NAPERVILLE — League action across the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) continued in late January with a full slate of duals highlighting both team depth and individual consistency. 
 
Aurora delivered an unbeaten day at Elmhurst, North Central saw a long-standing home streak come to an end and Carthage capitalized on bonus-point opportunities in Friday competition. Several individuals across the league posted unblemished records, while attention now turns toward upcoming regional implications and the annual Pete Willson-Wheaton Invitational.
 
The Spartan Surge: Aurora’s Unblemished Afternoon in Elmhurst
Aurora posted a 3-0 record at the CCIW Duals last Friday at Elmhurst’s R.A. Faganel Hall, defeating Augustana (43-5), Elmhurst (21-18), and Wheaton (31-19). The Spartans relied on balance throughout the lineup, with multiple wrestlers finishing the day undefeated. 
 
Heavyweight and CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week Elijah Osit went 3-0 with two falls and a technical fall, including a pivotal result against Elmhurst. Zane Ely, Tyler Evitts (133), Jake Penzato (141) and Jack Seacrist (174) also completed the day without a loss. Penzato recorded a major decision, fall, and technical fall across three bouts. Aurora improved to 7-6 overall and 5-2 in conference action.
 
Cardinals Grounded: A Rare Home Stumble in Naperville
North Central dropped a 24-14 decision to Chicago last Saturday, marking its first home dual loss since January 2017. Despite the result, several Cardinal wrestlers earned bonus-point victories. Chip Guzman moved up from 125 to 133 pounds and recorded a 19-4 technical fall over Jackson Rustad. Aboo Assaf added a 17-2 technical fall at 141 pounds, while Jake Luce posted a 16-3 major decision at 174. Chicago secured the team outcome with late technical falls in the upper weights.
 
Firebirds on Fire: Carthage Torches the Friday Competition
Carthag earned dual victories over Illinois Wesleyan (35-12) and MSOE (35-16) last Friday. Zaren Anderson led the Firebirds at 157 pounds, recording a 19-2 technical fall before securing a pin in 4:28 in his second bout. At 174 pounds, CJ Gilbert produced a 15-0 technical fall, while Chris Kish went 2-0 across 125 and 133 pounds. London Kiser added a 19-4 technical fall at 184 against MSOE.
 
Titan Toughness: Johnston’s Pin Party and Elmhurst’s Resilience
Illinois Wesleyan dropped duals to Carthage and Elmhurst, but junior Austin Johnston provided a standout performance at 141 pounds. Johnston recorded falls against Carthage’s Evan Glowinski and Elmhurst’s Ulises Rosas, increasing his season total to six pins. 
 
Host Elmhurst finished the day 2-1, led by Ryan Hinger and Anthony Bitner, who both went 3-0. Hinger posted a 17-0 technical fall against Aurora at 149 pounds, while Bitner delivered key major decisions in wins over MSOE (35-3) and Illinois Wesleyan (33-12).
 
Host with the Most: Wheaton Prepares for the Pete Willson Legacy
Wheaton split its Friday duals with a 33-6 win over Augustana and a 31-19 loss to Aurora. Zeke Harris (197) went 2-0 with a 3-2 decision and a 48-second fall, while Jacob Kraker (184) also finished 2-0 with a pin and a decision. 
 
Wheaton now turns its focus to hosting the 84th Pete Willson-Wheaton Invitational this Friday and Saturday, a two-day event featuring 30 teams from 11 states and seven programs ranked in the NWCA Top 25.
 
Regional Rankings and the National Outlook
The NWCA Regional Rankings released last week reflect continued individual strength across the conference. In Region 5, North Central’s Christian Guzman (125) and Ethan Spacht (133) are ranked first in their respective weight classes. 
 
The latest national polls place North Central sixth in the tournament power index, with Millikin ranked 17th in the dual team poll.