Northwestern wrestling falls to No. 20 Little Rock, but stars shine nonetheless

The ‘Cats lost 29-10, but still earned some impressive victories on the mat.

Northwestern wrestling fell 29-10 against No. 20 Little Rock at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday afternoon, failing to grab a second straight win after kicking off its season with a 29-8 win over Northern Illinois.

Things started off rough for the ‘Cats, as the first four matches — 125 lb., 133 lb., 141 lb. and 149 lb. — resulted in defeat, including upset losses for 10th-ranked Chris Cannon and No. 20 Sam Cartella. Against a very well-rounded Trojans squad, it looked like Northwestern was in for a long day.

The Wildcats came back to life following a big victory from 11th-ranked Trevor Chumbley over 23rd-ranked Matt Bianchi in a 4-1 win in the 157 lb. weight class. Chumbley started hot, earning a first period takedown in under 30 seconds to jump out to 3-0 lead. From there, the two wrestlers traded escapes, but Chumbley’s start had secured victory.

Following Chumbley was another big win in the 165-lb. weight class from No. 16 Maxx Mayfield, who dominated Brendon Abdon via a 8-0 major decision in a near-perfect effort that included takedowns in both the first and third periods.

Unfortunately, the ‘Cats were unable to continue their momentum, losing in the next three weight classes (174 lb., 187 lb., 197 lb.). Down big to Little Rock, there was little time left for a comeback

Dirk Morley nevertheless ended the day off on a good note, controlling much of his match in the 285-lb. weight class versus Apollo Gothard on his way to an 8-2 win. Northwestern would still ultimately fall to Little Rock, losing 29-10.

Northwestern (1-1) returns to action away from home at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational from Dec. 6-7 before a pair of matches against Cleveland State and Cal Poly in the month of December.