Northwestern wrestling (2-5) picked up its first ranked win of the year with an 18-17 victory No. 19 Wisconsin (1-6) on Sunday in its final home dual of the season. After a four-meet slide over the course of three last weeks, the victory was much-needed for Matt Storniolo’s squad to get back on track in this short season.
With key absences having plagued the team over the past month, a handful of younger wrestlers stepped up to earn some key points in the tight match, aided by a dominant season debut for top-ranked 157-pound wrestler Ryan Deakin.
Wisconsin got out to a quick start, picking up back-to-back major decisions at 125 and 133 to take an 8-0 lead.