Jason Welch finished the regular season with a perfect 21-0 record, defeating IU's Sawyer Morris 15-3 Friday.

Feb. 17, 2012

Watch Match Highlights

Site: Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Score: No. 18 Northwestern 27, Indiana 7
Records: No. 18 Northwestern (11-4, 4-4 Big Ten), Indiana (11-8, 0-8)
Next NU Event: Saturday-Sunday, March 3-4 at Big Ten Championships • West Lafayette, Ind.

EVANSTON, Ill. – No. 18 Northwestern ended the 2011-12 regular season on a positive note Friday night, defeating Indiana 27-7 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Despite dropping the first two matches of the evening, NU rattled off eight-straight wins to end the regular season with five-straight dual victories, an 11-4 overall record and 4-4 mark in Big Ten action.

Also of note in Friday’s victory is junior Jason Welch concluding the regular season with a perfect 21-0 record. Ranked second in the country at 157 lbs., Welch now has a .817 career winning percentage (76-17), tying him with current NU volunteer assistant coach and three-time All-American Brandon Precin for seventh on the school’s career winning percentage list.

Friday’s match was Senior Night and right off the bat, two upperclassmen battled hard in the first two bouts at 184 and 197 lbs. At 184 lbs., senior Robert Kellogg and Luke Sheridan wrestled to a scoreless first period. Kellogg got on the board first with a second-period escape but IU countered with a takedown, taking the 2-1 lead into the third. Another IU escape put the score at 3-1 yet Kellogg tied everything up with a takedown of his own. Sheridan managed to edge the NU senior 4-3 with one final escape.

Senior captain John Schoen had the tall task of facing IU’s No. 3 Matt Powless at 197 lbs. Schoen wrestled Powless close the first two periods but the Hoosier was able to rattle off a number of points in the third, taking the 10-2 major decision.

Indiana’s 7-0 lead didn’t last long though as the Wildcats began their eight-match winning streak at heavyweight in one of the night’s most exciting bouts. No. 13 Mike McMullan used a takedown in the final four seconds to come back for the 5-4 victory over Adam Chalfant. IU led the entire match before McMullan scored the match-winning takedown.

No. 10 Levi Mele kept things rolling at 125 lbs., defeating Zach Zimmer 9-4, putting the ’Cats within one at 7-6. True freshman Jameson Oster used a huge first period to shut out Joe Duca 11-0 at 133 lbs., giving Northwestern the 10-7 lead. Oster scored a quick eight points off a takedown, three nearfall points and three more back points all within the first two minutes.

Redshirt freshman Colin Shober wrestled a close match against Matt Ortega and emerged the 4-3 winner. Shober scored the first takedown but Ortega took the 3-2 first-period lead off an escape and takedown of his own. Shober evened the score at 3-3 with an escape before the end of the period. Beginning the second period down, Shober tacked on one more escape and neither wrestler scored after a neutral third-period start, giving NU the 4-3 win.

Northwestern tacked on two more wins with bonus points as sophomore Kaleb Friedley shut out Geno Capezio, 8-0 with exactly 4:00 of riding time at 149 lbs. and Welch scored a 15-3 major decision over Sawyer Morris at 157 lbs.

Redshirt freshman Pierce Harger used a takedown, an escape, a point for stalling and 2:55 of riding time in his 5-0 shutout of Ryan LeBlanc at 165 lbs. At 174 lbs., redshirt freshman and 12th ranked Lee Munster needed a sudden victory period to edge Ryan LeBlanc, 3-1. Both wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third periods and Munster scored the match-winning takedown with 17 seconds left in overtime.

With the regular season in the books, Northwestern now turns its attention to the postseason. Up first, the 2012 Big Ten Championships March 3-4 at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.

No. 18 Northwestern 27, Indiana 7
184: Luke Sheridan (IU) dec Robert Kellogg (NU), 4-3 (3-0 IU)
197: No. 3 Matt Powless (IU) maj dec John Schoen (NU), 10-2 (7-0 IU)
Hwt: No. 13 Mike McMullan (NU) dec Adam Chalfant (IU), 5-4 (7-3 IU)
125: No. 10 Levi Mele (NU) dec Zach Zimmer (IU), 9-4 (7-6 IU)
133: Jameson Oster (NU) maj dec Joe Duca (IU), 11-0 (10-7 NU)
141: Colin Shober (NU) dec Matt Ortega (IU), 4-3 (13-7 NU)
149: Kaleb Friedley (NU) maj dec Geno Capezio (IU), 8-0 (17-7 NU)
157: No. 2 Jason Welch (NU) maj dec Sawyer Morris (IU), 15-3 (21-7 NU)
165: Pierce Harger (NU) dec Preston Keiffer (IU), 5-0 (24-7 NU)
174: No. 12 Lee Munster (NU) dec Ryan LeBlanc (IU), 3-1 SV (27-7)

NU volunteer assistant coach Brandon Precin is back in Russia, wresting in a freestyle tournament from Feb. 17-19.

Feb. 16, 2012

TheMat.com: Top U.S. Olympic hopefuls to compete in seven international tours in February

List of 2012 Olympic Trials Qualifiers

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern volunteer assistant coach Brandon Precin is competing overseas this weekend at the Vladimir Semenov International tournament in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. The three-time NU All-American is one of five U.S. wrestlers participating in the freestyle competition that runs from Feb. 17-19.

Precin already qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the men’s freestyle 55 kg/121 lbs. division. This weekend, he will compete against some of the top international competition to prepare himself for the trials and beyond.

The former NU 125 lbs. starter has had a successful season on the freestyle circuit, qualifying for the trials with his second place finish at the Olympic Trials Qualifier in Las Vegas, Nev., on Dec. 5. Precin recently placed second at the Dave Schultz Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colo., and finished fifth at his first international competition, also in Russia, at the Dmitri Korkin Memorial in October 2011.

