NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University men's wrestling team wrapped up its 2023 portion of this season's schedule at the 59th Annual North Central College Invitational Saturday, Dec. 9, in Naperville, Ill. 

Freshman Austin Johnston (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) led the Titans with a 2-2 record on the day at 133-pounds. In his opening bout, the Normal, Ill. native pinned Bernie Cox of Eureka (2:10) to advance to the second round of the championship bracket before falling to Wyatt Kaczrowski of Augsburg. Johnston would then meet teammate junior Leonardo Reyes (Manteno, Ill.-Manteno) in the consolation round where Johnston picked up his second pin of the day (1:28). 

After receiving a bye in the opening round of the 184-pound bracket, junior Bobby Conroy (St. Louis, Mo.- St. Louis University High) defeated College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin foe Carter Vincent of Carthage in an 18-2 technical fall. Conroy fell to No. 1 regionally-ranked Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann of Augsburg in the quarterfinal round sending him into the consolation bracket. He battled in his final match of the day, dropping the match in a 5-0 decision to Brandt Bombard of Augsburg to finish the day with a 1-2 record. 

Senior Jonathan Rios (Waukegan, Ill.-Waukegan) needed less than a minute to pin Nicholas Hinojosa of Aurora (0:52) before finishing with a 1-2 record on the day.


Illinois Wesleyan will be back in action Jan. 13 as the Titans head to the Cliff-Keen Mike Duroe Invitational hosted by Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa.