Great Lakes Wire

Northern Michigan University athletes showcased their skills across various sports during the weekend of October 21 to October 27, achieving both victories and setbacks.

In women's wrestling, Yu Sakamoto from Japan clinched the gold medal at the U23 World Championships in the 53kg weight class. Sakamoto triumphed with an 11-0 technical fall over Serena Di Benedetto from Canada. Meanwhile, in Greco-Roman wrestling, Payton Jacobson secured a fifth-place finish in the world for the 87kg category but fell short in the bronze medal match.

On Friday, October 25, NMU's women's soccer team defeated Roosevelt with a decisive 3-0 victory. The Wildcats' three-goal surge was led by Justina L'Esperance and marked career-first goals for Kenna Alexander and Sami Brown. In volleyball, NMU faced a tough challenge against Grand Valley State University (GVSU), losing 0-3 despite Jacqueline Smith's nine kills. Men's swimming recorded a loss to Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), although Ian Rocheleau secured first place in two backstroke events. The women's swim team celebrated a dominant win over SVSU with multiple first-place finishes. In hockey, NMU suffered a narrow defeat to Arizona State University (ASU) after ASU scored a go-ahead goal late in the game.

The following day saw NMU cross country securing seventh place at the GLIAC Championships, with Gianna Hoving earning All-GLIAC First Team honors. The football team endured a 39-9 loss to Michigan Tech despite Tucker Welch's notable touchdown run and defensive turnovers. Men's swimming achieved mixed results with a victory over SVSU but lost to GVSU while breaking several pool records. Women's swimming also broke records but ultimately lost to GVSU after defeating SVSU earlier.

In volleyball, NMU faced another defeat against Wayne State despite strong performances from Jacqueline Smith and Allie Barlow. Hockey saw another close game against ASU ending in an empty-net loss after conceding on a power play late in the third period.

Sunday concluded with NMU's women's soccer team celebrating Senior Day with a resounding 5-0 win where seniors Brooke Pietila, Sami Brown, and Caityln Trombley contributed significantly to the scoresheet. However, men's soccer experienced a setback with a 1-3 loss to Roosevelt as Jaziel Sainz de Vilmorin scored for NMU assisted by Kyle Cameron.