Northwestern has never been known as a wrestling school. Since 1990, Northwestern has finished over .500 in the wrestling-crazy Big Ten exactly once (2010-2011). But with the hiring of Matt Storniolo in March 2016, things are heading in a new direction. The Wildcats sit at 8-2 and No. 17 in the country. They have two wins over ranked opponents and their two ranked losses were by a combined margin of 2 points.
Sunday’s win over then-No. 14 Minnesota was the most dramatic yet. Down 18-14 with one individual match remaining, Ryan Deakin (the No. 5 wrestler in the nation in the 149-pound class) needed to get a pin and the bonus points to save Northwestern from defeat.