Fans can visit www.TheMat.com for updates throughout the weekend from the Vladimir Semenov International.

Robert Kellogg is one of four wrestlers that will be honored prior to Friday's match for Senior Night.

No. 18 Northwestern (10-4, 3-4 Big Ten)
vs. Indiana (11-7, 0-7 Big Ten)
Fri., Feb. 17, 2012 • 7 p.m.
Site:  Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, Ill.)
Webstream: Big Ten Digital Network on Wildcats All-Access
Twitter Updates: @NU_SportsLive
Live Scoring: TrackWrestling.com

Northwestern Match Notes

North By Northwestern “Day in the Life” Feature on Jason Welch

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern closes out the 2011-12 dual campaign Friday, hosting Big Ten foe Indiana at 7 p.m. inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. NU and Indiana are wrestling the final Big Ten dual of the season as the rest of the conference teams wrapped up their Big Ten schedules Feb. 3-5.

Senior Sendoff
Friday’s dual is Senior Night for Northwestern and the ‘Cats will honor Robert Kellogg (Sioux City, Iowa/Sioux City North), Ben Kuhar (Concord Township, Ohio/St. Edward), Brian Roddy Jr. (Highland Heights, Ohio/St. Edward) and John Schoen (Homer Glen, Ill./Marist) before the match for their contributions to the program over the years. Here are head coach Drew Pariano’s comments on the group of four that will be at Welsh-Ryan Arena one last time:

Ben Kuhar
“Ben has been a fixture in our starting lineup since his arrival on campus and has excelled in his academic endeavors during his years at NU. He has the rare distinction of being an All-Academic Big Ten wrestler while attaining a graduate degree in his time at NU.”

Robert Kellogg
“Robert is an individual that will do absolutely anything for the team. He has routinely wrestled up a weight class during his career. Robert’s dedication to this program is outstanding and his younger teammates certainly look up to his leadership and perseverance.”

Brian Roddy Jr
“Brian has won numerous high-pressured matches for our program. During our opening meet this season, his win over his Stanford opponent was electric. The sport of wrestling is brutal on one’s body and Brian has experienced several significant injuries during his time at NU. His effort and contribution to the program will be remembered.”

John Schoen
“John has put his mark on this program in many ways. His never-quit attitude is contagious and that is one of the main reasons that his team elected him as their captain at the beginning of the season. John’s technique has improved dramatically throughout the course of his career. We are truly excited about his postseason potential.”  

Friday’s Promotions
There are a number of different promotions for fans at the final regular season dual. Friday is Fan Appreciation Day where the first 75 fans through the door will get a FREE Northwestern t-shirt. It is also the Chipotle Big Match and the first 50 students will receive Chipotle gift cards.

Members of Northwestern Dance Marathon will be at Friday’s match, raising money for the foundation. Students have the opportunity to participate in a sumo-style wrestling tournament at halftime in order to raise up to $1,500 for Dance Marathon.

Last Time Out
Northwestern had a successful day in Buies Creek, N.C., last Saturday, defeating two teams from the state of North Carolina to finish the nonconference dual season a perfect 7-0. The ‘Cats started the day with a 20-15 win over North Carolina and then dominated the host team, Campbell, 32-5 at the John W. Pope Convocation Center. Northwestern now has won four-straight duals and improved to 10-4 on the season.

In total, Northwestern won 13 of 20 bouts on the afternoon. Levi Mele (125), Jason Welch (157), Pierce Harger (165), Lee Munster (174) and Mike McMullan (Hwt) all went 2-0 on the day. Both Mele and Jameson Oster recorded pins, while Welch notched tech falls against each of his opponents.

Scouting the Hoosiers
Indiana is 11-7 on the season, however the Hoosiers are still looking for their first Big Ten dual win, with an 0-7 record in conference action. IU is coming off a sweep of three nonconference foes last Sunday, taking down North Carolina State (31-19), Virginia Military Institute (39-6) and Gardner-Webb (36-6). The Hoosiers are led by senior, No. 3 Matt Powless, at 197, an All-American last season with a 29-3 record so far this year, including an unblemished 6-0 mark in the Big Ten. Powless posted a win in last season’s meeting between the two teams, a 29-8 Northwestern victory in Bloomington. Matt Ortega (141) and Ryan LeBlanc (174) have both moved up a weight class since wrestling the Wildcats last year.

Probable Starters

Dual-ing It Out
With their 32-5 win at Campbell Saturday, the ‘Cats have at least 10 dual wins for the second-consecutive season. NU has an impressive dual record during Drew Pariano’s two-year coaching tenure and is 28-6 overall (.824). More impressive than the overall dual record is Northwestern’s perfect 19-0 record in nonconference duals during the Pariano era. Last year, NU went 12-0 in nonconference action and wrapped up the 2011-12 nonconference schedule last weekend with a 7-0 record.

All Fall Down
Saturday in North Carolina, Northwestern surpassed last year’s pin total of 45 and now has 46 falls on the year. It was fitting that junior Levi Mele (125) tied last year’s pin total and then freshman Jameson Oster (133) put the ‘Cats over the top as the two have 10 and eight falls, respectively this year. Mele and Oster have the top two pin totals on the team while Kaleb Friedley (149) is close behind with seven falls. A majority of NU’s pins have come quickly as 24 of the 46, or 52.2 percent, are first-period falls. With one dual to go and postseason action in March, Northwestern looks to keep the falls coming.

Moving On Up
Jason Welch now has a 75-17 career record, or .815 winning percentage, which moved him past Steve DePetro (146-30-4; 1983-86) for sole posession of eighth place on NU’s career winning percentage list. A win Friday would tie Welch with current volunteer assistant coach and former three-time NU All-American Brandon Precin for seventh place at .817 (Precin-138-31).

Up Next
It is officially the postseason following Friday’s dual as Northwestern now turns its attention to the 2012 Big Ten Championships. This year’s tournament runs from March 3-4 at Mackey Arena on Purdue’s campus in West Lafayette, Ind.

