NIU wrestling coach Dave Grant says his team should improve this season from its 9-8-2 record last season.

Grant, who begins his sixth year as Huskie coach, has eight of his 10 starters returning this season. He says the maturity of the team was the biggest reason for last year’s success.

Grant also says his team has worked harder than he’s ever seen them work coming into the season.

“For a coach you look at how good kids are training,” Grant said. “It’s your guide for your success. You can hope and wish and do anything you want but the main thing is you got to look and see how they’re training and how they’re competing.”

One adjustment Grant made from last season is that the team has been having two practices a day, four days a week. Last year the team only practiced three days a week, with two practices a day.

Returning Huskie 157-pound Scott Owen went 32-6 last season, winning the Mid-American Conference championship and reaching the NCAA quarterfinals. He is ranked first in the MAC pre-season individual rankings in the 157-pound weight class and seventh in the nation.

“[Owen’s] a great leader for you,” Grant said. “He works hard and does all the right things on the mat and in the classroom.”

Other returning starters are senior 125-pound Alexis Rivera, junior 125-pound Marlon Felton, 133-pound Sam Hiatt, sophomore 165-pound Bryce Hasseman, junior 174-pound Bill Lowney, junior 184-pound Ben Heizer, senior 197-pound Jason Nape and heavyweight Jon Lovrich.

Felton is ranked first in the MAC 125-pound rankings, Hasseman is ranked fourth in the MAC 165-pound rankings, Lowney is ranked second in the MAC 174-pound rankings and Lovrich is ranked third in the MAC heavyweight rankings.

“I really feel we’re going to have an excellent team this year,” Lovrich said. “We got a lot of guys back. We’re looking for a first-place finish in the MAC tournament.”

The starters will be joined by junior college transfers 157-pound Jack Dennis, 141-pound Oliver Vasquez and a freshman class ranked 18th in the nation by Intermat Wrestling News Service that includes heavyweight Seth Livingston, 149-pound Alex Nelson and 141-pound Josh Wooten.

The Huskies will have a tough schedule this season, having to face Ohio State, Indiana, Northern Iowa and Central Michigan, four teams that are in Intermat’s top 25.

Grant thinks the tough schedule will help the team not only in an attempt to win the MAC, but also in getting his wrestlers nationally ranked, giving them a chance to compete in the NCAA tournament.

“We went from wrestling one Big Ten school last season, now we’re wrestling three,” Grant said.

The Huskies begin the season Saturday with the Steven’s Point Open in Steven’s Point, Wisconsin. Last season, the Huskies won titles in four of the weight classes, the same as the host school, University of Wisconsin at Steven’s Point.

“It’s a good tournament for the whole team,” Lovrich, who placed second in last year’s tournament, said. “The [guys who will be redshirted] get in there and wrestle, and we get some matches underneath our belt.”

Next weekend the team will wrestle in the Michigan State Open. Following the two tournaments, Grant will determine his starting lineup for the first dual meet against Eastern Michigan and Buffalo on Nov. 25.