Wrestling: Northwestern falls in NCAA Championships, earns 0 team points

Mar 19, 2026; Cleveland, OH, USA; Tournament signage is seen during the NCAA DI Wrestling Championship at Rocket Arena. | Aaron Doster, Aaron Doster-Imagn Images A promising entry into the NCAA Championships quickly turned into an abrupt exit for the Wildcats. Northwestern (3-9, 1-7 B1G) sent a blend of experience and emerging talent to Cleveland, Ohio, with a returning qualifier and a breakout first-year, both punching their tickets out of a loaded Big Ten field.

Red-shirt second-year Sean Spidle (133 lbs) earned his automatic bid after he battled through the Big Ten Tournament’s consolation bracket last weekend. He received the No. 21 seed in his weight class, slightly higher than his No.

23 seed from his last tournament appearance with Central Michigan in 2025. Posting the best Big Ten Tournament result from a true first-year since 2021, Billy Dekraker (141 lbs) received an at-large bid to compete in the championships as well. Dekraker, the No.

31 seed at 141 lbs, also became the first true first-year to represent the Wildcats since 2021. One year after Trevor Chumbley’s cinderella run to semifinals as the No. 20 seed, both Wildcats failed to make it past the first day, Northwestern received a zero in its team score.