Northwestern brings a perfect 5-0 nonconference record into Saturday's final two out-of-conference duals of the season.

No. 17 Northwestern (8-4, 3-4 Big Ten)
vs. North Carolina (3-13, 2-3 ACC)
Sat., Feb. 11, 2012 • 3:30 p.m. CT
Site: John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center (Buies Creek, N.C.)
Live Scoring: TrackWrestling.com

No. 17 Northwestern (8-4, 3-4 Big Ten)
vs. Campbell (11-14, 3-2 SoCon)
Sat., Feb. 11, 2012 • 5:15 p.m. CT
Site:  John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center (Buies Creek, N.C.)
Webstream: BigSouthSports.com
Live Scoring: TrackWrestling.com

Northwestern Match Notes

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern embarks on its last regular season road trip, facing two final nonconference opponents Saturday, Feb. 11. The ’Cats begin the day taking on the ACC’s North Carolina at 3:30 p.m. and then meet Campbell out of the SoCon (Southern Conference) at 5:15 p.m. Both matches will take place inside the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center on Campbell’s campus in Buies Creek. N.C.

Last Time Out
Northwestern improved to 5-0 in nonconference action last Friday, defeating the Northern Illinois Huskies, 24-18. The Wildcats had solid performances across the board, winning six of 10 matches. Levi Mele got the ‘Cats off to a good start with a 3-0 victory against No. 20 Nick Smith at 125. Mele scored a reversal in the third period and racked up enough riding time to seal the win. Jameson Oster, Kaleb Friedley, and Jason Welch kept the ball rolling for the Wildcats, who won four out of the five matches before the break. Oster and Friedley each scored bonus points with their major decisions as did Welch who improved to a perfect 18-0 record with his fifth pin of the season. Pierce Harger and Lee Munster rounded out the wins for Northwestern. 

Scouting the Tar Heels
North Carolina is 3-13 on the season and 2-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. UNC pulled off a 20-18 win in a tight match against in-state rivals North Carolina State last Friday. The Tar Heels won six out of the ten matches with key bonus points from Thomas Ferguson and Zac Bennett to counter the two falls by NC State.  No. 17 Corey Mock also had win for UNC at 157 lbs. The last time the Wildcats and Tar Heels squared off, NU won 30-9 in the 2006-2007 season.

Scouting the Camels
Campbell University is 11-14 on the season and 3-2 in the Southern Conference. The Camels won both of their matches last Saturday, defeating Gardner-Webb 17-16 and Millersville 39-9.  Jordan Tolbert’s major decision win at 133 helped seal the deal for CU who went 5-5 in their matches against Gardner-Webb, winning the tiebreaker with a 70-67 advantage in total points.  The Camels had four pins against Millersville by Mark Hartenstine, James Cook, Matt Cox and John Weakley.  This will be the first dual between the Wildcats and Camels.

Probable Starters

Dual-ing It Out
Northwestern has an 8-4 record in dual action and with three matches remaining, is guaranteed a winning record for the second-straight season. Last year, the ’Cats went an impressive 18-2 in dual action and since head coach Drew Pariano took over prior to the 2010-11 season, Northwestern is 26-6 (.813) in duals. This year, NU has won 69 individual matches compared to 51 for its opponents in dual action.

Moving On Up
Jason Welch wrestled in his 90th career match in a Northwestern singlet last Friday vs. Northern Illinois and moved up in the NU record books with his win. Welch now has a 73-17 career record, or .811 winning percentage, which ties him for eighth in career winning percentage with Steve DePetro (146-30-4; 1983-86). Welch, who is ranked No. 2 in the country at 157 lbs., entered Friday’s match with the exact same record as former NU NCAA champion Mark Massery (72-17, .809), who ranked ninth on NU’s career winning percentage list. Two wins Saturday would move Welch into sole possession of eighth place with a .815 winning percentage. Current volunteer assistant coach and former three-time NU All-American Brandon Precin holds the seventh spot at .817 (138-31).

The Streak Continues
Jason Welch is out to a perfect 18-0 record on the season and his 18-match winning streak is the longest for any NU wrestler this year. Welch has won a majority of his matches in dominating fashion as 12 of his 18 wins (66.7 percent; six major decisions, one tech fall and five pins) have come with bonus points. He has outscored his opponents 114-26 so far this year (doesn’t include point totals in his five bouts won by fall). In Friday’s match against Northern Illinois, Welch had a 7-0 lead on Tyler Loethen before pinning him in 5:13. In fact, the most any opponent has scored on Welch this year is four points, but the three times an opponent scored four on Welch, he won those bouts by major decision.

Oster Opens Up
True freshman Jameson Oster scored his first career major decision Friday, defeating NIU’s Rob Jillard 11-2 in a key match during NU’s 24-18 dual victory. Oster has had no problem winning his matches by fall this year as seven of his 10 wins have been in the form of a pin, including five in dual action. The Homer Glen, Ill., native is the only true freshman starter on this year’s squad and he has started all but one dual at 133 lbs. for the Wildcats this season.

Precin Places Second at Dave Schultz Memorial
Northwestern volunteer assistant coach Brandon Precin took second at the Dave Schultz Memorial International Tournament in Colorado Springs last weekend, going 2-1 against wrestlers from Bulgaria, Japan and India. From Feb. 17-19, Precin will represent the U.S. on an international tour to wrestle at the Vladimir Semenov International in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

Up Next
The 2011-12 regular season wraps up next Friday, Feb. 17 at Welsh-Ryan Arena when NU hosts Big Ten foe Indiana. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the final regular season dual also is Senior Night for Northwestern.

Watch Match Highlights

Freshman Jameson Oster had an 11-2 major decision over NIU's Rob Jillard in Friday's dual.

