After a successful 2001-2002 campaign, the NIU wrestling team will try to continue where it left off last year.

After scoring more points than any other MAC school in the NCAA Championships, it starts the season ranked in the top 25.

The Matchup

When returning national champion Minnesota comes to take on the Huskies at 2:05 p.m. Sunday at the Convocation Center, head coach Dave Grant doesn’t consider the match to be any more important than if the Huskies were playing the worst team in the nation.

“I tell them the same thing I tell ’em when we wrestle anybody, ‘Go out and wrestle your hardest,’” Grant said. “Your approach has to be exactly the same. Are you gonna eat pizza and drink pop before the worst team, and we’re gonna get to bed at 6:30 with the best team? I say heck no, you do the same thing.”

One thing is for sure, Grant will have his team ready come Sunday to cap off the Big Weekend.

“We have to be ready to battle and fight. Battlin’ and fightin’ is the key,” Grant said.

The Lineup

Grant already has his lineup in mind for the Big Weekend. Matt Kucala will wrestle at 125; Sam Hiatt will be at 133; Josh Wooten is at 141; Oliver Vasquez is at 149; Scott Owen will wrestle at 157; Jeremy Benesh will make his debut at 165; Jorge Kirgan, a transfer from Nebraska, will make his NIU debut at 174; Ben Heizer is at 184; 197 will be filled by J.D. Olivia; and the heavyweight will be Zac Jensen, who played football for the Huskies last season.

The Schedule

The Huskies have a tough schedule as they face seven opponents that are ranked in the top 25 in the preseason.

The seven teams include Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Central Michigan, Missouri, Purdue and Northern Iowa.

“We have scheduled seven top 25 teams, and the thing that helps us is we are in the middle of wrestling,” Grant said. “If you have to lay out one spot in the whole country where there are more Division I schools around you, it would be this one. The closeness of this school really helps.”

Stepping Up

Because of the ineligibility of 125-pound Marlon Felton and 174-pound Bill Lowney, the Huskies will look to Kucala and Kirgan to fill in.

Kirgan proved his worth at the Michigan Open when he defeated Wisconsin’s Brady Reinke, who is the 16th-ranked 174-pounder in the nation.

Kirgan was pinned by junior Bryce Hasseman at the 5:30 mark in the match prior to the consolation championship at the open. Kirgan still will get the nod to start the season as the Huskies’ 174-pound grappler.

Felton and Lowney are ineligible because they switched majors and don’t have enough credits toward their degree, but are expected back at the end of the semester.

Also, Felton and Lowney’s spots aren’t guaranteed to them upon their return. Grant said they will have to earn their spots back through a wrestle off.

Goals

Grant believes the team has great potential to go far this year, especially with a strong freshman class and his seven returning seniors.

Returning All-American Owen also has set high expectations for the team.

“Team goals are pretty much win the MAC of course, after coming in second last year,” Owen said. “This year we want to take first, get the team in the top 15, top 10. With all the guys we have I think that’s possible.”

Owen also had set two goals for himself when he came into college. Being an All-American, which he made a reality last season. The other was to become a national champion.

One he is thankful to have the chance to achieve after being granted a sixth year of eligibility because injuries in two previous years.