Despite a challenging outing at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Northwestern secured four spots at the upcoming NCAA Wrestling Championships. Two Wildcats earned podium finishes, while two others received at-large bids, ensuring their place in the national competition.
Redshirt-senior Maxx Mayfield punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships in the 165-pound category after securing a sixth-place finish. Entering the tournament as the No. 8 seed, Mayfield initially fell in his opening match but bounced back with two consecutive victories. His standout moment came in an impressive 8-1 upset over Nebraska’s No. 3-seeded Christophe Minto. This marks Mayfield’s third consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships.
In the 197-pound division, redshirt-junior Evan Bates also earned a podium finish. Seeded sixth, Bates started strong with a dominant 10-0 major decision in his opening match. However, he faced a setback in an 8-1 loss against Michigan’s No. 3-ranked Jacob Cardenas. Bates rebounded with a commanding 15-0 technical fall victory and ultimately placed seventh. This will be Bates’ second consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships, having qualified as an at-large selection in 2024.
On Tuesday, Northwestern confirmed that graduate student Trevor Chumbley (157 lbs) and redshirt-freshman Sam Cartella (149 lbs) had been awarded at-large bids. Both wrestlers reached the second round of the consolation bracket at the Big Ten Championships. For Chumbley, this marks his third straight qualification for the NCAA Championships.
Mayfield, Bates, Chumbley, and Cartella will represent Northwestern at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, set to take place in Philadelphia from March 20 to 22.
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