Brad Dieckhaus
Members of the NIU wrestling team will wrap up their preseason practice schedule at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, when they host the annual Wrestle-Offs at Victor E. Court at the Convocation Center.
The Wrestle-Offs is an intrasquad meet that helps determine the starting lineup for the upcoming season.
It also gives fans the opportunity to get their first glimpse at the 2011-12 Huskies.
“There should be some hotly-contested matches for positions in our lineup,” said head coach Ryan Ludwig. “It will be great to see all the Huskie fans in the stands and have them meet the coaches and the team.”
Though official matchups for Saturday will not be set until later in the week, the competition for starting spots is highly competitive in a few weight classes, including at 141 and 157. The meet will also be the first opportunity for fans to see some members of the highly touted 2011 recruiting class, which was ranked 28th in the nation by Wrestling USA magazine.
Despite the youth, the team will be led by seniors Brad Dieckhaus, the defending MAC champion, at 184 and Mike Lukowski at 197, along with sophomore and 2010-11 wins leader Nick Smith at 125.
After the meet, fans will have the opportunity to interact with the Huskie wrestling team in a meet-and-greet event at Pizza Pro’s, located at 1205 W. Lincoln Hwy. in DeKalb.
For more information on NIU wrestling and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.
