Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan women's wrestling team is preparing for its final competition of the 2024 calendar year at the North Central College Invitational. The event will be held on Sunday, December 15, in Naperville, Illinois, at the Residence Hall/Recreation Center. The matches are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. CT (10 a.m. ET).

Northern Michigan will be among several teams participating in this open tournament. The Wildcats previously competed in Naperville during the 2022-23 season, finishing tenth out of twenty teams.

Fans can follow updates on Instagram by checking @nmu_wrestling before and after the event.

In their last outing on December 6, Northern Michigan faced duals in Wisconsin against UW-Oshkosh but were defeated with a score of 30-17. Despite the loss, Samantha Chaon secured a win by fall in 3:34 at the 138 weight class, and Sophia Bassino achieved victory by fall in just 1:23 at the 160 weight class.

Yu Sakamoto stands out for Northern Michigan as she ranks seventh nationally in the 117 weight class according to The Open Mat and recently became a world champion at the U23 World Championships held in Albania. Alissa Caltagirone is ranked sixteenth in the 145 weight class, while Sophia Bassino holds eighteenth place in her category, and Ozioma Ogu is twentieth at 207.

Overall, Northern Michigan is ranked twenty-second in tournament rankings. Historically, they have achieved ten regional top-five finishes with Diana Dzasezava winning one such event in 2023. Over its three-year history, the program has produced two All-Americans and twelve Scholar All-Americans.

Tony DeAnda was recognized as Regional Coach of the Year for his achievements with Northern Michigan's wrestling program last year.