the Huskies, as only Castillo and 197-pound sophomore Derek Hunsinger emerged with victories.

With its tournament portion of the season over, NIU got back into a winning dual track with a 29-9 beating of Ohio and a 19-15 squeeze by Lock Haven.

But then things took a turn for the surreal as NIU tied twice in a row for the first time in coach Dave Grant’s tenure. Matches against Kent State and Northern Iowa came down to the final match, but both resulted in a 16-16 tie.

After a demoralizing 33-2 loss to No. 4-ranked Central Michigan, the Huskies closed out the end of the season with their easiest part of the schedule. NIU would win its next four matches by a combined score of 128-30.

As the host of the MAC championships this season, NIU wanted to exploit its home-court advantage. Castillo, senior Josh Wooton and junior Johnny Galloway all went to their respective championship matches, with Wooton and Galloway emerging with MAC titles. All three earned berths to the NCAA Championships, although the Huskies finished in a disappointing fourth place as a team.

At the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City, Galloway made a charge through the 165-pound bracket, reaching the quarterfinals. But he ended up losing his next two matches by only three total points, leaving him one match short of being an All-American. Wooton picked up three victories and Castillo got two, but both were two wins short of All-American status.

Wooton leaves the starting lineup with 109 career victories, ranked third in NIU history. The Huskies will return an experienced lineup with starters Mike Grimes, Galloway, Danny Burk and Joe Sapp. Redshirt freshmen Duke Burk and Joe Cornejo are expected to make an impact in the lineup as both combined for a 26-3 record on the season.