The NW wrestling season has had a shaky start in 2026 but things look promising as the season continues. The Raiders kicked off the new year in Pella, Iowa at Central College’s Under Armour Invitational. The Raiders competed in the gold and silver divisions with four and six wrestlers respectively.
Junior Johnny Burnette led the Raiders’ gold division with a sixth-place finish and a 3-2 record. Seniors Cade Braun and Noah Parmelee along with sophomore Ethan Skoglund rounded out the division. All three went 2-2 and fell just shy of placing positions.
The silver division saw all six wrestlers place. Junior Wyatt Bice went 2-1 to land a third place finish. Junior Thomas Vance, freshmen Aiden Smith and Wesley Vick all finished fifth place with Vance and Vick going 2-1 and 3-1 respectively, while Aiden Smith won a whopping four matches in a row after taking a loss in his first match to end the day 4-1. Junior Logan Ash placed 6th with a 2-2 record, rounding out the silver division.
The wrestling team suffered two tough losses in the following weeks though as they fell to Briar Cliff on January 9 and Morningside on January 16 in GPAC duals. Against Briar Cliff, NW had four wrestlers take home a win, but the Chargers dealt out six losses leading the final total to 20-32. The match against Morningside had a closer final score, 15-24, but once again NW had four winning wrestlers to Morningside’s six. Joel Arias, and Noah Parmelee were key players in these matches being the only Raiders to take home a win both times.
The Raiders’ next match was the Worthington open in Worthington, Minnesota. Four Raiders attended with two earning podium finishes. This match was the career debut for sophomore Reid Hulshof who placed 4th and went 2-2.
The Raiders’ most recent outing was the Missouri Valley invite, an NAIA tournament and one of the most difficult of the regular season. This event was difficult for the Raiders with no strong final placements and multiple medical forfeits, but every Raider put up a good performance in their match, even ones they lost.
The team competes next on January 31 at the Sioux City Open.
Sophomore Kane Butrick fights hard against a formitable opponent.