Site: Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Score: No. 19 Northwestern 24, Northern Illinois 18
Records: No. 19 Northwestern (8-4, 3-4 Big Ten), Northern Illinois (6-8, 0-4 MAC)
Next NU Event: Saturday, Feb. 11 vs. North Carolina (3:30 p.m.), at Campbell (5:15 p.m.) • Bules Creek, N.C.

EVANSTON, Ill. – No. 19 Northwestern took a break from its Big Ten dual schedule Friday night and won its eighth match of the year, defeating Northern Illinois, 24-18, at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats won six of 10 bouts, including four with bonus points, improving to a perfect 5-0 in nonconference action.

Northwestern jumped out to a commanding 17-3 lead before the break, winning four of the first five bouts. No. 10 Levi Mele got things started for the ‘Cats with a 3-0 decision over No. 20 Nick Smith at 125. Mele scored on a third-period reversal and racked up 3:09 of riding time for his 23rd win of the year and fourth over a ranked opponent.

True freshman Jameson Oster kept the momentum alive for NU with an 11-2 major decision over Rob Jillard at 133. Oster had a 6-0 lead early in the third period and added two more takedowns along with 2:09 of riding time to give Northwestern four team points and extend the lead to 7-0.

NIU took a close 3-1 decision at 141 lbs., but Kaleb Friedley and No. 2 Jason Welch got the ‘Cats back on the board before the break with bonus points at 149 and 157, respectively. Friedley scored a 12-3 major decision over Tyler Argue while Welch pinned Tyler Loethen in 5:13. Friedley did most of his damage in the first period, taking a 7-1 lead with two takedowns and three nearfall points. He then added two reversals in the second and had 4:01 of riding time in the win. Welch jumped out to a 7-0 lead before pinning Loethen in the third period. Welch is now 18-0 on the year with bonus points in 12 of his victories.

The ‘Cats continued their winning ways after the break with victories at 165 and 174 and took the 24-3 lead heading into the last three matches of the evening. Pierce Harger scored an 8-0 major decision over Matt Mougin at 165 while No. 12 Lee Munster defeated Caleb Busson 4-1 at 174.

NIU won the final three bouts, but Northwestern emerged with the 24-18 dual victory. NU redshirt senior Ben Kuhar wrestled in his first match of the season, filling in for No. 13 Mike McMullan at heavyweight. Kuhar put up a fight in his first appearance of the year, but Jared Torrence won by fall in the closing seconds of the bout (6:48).

Northwestern is off from competition the remainder of the weekend but returns to the mat Saturday, Feb. 11 for its final road trip of the regular season. The ‘Cats visit Bules Creek, N.C., to wrestle North Carolina at 3:15 p.m. and Campbell at 5:15 p.m., wrapping up the nonconference portion of their schedule.

No. 19 Northwestern 24, Northern Illinois 18
125: No. 10 Levi Mele (NU) dec No. 20 Nick Smith (NIU), 3-0 (3-0 NU)
133: Jameson Oster (NU) maj dec Rob Jillard (NIU), 11-2 (7-0 NU)
141: Kevin Fanta (NIU) dec Pat Greco (NU), 3-1 (7-3 NU)
149: Kaleb Friedley (NU) maj dec Tyler Argue (NIU), 12-3 (11-3 NU)
157: No. 2 Jason Welch (NU) pins Tyler Loethen (NIU), 5:13 (17-3 NU)
165: Pierce Harger (NU) maj dec Matt Mougin (NIU), 8-0 (21-3 NU)
174: No. 12 Lee Munster (NU) dec Caleb Busson (NIU), 4-1 (24-3 NU)
184: No. 18 Brad Dieckhaus (NIU) pins Marcus Shrewsbury (NU), 5:15 (24-9 NU)
197: Mike Lukowski (NIU) dec John Schoen (NU), 3-1 (24-12 NU)
Hwt: Jared Torrence (NIU) pins Ben Kuhar (NU), 6:48 (24-18 NU)

Northwestern shut out NIU last year, 38-0. Kaleb Friedley recorded a 6-1 decision at 141 lbs. in last year's dual.

No. 19 Northwestern (7-4, 3-4 Big Ten)
vs. Northern Illinois (6-7, 0-4 MAC)
Fri., Feb. 3, 2012 • 7 p.m.
Site: Welsh-Ryan Arena
Webstream: BTDN on Wildcats All-Access
Twitter Updates: @NU_SportsLive
Live Scoring: TrackWrestling.com

Northwestern Match Notes

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern takes a break from Big Ten action and hosts nonconference opponent Northern Illinois at 7 p.m. Friday inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. This is the first of three-straight nonconference duals for the ’Cats before they close the regular season hosting Indiana on Feb. 17.

Prior to Friday’s match, the Naperville Wrestling Club and Maine Eagles youth wrestling teams will square off on the mat at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and tickets are available for purchase at the door.

Last Time Out
The Wildcats spent last weekend on the road, and went 1-1, falling to No. 8 Illinois, 26-10 Friday but then bounced back with a 21-18 win at Purdue Sunday.

On Friday, No. 8 Levi Mele won his Midlands rematch with Illinois’ No. 5 Jesse Delgado in a 13-7 decision.  No. 15 Mike McMullan also recorded a win for NU at heavyweight, scoring a takedown in the last 19 seconds of sudden victory for the 4-2 win over Pat Walker at heavyweight.  No. 2 Jason Welch also had a 13-3 major decision for the ’Cats, improving to a perfect 16-0 on the season at 157.

Northwestern bounced back from Friday’s loss pulling off a win at Purdue. Control of the dual went back and forth during the first four bouts and it was ultimately decided by key first-period falls by No. 13 Lee Munster at 174 and Welch.  Munster’s pin in 13 seconds was his fastest on the season, as well as the fastest for any NU wrestler this season. Welch’s pin furthered his perfect record to 17-0 on the season.  Levi Mele, Pierce Harger and Pat Greco also had wins for the Wildcats in the 21-18 victory.

