Cal Poly to Host Northern Illinois for Dual Wrestling Meet Friday Night
1/7/2020 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Northern Illinois will bring a trio of Midlands place winners to San Luis Obispo for a non-conference dual meet against Cal Poly Friday night inside Mott Athletics Center.
First bout between the 6-3 Huskies and 2-2 Mustangs begins at 7 p.m.
Feature match of the evening likely will be at 197 pounds as Cal Poly senior Tom Lane (10-3) faces Gage Braun (14-8).
A two-time national qualifier, Lane (pictured above) did not place in this year's Midlands, posting a 2-2 mark, but was sixth a year ago. Braun finished fifth. Lane slipped to No. 12 in the InterMat poll this week while Braun remains unranked.
Braun was 12-1 as a true freshman a year ago, placing first in three tournaments. Lane brings a 76-46 career record into tonight's dual. Braun and Lane have yet to meet on the mat in their collegiate careers.
Another intriguing match could take place at 165 as Cal Poly's Bernie Truax puts his 9-8 record up against Izzak Olejnik (10-7), who placed eighth at the Midlands two weeks ago.
Northern Illinois 184-pounder Brit Wilson is 12-1 on the year and placed third at the Midlands a year ago at 174. Wilson was 25-7 last season and qualified for the nationals as a redshirt freshman.
Ryan Ludwig is in his ninth season as head coach at Northern Illinois. He has coached 19 NCAA qualifiers, eight All-MAC honorees, one MAC champion and 15 Academic All-MAC selections. The Huskies have reached double-digit win totals twice under Ludwig, scoring 10 wins in 2012-13 and 2014-15.
Ludwig was an assistant at NIU for six seasons prior to becoming head coach in May 2012. As a wrestler, Ludwig was a three-time NAIA All-American and a national finalist at 157 pounds while wrestling at University of Findlay.
Northern Illinois' six dual meet victories are against Bucknell, Harper, Clarion, Indianapolis, Kent State and Central Michigan.
Cal Poly opened the 2019-20 season with wins over San Francisco State and Buffalo, but fell to Drexel at home and Fresno State on the road.
In addition to Lane and Truax, Mustangs with winning records include Benny Martinez (7-6) at 125 pounds, Trae Vasquez (4-3) (pictured at left) at 133, Jake Ryan (5-4) at 141 and Samuel Aguilar (7-4) at 285.
Senior 149-pounder Joshy Cortez is close to the .500 mark at 6-7.
Cal Poly and Northern Illinois, located in DeKalb, Ill., 64 miles west of Chicago, are facing each other in a dual meet for the first time tonight.
Other home duals this season all Pac-12 duals, are versus Stanford on Jan. 17, CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 14 and Arizona State on Feb. 15. The Stanford dual is part of Alumni Weekend, which features the Fourth Annual Crab Feed on Jan. 18 inside the Recreation Center's Multi-Activity Center.
Stanford will host the Pac-12 Championship on March 7, with the NCAA Division I National Championship slated for March 19-21 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
Probable Lineups
Cal Poly (2-2)
125 — Benny Martinez (7-6), Sophomore, Eastlake, Calif.
133 — Trae Vasquez (4-3), Redshirt Freshman, Kalispell, Mont.
141 — Jake Ryan (5-4), Redshirt Freshman, Oakdale, Calif.
149 — Joshy Cortez (6-7), Senior, Temecula, Calif.
157 — Brawley Lamer (5-8), Sophomore, Corvallis, Ore.
165 — Bernie Truax (9-8), Redshirt Freshman, Oceanside, Calif.
174 — Max Aguirre (1-0), Freshman, Bakersfield, Calif.
184 — Trent Tracy (4-6), Freshman, Bakersfield, Calif.
197 — Tom Lane (10-3), Senior, Garden City, N.Y.
285 — Sam Aguilar (7-4), Sophomore, Apple Valley, Calif.
133 — Trae Vasquez (4-3), Redshirt Freshman, Kalispell, Mont.
141 — Jake Ryan (5-4), Redshirt Freshman, Oakdale, Calif.
149 — Joshy Cortez (6-7), Senior, Temecula, Calif.
157 — Brawley Lamer (5-8), Sophomore, Corvallis, Ore.
165 — Bernie Truax (9-8), Redshirt Freshman, Oceanside, Calif.
174 — Max Aguirre (1-0), Freshman, Bakersfield, Calif.
184 — Trent Tracy (4-6), Freshman, Bakersfield, Calif.
197 — Tom Lane (10-3), Senior, Garden City, N.Y.
285 — Sam Aguilar (7-4), Sophomore, Apple Valley, Calif.
Northern Illinois (6-3)
125 - Bryce West (13-8), Sophomore, Solon, Iowa
133 - Caleb Brooks (2-5), Sophomore, Canal Winchester, Ohio
141 - Anthony Gibson (7-4), Sophomore, Westland, Mich.
149 - McCoy Kent (12-3), Senior, Modesto, Calif.
157 - Mason Kauffman (9-6), Sophomore, Stratford, Wisc.
165 - Izzak Olejnik (10-7), Sophomore, Bakersfield, Calif.
174 - Kenny Moore (5-5), Junior, San Diego, Calif.
184 - Brit Wilson (12-1), Sophomore, Mexico, Missouri
197 - Gage Braun (14-8), Sophomore, Springfield, Ohio
285 - Max Ihry (8-9), Junior, Naperville, Illinois
133 - Caleb Brooks (2-5), Sophomore, Canal Winchester, Ohio
141 - Anthony Gibson (7-4), Sophomore, Westland, Mich.
149 - McCoy Kent (12-3), Senior, Modesto, Calif.
157 - Mason Kauffman (9-6), Sophomore, Stratford, Wisc.
165 - Izzak Olejnik (10-7), Sophomore, Bakersfield, Calif.
174 - Kenny Moore (5-5), Junior, San Diego, Calif.
184 - Brit Wilson (12-1), Sophomore, Mexico, Missouri
197 - Gage Braun (14-8), Sophomore, Springfield, Ohio
285 - Max Ihry (8-9), Junior, Naperville, Illinois
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