Wrestling: Northwestern’s top wrestlers shine in loss to No. 23 Indiana

Maxx Mayfield’s upset win was a highlight in a competitive defeat to the Hoosiers.

Northwestern fell 25-13 to No. 23 Indiana on Saturday despite solid performances from its newly emerging Big Four.

No. 19 Maxx Mayfield, No. 13 Evan Bates, No. 24 Sam Cartella and No. 9 Trevor Chumbley all earned victories in their individual matches, with Mayfield’s upset win over No. 16 Tyler Lillard serving as the highlight of Northwestern’s weekend in Bloomington.

Mayfield had lost his only three previous meetings with Lillard before their bout on Saturday, including the first place match at the Midlands Championships back in December. Saturday’s match appeared to be following a similar script through the first period as Lillard used a takedown to jump out to an early lead. Mayfield turned the match on its head with a acrobatic takedown in the final minute of the second period that gave him a 6-3 lead. Lillard fought back within a point in the third, but Mayfield shed his kryptonite for good with one final takedown to seal a 9-6 win.

Mayfield’s upset marked his first win at a dual meet since Purdue on Jan. 10 and his first win over a ranked opponent since No. 23 Evan Maag (George Mason) at the Midlands Championships. Northwestern’s 165 pounder had dropped his last three matches against his ranked opponents before toppling Lillard on Saturday.

No. 13 Evan Bates made it two ranked wins for the ‘Cats with his 6-2 decision victory over No. 21 Gabe Sollars at 197 lbs. Bates has made ranked victories a habit in his junior season. Sollars joined a vaunted list of eight wrestlers ranked in InterMat’s top-33 that have met the business end of Northwestern’s premier heavyweight.

No. 9 Trevor Chumbley won a major decision victory over Ryan Garvick at 157 lbs, continuing his strong return to the mat after missing most of January with an injury. Chumbley earned the extra major decision point with a dramatic single leg takedown in the final 20 seconds, sweeping the hapless Garvick’s left leg to extend the score behind the eight-point threshold.

No. 24 Sam Cartella continued his breakout campaign with a 9-2 decision victory over Joey Buttler at 149 lbs. Cartella still is yet to lose a Big Ten dual meet in regulation, as his lone loss against Michigan’s Dylan Gilcher came way of a riding time tiebreaker. Cartella’s place on Northwestern’s Mount Rushmore is more secure than ever.

The ‘Cats will get another chance at their first Big Ten win this Friday at home against Michigan State. The Spartans have been a mess in conference play so far this season, losing 35-3 to the Hoosiers just one week ago. Northwestern is more than capable of getting in the win column against Sparty.