Scouting the Huskies
Northern Illinois is 6-7 on the season, 0-4 in the MAC, and the Huskies finished 26th at Midlands.  The Huskies came out strong in their match against Eastern Michigan last Sunday, winning two of the first three matches.  They then lost their momentum, not winning again until the last match and losing the dual 22-9.  Nick Smith at 125 and Brad Dieckhaus at 184 are ranked 20th and 18th in the nation, respectively.  Smith had one of the victories for the Huskies in the Eastern Michigan dual.

The Wildcats defeated Northern Illinois last year in a triangular dual in Edwardsville, Ill.  Northwestern shut out the Huskies 38-0. Jason Welch pinned both of his opponents in the triangular.

Probable Starters

Winning Welch
Jason Welch continues to have a solid junior season as he is out to a perfect 17-0 record and has won a majority of his matches in dominating fashion. Eleven of his 17 wins (64.7 percent; six major decisions, one tech fall and four pins) have come with bonus points and he has outscored his opponents 114-26 so far this year (doesn’t include point totals in his four bouts won by fall). In fact, the most any opponent has scored on Welch this year is four points, but the three times an opponent scored four on Welch, he won those bouts by major decision. Welch currently holds a career record of 72-17, which is the exact same record as former NU NCAA champion Mark Massery. Welch and Massery are currently tied for ninth on NU’s career winning percentage at .809. Friday’s bout will be Welch’s 90th career match at Northwestern.

Stepping In and Stepping Up
Redshirt freshman Pat Greco started at 141 lbs. Sunday vs. Purdue and scored a key decision in NU’s three-point dual victory over the Boilermakers. Greco was wrestling in his first match since Jan. 15 when he took on Iowa’s then-second-ranked Montell Marion. On Sunday, Greco edged Nick Lawrence 5-4 to record his first career Big Ten dual victory and his 10th win of the season. Greco has split time with Colin Shober as the 141 lbs. starter this year and also filled in at 149 lbs. against Michigan.

Back on Track
After starting the season 16-0, junior Levi Mele hit a bit of a roadblock in mid-January, losing back-to-back bouts, but NU’s 125 lbs. starter is back on track, winning his last three matches. Mele began his winning streak by pinning MSU’s Eric Olanowski in 3:29 and then won a Midlands rematch against Illinois’ then-No. 5 Jesse Delgado. In the first meeting, Delgado pinned Mele, giving him one of his four losses on the year. In the dual, Mele jumped out to a 5-0 lead and led by as many as six points (8-2) in his 13-7 decision over Delgado. Mele then won his third-straight bout by shutting out Purdue’s Camden Eppert 6-0 with exactly 3:00 of riding time. Mele has already surpassed last year’s win total of 18 with a team-leading 22 victories this year. He also leads NU with nine pins and is second on the team with 41 dual points.

Home Stretch
NU has four duals remaining in the 2011-12 regular season before postseason action begins in March. The ’Cats just recently completed a stretch of wrestling three top-10 teams in four duals and the four teams remaining on the schedule are not ranked in the latest NWCA/USA Today Coaches poll. After Friday’s bout with Northern Illinois, NU wraps up the nonconference portion of its schedule Saturday, Feb. 11 vs. North Carolina and Campbell and then closes the Big Ten season Friday, Feb. 17 vs. Indiana.

Falling Fast
NU has 43 pins so far this season and has been making quick work of its opponents as 23 of those, or 53.4 percent, are first-period falls. Northwestern is on pace to pass last year’s pin total rather quickly as the ’Cats had just 45 falls during the entire 2010-11 season. Kaleb Friedley is second on the team with seven pins as six of those came in the first period, including two in less than a minute. Four of Pierce Harger’s five falls also came in the first period. Levi Mele leads NU this year with nine pins, but just one came in the first three minutes of the match. Last weekend vs. Purdue, Lee Munster recorded the fastest fall of the season for Northwestern, pinning Drake Stein in just 13 seconds. Jason Welch also had his fastest fall of the season vs. Purdue, sticking Tommy Churchard in 1:12.

Pat Greco won his first Big Ten dual Sunday, defeating Nick Lawrence, 5-4.

Jan. 29, 2012

Site: West Lafayette, Ind. (Holloway Gymnasium)
Score: No. 18 Northwestern 21, Purdue 18
Records: No. 18 Northwestern (7-4, 3-4 Big Ten), Purdue (7-9, 2-5 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Friday, Feb. 3, vs. Northern Illinois • 7 p.m. • Welsh-Ryan Arena

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Jason Welch and Lee Munster made quick work of their Purdue opponents Sunday and scored key bonus points for Northwestern as the ’Cats hung on for a 21-18 victory over the Boilermakers. Welch and Munster both recorded first-period falls (Munster’s came in 13 seconds, the fastest fall this season for any NU wrestler) while Pat Greco, Pierce Harger and Lee Munster also won their bouts Sunday. With the win, NU improves to 7-4 in dual action and 3-4 in the Big Ten.

“Our guys will not celebrate this win,” head coach Drew Pariano said. “We left a few victories out on the mat. Greco stepped up today and I’m proud of him. Welch and Munster were ready to go and it showed with both of them earning first-period falls.”

The first four matches were a back-and-forth affair as Northwestern took the 125 and 141 bouts, but Purdue came back to tie the team score at 133 and 149. No. 9 Levi Mele won his team-leading 22nd match of the season, shutting out Camden Eppert 6-0 at 125. Mele had two takedowns, an escape and 3:00 of riding time in the win.

Purdue then evened the team score as Matt Fields defeated Jameson Oster 7-1 at 133, but Northwestern bounced back at 141. Pat Grecomade the start Sunday and earned his first Big Ten dual victory, edging Nick Lawrence 5-4 at 141. Greco scored the first takedown of the match and had a 3-1 lead at the end of the second. In the third, Lawrence came within one point off an escape, but Greco scored another takedown for the 5-2 lead. Lawrence escaped one last time and was awarded a point for NU stalling, but Greco hung on for the 5-4 win.

Once again, Purdue tied things up at 149 lbs. as No. 13 Ivan Lopouchanski came back to defeat Kaleb Friedley, 8-6. No. 2 Jason Welch then gave Northwestern a commanding six-point lead as he pinned Tommy Churchard in 1:12 and the ’Cats maintained their lead the rest of the match. With the win, Welch now is a perfect 17-0 on the season and has bonus points in 11 of his 17 matches.

After the break, Pierce Harger scored the 8-3 decision over Kyle Moiser at 165 lbs. Harger jumped out to a 7-0 lead with a takedown, reversal and three nearfall points. He allowed Moiser to score a reversal and escape but had 2:54 of riding time in the victory.

No. 13 Lee Munster got back on the winning track and gave Northwestern more key bonus points by pinning Drake Stein in just 13 seconds. Munster’s pin was the fastest fall for any NU wrestler this season and extended the ’Cats lead to 21-6 heading into the final three bouts.

Purdue would sweep the final three matches of the day, with a first-period fall of its own at 184 lbs., along with decisions at 197 and heavyweight, putting the final score at 21-18 in favor of Northwestern.

Northwestern is back at Welsh-Ryan Arena Friday, Feb. 3, hosting nonconference foe Northern Illinois. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

No. 18 Northwestern 21, Purdue 18
125: No. 9 Levi Mele (NU) dec Camden Eppert (P), 6-0 (3-0 NU)
133: Matt Fields (P) dec Jameson Oster (NU), 7-1 (3-3)
141: Pat Greco (NU) dec Nick Lawrence (P), 5-4 (6-3 NU)
149: No. 13 Ivan Lopouchanski (P) dec Kaleb Friedley (NU), 8-6 (6-6)
157: No. 2 Jason Welch (NU) pins Tommy Churchard (P), 1:12 (12-6 NU)
165: Pierce Harger (NU) dec Kyle Moiser (P), 8-3 (15-6 NU)
174: No. 13 Lee Munster (NU) pins Drake Stein (P), 0:13 (21-6 NU)
184: No. 19 Braden Atwood (P) pins Marcus Shrewsbury (NU), 1:06 (21-12 NU)
197: A.J. Kissel (P) dec John Schoen (NU), 7-0 (21-15 NU)
Hwt: Roger Vukabratovich (P) dec No. 15 Mike McMullan (NU), 3-1 (21-18 NU)

Jason Welch improved to 16-0 on the season with a 13-3 major decision over Jackson Morse.

Site: Champaign, Ill. (Huff Hall)
Score: No. 8 Illinois 26, No. 18 Northwestern 10
Records: No. 18 Northwestern (6-4, 2-4 Big Ten), No. 8 Illinois (12-2, 4-2 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Sunday, Jan. 29 at Purdue • Noon

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 18 Northwestern visited in-state rival No. 8 Illinois Friday and scored a number of key wins, but the Illini captured the 26-10 dual victory at Huff Hall. No. 9 Levi Mele won his Midlands rematch against No. 5 Jesse Delgado at 125, Jason Welch improved to a perfect 16-0 on the season at 157 and heavyweight Mike McMullan also scored a victory in the dual.

Tonight’s match started at 174 lbs. and Illinois took the first three bouts, including another close decision between NU’s John Schoen and No. 16 Mario Gonzalez at 197. Penalty points played a key role in Friday’s bout as Gonzalez took a 1-0 first-period lead after an illegal slam by Schoen. Gonzalez then added another takedown, but Schoen also was awarded a point at the end of the period due to a misconduct call against Illinois. In the second, Gonzalez added an escape for the 4-1 lead, but Schoen fought for a takedown in the closing seconds and was unable to score. Schoen then added one more point off an escape in the third and once again fought for a takedown in the closing seconds, but Gonzalez hung on for the 4-2 win.

Northwestern came back though, winning the next two bouts in exciting fashion. At heavyweight, No. 15 Mike McMullan used a takedown with 19 seconds left in sudden victory to defeat Pat Walker, 4-2. McMullan now has won three-straight matches and four of his last five.

No. 9 Levi Melealso faced a Midlands rematch against No. 5 Jesse Delgado at 125, who gave Mele one of his four losses on the year. Mele avenged that loss Friday, defeating Delgado 13-7. He opened the bout with a 5-0 lead off a takedown and three nearfall points. Mele then took an 8-2 lead after three more back points in the second but Delgado came within three (8-5) after a reversal and stall point. Mele maintained his lead in the third period with an escape, takedown and reversal to secure the 13-7 victory.

Illinois extended its lead in the team race, winning the next three, but No. 2 Jason Welch got the ’Cats back on the board with a 13-3 major decision over Jackson Morse at 157 lbs. These two met at Midlands with Welch winning the first bout by fall. Friday, he used a takedown, two reversals, six nearfall points and 4:57 of riding time to improve to a perfect 16-0 on the season.

Northwestern continues its weekend on the road Sunday against Purdue. Match time is set for noon in West Lafayette, Ind.

No. 8 Illinois 26, No. 18 Northwestern 10
174: No. 12 Jordan Blanton (I) dec No. 13 Lee Munster (NU), 14-8 (3-0 Ill.)
184: Tony Dallago (I) maj dec Robert Kellogg (NU), 13-3 (7-0 Ill.)
197: No. 16 Mario Gonzalez (I) dec John Schoen (NU), 4-2 (10-0 Ill.)
Hwt. No. 15 Mike McMullan (NU) dec Pat Walker (I), 4-2, SV (10-3 Ill.)
125: No. 9 Levi Mele (NU) dec No. 5 Jesse Delgado (I), 13-7 (10-6 Ill.)
133: No. 5 B.J. Futrell (I) pins Jameson Oster (NU), 2:33 (16-6 Ill.)
141: Daryl Thomas (I) maj dec Colin Shober (NU), 17-6 (20-6 Ill.)
149: No. 16 Eric Terrazas (I) dec Kaleb Friedley (NU), 9-7 (23-6 Ill.)
157: No. 2 Jason Welch (NU) maj dec Jackson Morse (I), 13-3 (23-10 Ill.)
165: No. 10 Conrad Polz (I) dec Pierce Harger (NU), 5-2 (26-10 Ill.)

