Since sixth grade, NIU wrestler Pat Castillo has taken an annual road trip to watch the NCAA Championships. Now in his first year as a starter, the 125-pound sophomore is finally making that trip to the NCAAs as a participant. "I feel pretty good about...

125 pounds: Luke Smith (Central Michigan) def. Pat Castillo (NIU) 6-1 in OT The rubber match between Castillo and Smith was fraught with drama. They split their previous two meetings and both were ranked in the top-15 in the country. From the get go,...

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...

Mike Grimes could see it all unfold. The fans in the stands. The anticipation in the air. A MAC championship within his grasp. Saturday afternoon, NIU wrestling teammates Grimes and Danny Burk found themselves sitting in the Convocation Center bleachers,...

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were the originals back in 1968. But at first glance, Mike Grimes and Danny Burk easily could be recast in the NIU version of "The Odd Couple." First, there is the blond-haired Grimes — a brash and outspoken 149-pound...

With the MAC championships only 10 days away, it's time to predict which wrestlers will come out on top in each weight class. 125: No. 13 Pat Castillo (NIU, 25-7). Runner-up: No. 12 Luke Smith (CMU, 18-5) By far the deepest class in the MAC with four...

After wrestling its hardest schedule in program history, the NIU wrestling team was due for a reprieve from top 25-ranked opponents. In their final dual meets of the season, the No. 24 Huskies saved their best for last with dominating victories over Eastern...

It was Senior Night for Eastern Michigan Thursday, but the Huskies proved to be bad house guests as NIU wrestling won 9-of-10 matches en route to a 28-6 victory. The dominating performance by the Huskies (8-5-2 overall, 3-1-1 MAC) guaranteed the Eagles...

Northwestern, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Northern Iowa and Central Michigan. The list of the top seven 25-ranked opponents the NIU wrestling team has faced this season is an impressive one. In fact, it is the most difficult schedule in school...

A word of advice for any wrestlers who step onto the mat with NIU's Josh Wooton — don't disrespect him. Mike Billings from Waldorf College learned that the hard way. At the 141-pound championship at the Pointer Open in November, Wooton and Billings...

In his first year as a starter, Danny Burk had an up-and-down season that resulted in a 16-14 record. But with the 2005-06 season coming to a close, the 174-pound junior has looked like the most improved wrestler on the team with a top-20 ranking and...

If your idea of romance involves watching a sporting event, you have two problems. First, you should probably get out more — maybe try dinner and a movie. And if you're an NIU sports fan, your second problem is you've probably had your heart broken...