McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's wrestling team concluded its participation in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championships on February 15, 2025, securing 18.5 points and finishing in 10th place in Decatur, Illinois.

North Central claimed the CCIW Championships title with a total of 169 points. Millikin took second place with 122 points, while MSOE secured third with 107 points.

Senior wrestler Bobby Conroy from St. Louis began his day by defeating Sean King of Wheaton with a 10-2 major decision in the 184-pound category. Conroy advanced to the quarterfinals, narrowly winning over Devin Rogers of Carthage with a score of 5-3. However, he faced challenges in the semifinals against Alton Mullinax of Aurora, trailing 4-0 going into the final period and ultimately losing with an 8-0 major decision. In the consolation bracket semifinals, Conroy again faced King from Wheaton and secured a victory with a close 4-2 decision. This win placed him in the third-place match for the second consecutive year but he was defeated by MOE's Gavin Graham who achieved an 18-6 major decision over Conroy.

Sophomore Austin Johnston from Normal also had a notable performance after an initial loss. Competing in the consolation bracket for the 141-pound weight class, Johnston overcame Khadyn Jacobs of Augustana with a decisive tech fall at 20-0 but was later pinned by Cole Nelson of Carthage during the consolation semifinals. He ended his day on a positive note by beating Max Sanderfoot of MSOE through a narrow decision at 7-5 to finish fifth.

Freshman Ameer Alamawi received recognition as IWU's CCIW RESPECT Award recipient.

Looking ahead, Illinois Wesleyan is set to compete next at the NCAA Division III Regional Championships scheduled to take place in Cedar Rapids, Iowa from February 28 to March 1.