No. 9 Levi Mele faces a potential rematch with No. 5 Jesse Delgado in Friday's dual at Illinois.

No. 18 Northwestern (6-3, 2-3 Big Ten)
at No. 8 Illinois (11-2, 3-2 Big Ten)
Fri., Jan. 27, 2012 • 5 p.m.
Site: Huff Hall, Champaign, Ill.
TV: Big Ten Network (LIVE)
Twitter Updates: @NU_SportsLive
Live Scoring: TrackWrestling.com

No. 18 Northwestern (6-3, 2-3 Big Ten)
at Purdue (7-8, 2-4 Big Ten)
Sun., Jan. 29, 2012 • Noon
Site: Holloway Gymnasium, West Lafayette, Ind.
Webstream: Boilermaker All-Access
Twitter Updates: @NU_SportsLive
Live Scoring: TrackWrestling.com

Northwestern Match Notes

EVANSTON, Ill. — No. 18 Northwestern hits the road this weekend to wrestle two duals away from Welsh-Ryan Arena. The weekend begins at 5 p.m. Friday in Champaign, Ill., when the ’Cats take on the eighth-ranked Illini. Friday’s dual will air live on the Big Ten Network. NU then heads to West Lafayette, Ind., for a match with Purdue at noon Sunday.

After three-straight Friday’s at Welsh-Ryan Arena, NU’s dual vs. Illinois is the only Friday road dual on the 2011-12 schedule.

Last Time Out
After back-to-back weekends of home and away duals, Northwestern had just one match last weekend and downed Michigan State, 30-12. The ’Cats had four falls in the bout, including three in the first five matches. True freshman Jameson Oster (133), sophomore Kaleb Friedley (149), redshirt freshman Pierce Harger (165) and junior Levi Mele (125) all recorded pins for NU.

Then-No. 17 Mike McMullan took on his third top-10 opponent in as many matches and defeated No. 10 Mike McClure, 3-1. After a scoreless first, McClure took the 1-0 lead with an escape early in the period. McMullan then scored the lone takedown of the match on the edge of the mat to lead, 2-1. He then added a third-period escape to hang on for the 3-1 win. McMullan now has defeated top-10 wrestlers in back-to-back matches as he also edged then-No. 8 Bobby Telford of Iowa, 7-5 on Jan. 15.

Welch to Appear on Takedown Radio
Junior Jason Welch is scheduled to be a guest on the Takedown Wrestling Radio show Saturday, Jan. 28 at approximately 10 a.m. CT. Fans can listen online at Takedownradio.com or KXNO.com or via the I Heart Radio App for smart phones and tablets. If you’re in the Des Moines, Iowa area, tune in to AM 1460 KXNO.

Scouting the Illini
Illinois is 11-2 on the year, 3-2 in conference action and finished sixth at Midlands. The two Illini dual losses on the year came at Iowa (20-13) and vs. Minnesota (26-9). Seven Illini wrestlers are ranked by InterMat, including three in the top-10. The Illinois ranked wrestlers are as follows: No. 5 Jesse Delgado (125), No. 5 B.J. Futrell (133), No. 16 Eric Terrazas (149), No. 10 Conrad Polz (165), No. 12 Jordan Blanton (174), No. 18 Brad Dieckhaus (184) and No. 16 Mario Gonzalez (197).

Northwestern and Illinois wrestled an exciting dual last year in Evanston with the ’Cats winning 27-13. NU won six bouts, including a decisive pin by John Schoen at 197 lbs. to seal the dual victory for Northwestern. Schoen trailed most of the match but in the third period, finished a shot and drove Gonzalez to his back. Gonzalez was injured on the takedown, but the officials granted Schoen the pin and six points for Northwestern to give the Wildcats a 24-13 lead heading into the final bout at heavyweight.

Scouting the Boilermakers
Purdue is 7-8 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten duals so far this year. The Boilermakers also wrestled at Midlands, placing 10th. Purdue has three ranked wrestlers on its roster, including No. 9 Cashe Quiroga at 133, No. 13 Ivan Lopouchanski at 149 and No. 19 Braden Atwood at 184. Matt Fields is listed as Sunday’s probable starter at 133 lbs. as it is Senior Day for the Boilermakers. Last year, Northwestern won eight bouts against the Boilers in a 32-6 victory at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Probable Starters

Have We Met?
Just like the Iowa dual, Friday’s match with the Illini could have a few potential rematches from Midlands. Jason Welch and John Schoen both recorded hard-fought victories over their Illini foes at Midlands. Welch wrestled Jackson Morse in his second bout at Midlands and faced a sizeable deficit before coming back to pin Morse in the second period (4:39). Schoen and Gonzalez had another exciting match in the wrestlebacks of Midlands where Schoen emerged the 7-5 winner. Schoen was wrestling in his third-straight overtime bout and had two leads on Gonzalez, including a lead late in the third, but Gonzalez scored a takedown with 19 seconds remaining to tie everything up. In overtime it was Schoen scoring the winning takedown with 19 seconds left to secure a spot in the top eight at 197 lbs. At 125 lbs., No. 4 seed Levi Mele met top-seeded Jesse Delgado in the third place match. Delgado handed Mele one of his four losses on the year as he pinned Mele in 3:44. Jameson Oster faced fourth-seeded B.J. Futrell in the second round and Futrell won with a 15-5 major decision.

Falling Fast
NU has 41 pins so far this season and has been making quick work of its opponents as 21 of those, or 51.2 percent, are first-period falls. Northwestern is on pace to pass last year’s pin total rather quickly as the ’Cats had just 45 falls during the entire 2010-11 season. Kaleb Friedley is second on the team with seven pins as six of those came in the first period, including two in less than a minute. Four of Pierce Harger’s five falls also came in the first period. Levi Mele leads NU this year with nine pins, but just one came in the first three minutes of the match.

Winning Welch
Jason Welch is out to a perfect 15-0 start and has won a majority of his matches in dominating fashion. Nine of his 15 wins have come with bonus points (five major decisions, three pins and a tech fall) and he has outscored his opponents 103-23 so far this year (doesn’t include point totals in his three bouts won by fall). In fact, the most any opponent has scored on Welch this year is four points, but the three times an opponent scored four on Welch, he won those bouts by major decision. Welch’s 6-3 victory over MSU’s No. 13 Anthony Jones gave him his 70th career victory at Northwestern. At 15-0, Welch is one of 12 undefeated wrestlers (with at least six matches) left in all of NCAA Division I.

Up Next
Northwestern takes a break from Big Ten action next weekend hosting Northern Illinois at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 3 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. That is the lone match scheduled for next week.  NU wrestles three-straight nonconference opponents before closing out the Big Ten season at home Friday, Feb. 17 vs. Indiana.

Kaleb Friedley had one of four falls in NU's 30-12 win over MSU.

Watch Match Highlights on Wildcats All Access!

Site: Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Score: No. 18 Northwestern 30, Michigan State 12
Records: No. 18 Northwestern (6-3, 2-3 Big Ten), Michigan State (3-5, 1-3 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Friday, Jan. 29 at No. 6 Illinois • 5 p.m. • Big Ten Network (Live)

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern got back to its winning ways Friday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena, defeating Michigan State 30-12. The ‘Cats won six of 10 bouts with four of those wins coming by fall and scored another big victory at heavyweight as No. 17 Mike McMullan edged No. 10 Mike McClure. With the win, NU improves to 6-3 overall and 2-3 in the conference while Michigan State falls to 3-5, 1-3.

“We had a lot of falls tonight and yet we have to make a lot of improvements so we’ll go back to work tomorrow,” Northwestern head coach Drew Pariano said. “Any time there’s four guys that don’t win, you’ve got four guys that are very unhappy, so they’re going to go back to work tomorrow. We’ll correct the technical things. We’re looking forward to next weekend.”

Northwestern jumped out to a quick 21-3 lead before the break, using three pins in the first five bouts. Freshman Jameson Oster started the fall frenzy for Northwestern at 133 lbs., pinning Brandon Fifield in 3:27. With the match tied 3-3 at the end of the first, Fifield deferred choice for the second. Oster chose bottom and put Fifield on his back 33 seconds into the second for six team points.

MSU then got on the board as Brian Gibbs came back for an 8-6 decision over NU’s Colin Shober but Kaleb Friedley put six more points on the board with his first-period pin of Dan Osterman (2:38).

At 157 lbs., No. 3 Jason Welch took on No. 13 Anthony Jones and used more than two minutes of riding time in his 6-3 decision. Jones scored the first takedown of the match and took the 2-1 lead into the second period. Welch then escaped and took Jones down for the 3-2 lead. An escape for Jones and a penalty point awarded to Welch after two stall calls put Welch ahead 4-3 heading into the third. Welch then was awarded another penalty point and remained on top for the entire period to secure the 6-3 win.

Pierce Harger scored another fall before the break, pinning David Cheza in 3:31, but the Spartans gained some momentum after the intermission winning the next three bouts, all by close decisions.

Northwestern ended the match on a high note though, taking the final two bouts of the evening at heavyweight and 125 lbs. No. 17 Mike McMullan took on his third top-10 opponent in as many matches and defeated No. 10 Mike McClure 3-1. After a scoreless first, McClure took the 1-0 lead with an escape early in the period. McMullan then scored the lone takedown of the match on the edge of the mat to lead 2-1. He then added a third-period escape to hang on for the 3-1 win. McMullan has now defeated top-10 wrestlers in back-to-back matches as he also edged then-No. 8 Bobby Telford of Iowa 7-5 in sudden victory last weekend.

The match then ended just as it began as No. 10 Levi Mele stuck Eric Olanowski with a second period fall (3:29), giving the Wildcats the 30-12 victory.

Northwestern returns to the mat next weekend for two Big Ten duals away from Welsh-Ryan Arena. The ‘Cats take on No. 6 Illinois Friday, Jan. 27 in a dual that will broadcast live on the Big Ten Network from Champaign, Ill. NU then takes on Purdue Sunday, Jan. 29 at noon.

No. 18 Northwestern 30, Michigan State 12

133: Jameson Oster (NU) pins Brandon Fifield (MSU), 3:27 (6-0 NU)
141: Brian Gibbs (MSU) dec Colin Shober (NU), 8-6 (6-3 NU)
149: Kaleb Friedley (NU) pins Dan Osterman (MSU), 2:38 (12-3 NU)
157: No. 3 Jason Welch (NU) dec. No. 13 Anthony Jones (MSU), 6-3 (15-3 NU)
165: Pierce Harger (NU) pins David Cheza (MSU), 3:31 (21-3 NU)
174: Curran Jacobs (MSU) dec No. 11 Lee Munster (NU), 3-1 (21-6 NU)
184: Ian Hinton (MSU) dec Robert Kellogg (NU), 7-3 (21-9 NU)
197: Nick McDiarmid (MSU) dec John Schoen (NU), 3-2 (21-12 NU)
Hwt.: No. 17 Mike McMullan (NU) dec No. 10 Mike McClure (MSU), 3-1 (24-12 NU)
125: No. 10 Levi Mele (NU) pins Eric Olanowski (MSU), 3:29 (30-12 NU)