Rutgers University’s No. 17 ranked wrestling team defeated Northwestern University, 30-10, in a Big Ten Conference match held Friday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois.
The win is significant for Rutgers as it improves their season record to 8-4 overall and 2-2 in conference play. The Scarlet Knights won seven out of ten matches against the Wildcats, with several wrestlers earning bonus points that contributed to the decisive margin.
Key performances included No. 14 Shane Cartagena-Walsh at 184 pounds, who secured a major decision with four takedowns across three periods. No. 16 Remy Cotton at 197 pounds achieved his second pin of the season by defeating Alex Smith midway through the third period. At heavyweight, No. 19 Hunter Catka earned an 8-2 decision after countering a late attack from his opponent.
Dylan Shawver (No. 27 at 133 pounds) dominated his match with an 18-3 technical fall, while Andrew Barbosa (No. 20 at 165 pounds) added points through a forfeit win. Additional victories came from Andrew Clark (149 pounds) and Anthony White (157 pounds), both winning by decision.
After intermission, Rutgers maintained momentum despite a loss at the start of the dual and closed out the night with three consecutive wins to secure their lead.
Looking ahead, Rutgers will face No. 12 Illinois on Saturday in Champaign, with the dual scheduled for a 1 p.m. Eastern Time start and streaming available on Big Ten Plus.