The match began at 125 lbs., where senior Drew Hammen took on true freshman Levi Mele. Mele won the match, outscoring Hammen 8-4 and giving the Wildcats their first and only lead of the matchup at 3-0. Hammen scored a reversal and a takedown in the second to last home match of his collegiate career.
At 133 lbs., No. 6 redshirt freshman Tyler Graff won his eighth-straight bout thanks to a victory over senior Eric Metzler. With a 7-2 decision, the Badgers were then tied with the Wildcats, 3-3. Graff, who is now 24-4 on the season, scored three takedowns and riding time in the match. This bout marks the first time since Jan. 10 that Graff did not defeat his opponent by bonus points.
Redshirt freshman Cole Schmitt was then awarded a victory by forfeit at 141 lbs., giving the Badgers a 9-3 lead. Northwestern did not have a competitor in the weight class.
No. 5 senior Kyle Ruschell then faced No. 13 Andrew Nadhir at 149 lbs. After a scoreless first period, Ruschell scored the only points of the second with an escape, followed by two nearfall points in the third period to shutout Nadhir 4-0. Ruschell’s 25th win of the season extended Wisconsin’s lead to 12-3.
Junior Greg Burke then claimed his first victory since Jan. 9 with a win over true freshman Kevin Bialka at 157 lbs. The bout was tied 4-4 with just 10 seconds left in regulation, but Burke was awarded riding time, extending the Badgers’ lead to 15-3. Burke recorded two takedowns in the matchup.
At 165 lbs., No. 1 sophomore Andrew Howe claimed his 27th victory and 11th major decision of the season by defeating sophomore Robert Kellogg. Howe recorded seven takedowns, an escape and riding time in his 17-5 victory. The win improved Howe's record to a perfect 27-0 and gave the Badgers a 19-3 lead over the Wildcats.
Northwestern won its second match at 174 lbs., where true freshman Brendan Ard lost to sophomore redshirt freshman Brian Roddy Jr. Ard scored three escapes and was awarded a point for excessive stall warnings by Roddy in the 11-4 defeat. The win cut Wisconsin’s advantage to 19-6.
Sophomore Travis Rutt then snapped his two-match losing streak with a 12-6 decision over junior Aaron Jones at 184 lbs. Rutt registered the first takedown with 2:01 left in the first period and held on to the lead for the rest of the match. He scored two takedowns, a reversal and six nearfall points to give the Badgers a 22-6 edge over the Wildcats.
No. 7 junior Trevor Brandvold won his ninth-consecutive match by topping sophomore John Schoen at 197 lbs. Brandvold won the bout by a 10-0 major decision, scoring three takedowns, an escape, two nearfall points and riding time in the match. Wisconsin then led by a 26-6 score.
At heavyweight, junior Eric Bugenhagen won his fifth-straight conference match with a pin at 4:02 over freshman Marcus Shrewsbury. Bugenhagen’s fall capped off a dominating 32-6 performance by the entire Wisconsin wrestling squad.
The Badgers close out the regular season as they face No. 1 Iowa at the UW Field House on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 3 p.m. (CT).
Results:
125: Levi Mele (NU) dec. Drew Hammen (WIS), 8-4 (NU 3, WIS 0)
133: #6 Tyler Graff (WIS) dec. Eric Metzler (NU), 7-2 (NU 3, WIS 3)
141: Cole Schmitt (WIS) win by forfeit (WIS 9, NU 3)
149: #5 Kyle Ruschell (WIS) dec. #13 Andrew Nadhir (NU), 4-0 (WIS 12, NU 3)
157: Greg Burke (WIS) dec. Kevin Bialka (NU), 5-4 (WIS 15, NU 3)
165: #1 Andrew Howe (WIS) Maj. Dec. Robert Kellogg (NU), 17-5 (WIS 19, NU 3)
174: Brian Roddy, Jr. (NU) dec. Brandan Ard (WIS), 11-4 (WIS 19, NU 6)
184: Travis Rutt (WIS) dec. Aaron Jones (NU), 12-6 (WIS 22, NU 6)
197: #2 Trevor Brandvold (WIS) Maj. Dec. John Schoen (NU), 10-0 (WIS 26, NU 6)
285: Eric Bugenhagen (WIS) FALL Marcus Shrewsbury (NU) (WIS 32, NU 6)
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