All-American status was on NIU senior Josh Wooton’s mind as he blew through the 141-pound bracket. Afterward, he spoke confidently about his fourth career trip to the NCAA Championships.

On the other end of the spectrum, junior teammate Mike Grimes tossed his headgear across the mat in disgust after a 10-8 semifinal loss prevented his return to the NCAA Championships.

Both scenes demonstrated the mixed blessings for the NIU wrestling team over the weekend at the MAC Tournament at the Convocation Center. Despite sending three wrestlers to the upcoming NCAA Championships, the Huskies finished in fourth place after claiming second place the previous four years.

“We had one MAC champ last year and now we have two,” said NIU coach Dave Grant. “We did better this year individually than last year. The key is you have to have all your guys placing.”

After two long and intense days of wrestling Friday and Saturday, Central Michigan claimed its fifth-straight MAC title with four weight class championships. Kent State took second place while Buffalo and NIU rounded out the top four.

The 125-pound weight class final saw the third rematch between NIU’s Pat Castillo and CMU’s Luke Smith, both top 15-ranked wrestlers. Castillo set the pace throughout the match with aggressive attacks. A controversial no call on an apparent takedown by Castillo sent the match into overtime, where a Smith reversal and near fall clinched the win for CMU.

After NIU was shutout at 133 pounds, No. 12-ranked Wooton pinned Ohio’s Albert Madsen to set up his own third match against CMU’s Brandon Carter. Constantly staying low to the ground on one knee, Wooton’s defense proved effective and he clinched the championship in the third period with a take-down and near fall.

“Me and coach Grant looked back at the tapes,” Wooton said, “and we planned that if I got down on one knee, he couldn’t get underneath me to shoot and he couldn’t get both my legs. I think it took him out of his game. He didn’t shoot once that whole match.”

At 149 pounds, the No. 14-ranked Grimes was battling the flu and didn’t show his trademark sharpness. In the semifinals against Kent State’s Jason Bake, defensive lapses by Grimes squandered a 5-3 lead en route to a 10-8 loss. Grimes took third place.

Johnny Galloway would later join Castillo and Wooton by grabbing a bid to the NCAAs with a championship at 165 pounds. Prone to lapses of concentration during the year, Galloway maintained his focus and defeated both his opponents 4-2.

“I kept telling myself to wrestle with emotion. If I let my emotions take over, then that’s when I’m at my best,” Galloway said. “I want to be an All American. That’s been my goal since I stepped onto a college campus.”