NIU sixth-year senior Scott Owen has been invited to showcase his talents at the NCWA All-Star Classic on Feb. 3.

The All-Star Classic is an event where the top two wrestlers in their weight classes square off against each other. However, the 157-pound Owen doesn’t get to avenge his only loss of the season against Minnesota’s Luke Becker. Owen said that the No. 1 ranked wrestler sometimes declines the invitation.

Instead of wrestling Becker, Owen will compete against third-ranked Keaton Anderson from Oklahoma State University.

“This is bigger than any MAC Player of the Week award,” NIU coach Dave Grant said. “This is a big-time event, and Owen is possibly one of the top five athletes ever at NIU.”

For the first time in school history, NIU is going to have a wrestler take part in the All-Star Classic.

“This is a great honor to be the first one ever,” Owen said. “It’s great recognition for me as well as the school. I am getting ready to represent Northern the best that I can.”

Still on the road

NIU has been away from home since Nov. 30. The road trip will continue this weekend as NIU travels to Evanston to take on its last Big Ten opponent of the year against a 5-3 Northwestern squad at 7 p.m. Friday.

The Huskies then will travel to Kent State to play the host Golden Flashes (8-3) at noon on Sunday for their first conference meet of the year.

“It wouldn’t be surprising if we beat these teams by a large margin,” said Ben Heizer, the eighth-ranked 184-pounder. “I don’t think that there is a team in the MAC that can touch us.”

Maybe flying is safer

Freshman heavyweight Zak Jensen and 165-pound redshirt sophomore Alex Nelson were involved in a car accident as they were coming back from the Dubuque Open over the Winter Break.

“The guy that caused the accident left,” Jensen said. “He pulled out in front of us, and avoiding him caused us to get into that accident.”

During the crash, Jensen injured muscles and tendons in his right shoulder and Nelson suffered similar injuries to his right hip.

Both are rehabbing the injuries and have not practiced.

Nelson rides the stationary bike while the team drills at practices.

“If I keep it loose, it stays loose and feels really good,” Nelson said. “Once I sit down for a while, it starts to tighten up a whole lot. It kind of feels like a ball.”

Nelson will be back in about a month; Jensen a little after that.

Cockiness or confidence

Despite not being able to wrestle for the first semester of the season, 174-pound Bill Lowney still was on many people’s Top 20 lists.

Lowney, as well as senior Marlon Felton, sat out the first semester because of NCAA Satisfactory Progress Academic Guidelines.

Lowney had a 2-1 decision over fifth-ranked Eric Hauan of Northern Iowa his last time on the mat.

Lowney looks to this weekend for two more wins for both him and the team.

“Both of the guys I wrestle are right outside the Top 20,” Lowney said. “They’re going to be two big wins for me. I beat them both by one point last year. I don’t like to keep it close, but it happens.”

No head hunting

This isn’t a grade school recess, but the wrestlers at NIU like to use practice time on light days to play a few rounds of dodge ball.

After a dodge ball game on Wednesday, the Huskies left the gym to hit the weights as they prepared for Kent State and Northwestern this weekend.

“It’s just a way for us to burn calories,” Owen said. “It’s fun, we drill hard for a half an hour and then we play. It allows us to keep our sweat going and it’s cardiovascular at the same time.”