NAPERVILLE — The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s wrestling calendar turns to championship season on Saturday, Feb. 14, as the league converges on Kenosha for its defining weekend of the winter. 
 
North Central arrives with the regular-season title secured, but the conference meet resets the margins and shifts the focus to podium finishes, qualifying points and momentum into the NCAA regional rounds. 
 
Elmhurst’s Rhenzo Augusto returns to the center of the conversation after his Pete Willson title run, Wheaton brings a surge led by Taggart Kazmierczak and host Carthage looks to capitalize on a familiar setting with veterans positioned to move brackets.
 
Red Reign: North Central Clinches Fifth Consecutive Crown
North Central secured the outright CCIW regular-season championship on Thursday with a 45-3 dual win at Aurora. The Cardinals led 20-0 after four bouts and controlled the match throughout. Junior Ethan Spacht (133) recorded a pin, while Joshua Robison (141) posted a 16-2 major decision.
 
North Central remained No. 6 in the NWCA Tournament Poll released Friday. Individually, Chip Guzman (125) and Spacht (133) continued to hold No. 1 national rankings in their weight classes, with Guzman entering the week at 27-0.
 
Mat-Master Class: Rhenzo Returns with a Vengeance
Elmhurst sophomore Rhenzo Augusto returned to competition during the final weekend of January and delivered a strong performance at the 84th Annual Pete Willson-Wheaton Invitational. Wrestling at 157 pounds after a month away from the mat, Augusto went 5-0 to claim the individual title. His run included a 31-second fall in the quarterfinals, and across the two-day event he allowed just one takedown. Augusto was named CCIW Men’s Wrestling Student-Athlete of the Week for the second time this season and the fifth time in his career.
 
Elmhurst finished 17th in the 30-team field with 34.5 points. Ryan Hinger added a quarterfinal appearance at 149 pounds and recorded two technical falls, including a 15-0 result.
 
Thunder Strikes Twice: Wheaton’s Upsets and All-Tournament Tussles
Host Wheaton placed 16th at the Pete Willson Invitational, its best finish at the event since 2023. Junior Taggart Kazmierczak highlighted the weekend at 165 pounds with a fourth-place finish. He scored an 8-5 win over the No. 2 seed, Brayden Peet (Wisconsin-Whitewater), then reached the semifinals with additional bonus-point results. After a semifinal loss, Kazmierczak defeated Peet again in the consolation bracket, 10-6, to close the tournament.
 
At 197 pounds, sophomore Zeke Harris went 3-0 on Friday, including a 30-second pin of Elmhurst’s Connor Kelly.
 
Bloomington Blitz: Illinois Wesleyan Finds Its Rhythm
Illinois Wesleyan closed the dual portion of its schedule with a split. The Titans fell to Simpson 35-16 last Friday, with freshmen Brady Mouser (125) and Tyson Zvonar (133) each producing technical falls. Zvonar’s 18-3 result included a key third-period takedown to complete the margin.
 
Illinois Wesleyan responded on Sunday with a 33-20 win over Eureka. Zvonar, Lucas Blanton (184) and Trey Dunning (197) recorded pins, and freshman Eli Moore earned a sudden-victory takedown to win at 174.
 
Cardinal Credentials at Wheaton
North Central also produced notable individual results at Pete Willson. Senior Casey Aikman placed third at 184 pounds, earning bonus points with pins over Nawab Singh (Ozarks) and Austin Wilkins (Cornell) before closing the tournament with an 18-5 major decision over Zach McPhee (Wisconsin-Eau Claire). Joey Sikorsky finished eighth at 125 pounds, rebounding from an early loss to win three straight in the consolation bracket.
 
CCIW Championship Looms
The regular season concludes with the 2026 CCIW Men’s Wrestling Championship on Saturday, February 14, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Carthage College will host the event, with competition scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.