NW wrestling squad falls short, still looking for milestone victory

No. 3 Grand View defeated Northwestern 37-7 on Thursday night in a non-conference dual.
Only three matches ended in pins on the night, and many of the matches were closely contested well into the third period.
Senior Matt Dowell got the Raiders on the board with his 4-1 victory at 141-lbs.
Sophomore Ariel Bosque  battled well at 157-lbs., but fell  6-2.
Senior David Carter, normally a staple at 184-lbs., wrestled down a weight class at 174. Down but never out of the match, he lost 5-2.
The squad forfeited the 184-lbs. match.
In 197-lbs., senior Nic Leither dominated in a 17-5 decision, just narrowly missing out on a  major fault win for the Raiders.
Four freshmen took to the mat for NW, earning more valuable experience.
The team picked up their first conference victory on Tuesday, Nov. 22, defeating Briar Cliff 30-22.
The Raiders racked up four pins, which were recorded by freshmen Daniel Arceo and Brett Gudeman, Leither and Dowell.
“Everyone wrestled hard,” Dowell said. “It was an interesting dual as only three matches went the full seven minutes, but it was good to see guys go out there and look for bonus points. Overall I saw a lot of aggression on the mat, and I think that was key in the win.”
The wrestling squad has been gaining momentum out of the gate this season, sitting at 3-1 overall, and 1-0 in the GPAC.
“We’ve changed a lot of things from last year,” Dowell said. “There just seems to be a lot more fuel than there was last year. I accredit that to a hungry set of upperclassmen and the energy that a large freshman class has brought.”
The Raiders are staying focused, in part thanks to the competition, and in part as they near an NW wrestling milestone.
“We have the opportunity to get NW’s 250th dual win against Augustana,” Dowell said. “We also can get revenge on a loss to Dakota Wesleyan from last year.”