Jan. 26, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. - After earning its first Big Ten win in five years last weekend at Purdue, No. 21 Northwestern (8-1, 1-1 Big Ten) returns home for a bout against No. 8 Iowa (6-2, 1-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29. It will be the Wildcats' first dual match of the year in Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The Hawkeyes will face the `Cats on limited rest, as they travel to Illinois Friday, Jan. 28. Iowa's only two losses on the year have come against No. 4 Iowa State and No. 1 Oklahoma State.
Through last weekend's competition against Indiana and Purdue, three Wildcats have reached the 20-win mark on the year. Senior Mike Kimberlin (Bradley, Ill./Bishop Marin McNamara) leads the team with 21 wins, while junior Matt Delguyd (Mayfield Heights, Ohio/Mayfield) and freshman Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edwards) each have an even 20.
Junior Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) and Lang are the only two `Cats perfect in the young Big Ten season, each sitting at 2-0.
Iowa boasts seven wrestlers in the nation's top-20 for the individual weight classes, compared to Northwestern's five.
Saturday's 141 and 184-lb. matches will feature nationally ranked wrestlers from both schools. Lang -- ranked 17th -- will battle 11th-ranked Alex Tsirtsis at 141 lbs. Lang and Tsirtsis finished eighth and sixth, respectively, at the 2004 Midlands Championships.
Freshman Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) -- ranked 16th -- will face fifth-ranked Paul Bradley at 184 lbs. Tamillow claimed sixth place at the 2004 Midlands, while Bradley took third.
Freshman Greg Hagel (Linwood, N.J./Blair Academy) will most likely wrestle for the `Cats at 149 lbs. His former high school teammate, freshman Mark Perry, will wrestle for the Hawkeyes at 165 lbs. Perry wasted little time establishing himself in the college ranks, having claimed first place at the 2004 Midlands.