For the second straight year, the NIU wrestling team finished in the top 25 at the NCAA championships.

Last year, the Huskies had the highest point total of all the teams in the MAC as they took 22nd.

This year, NIU had 23 points and took 23rd of 68 teams, behind the MAC’s Central Michigan (15th overall) with 33.5.

“Having people going deep into tournaments is like having a team get to the Final Four,” NIU coach Dave Grant said. “It really helps with recruiting.”

Ben Heizer, a 184-pound senior, made it all the way to the championship match.

Heizer took second place after he lost to West Virginia’s Greg Jones 10-5.

Josh Wooton, 149 pounds, was able to win one match despite a twisted ankle. Grant said Wooton wasn’t able to move as well as he usually does in matches.

Sam Hiatt, 133 pounds, won three matches before being eliminated by Matt Sanchez of Cal-Bakersfield. Both of the wrestlers who beat Hiatt finished as All-Americans.

“All Sam [Hiatt] needed was a couple more seconds, and he would have been an All-American,” Grant said. “All he needed was a little more time because he got a takedown as the whistle blew. Sam is as close to being an All-American as anyone can be without actually being an All-American.”