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NMU women’s wrestling vies for shot at 2nd-ever NCAA Championships
Northern Michigan University’s Sophia Bassino, with feet on the mat, picks up Tiffin’s Megan Preston before throwing her to the mat during the Northern Duals women’s wrestling meet held at the Vandament Arena in Marquette on Dec. 19. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)
Northern Michigan University’s Alyssa Caltagirone keeps Carthage’s Abigail Jutrzonka in a hold before she would eventually pin her during the Northern Duals women’s wrestling meet held at the Vandament Arena in Marquette on Dec. 19. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)
Northern Michigan University’s Keaton Hood, top, lays atop Alma's Ryen Allen while trying to work into a pinning position during the Northern Duals women’s wrestling meet held at the Vandament Arena in Marquette on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
Northern Michigan University’s Sophia Bassino, with feet on the mat, picks up Tiffin’s Megan Preston before throwing her to the mat during the Northern Duals women’s wrestling meet held at the Vandament Arena in Marquette on Dec. 19. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)
Northern Michigan University’s Alyssa Caltagirone keeps Carthage’s Abigail Jutrzonka in a hold before she would eventually pin her during the Northern Duals women’s wrestling meet held at the Vandament Arena in Marquette on Dec. 19. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)
Northern Michigan University’s Keaton Hood, top, lays atop Alma's Ryen Allen while trying to work into a pinning position during the Northern Duals women’s wrestling meet held at the Vandament Arena in Marquette on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
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MARQUETTE -- One of the newest NCAA sports includes the Northern Michigan University Wildcats.
Women's wrestling, which held its inaugural NCAA Championships in Iowa in March, included three Wildcats in that tournament, Alissa Caltagirone, Sophia Bassino and Abbie Miles, with Caltagirone winning a match in the nationals. All three are also listed on Northern's 2026-27 roster.
NMU is back for its second season in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and second season with Adam Wilson as head coach, though the Northern program itself harkens back to 2020.
In its sixth season, this school year the Wildcats have 15 competition dates that include three home meets in the first half of the schedule before Christmas.
The entire season runs from early November through early March for athletes fortunate enough to qualify for the NCAA Championships that return to Coralville, Iowa, on March 5-6.
It all starts at Vandament Arena in Marquette, however, with a home meet against North Central College on Monday, Nov. 2. The Cardinals of Naperville, Illinois, not to be confused with a high school of a similar name in the Upper Peninsula, are the defending National Duals champion despite their status as an NCAA Division III institution.
Nearly three weeks pass until the next home meet. In the meantime, NMU travels to Stevens Point, Wisconsin, where host Wisconsin-Stevens Point will put on the Pointer Open on Saturday, Nov. 7.
Then comes a trip downstate for back-to-back meets at Adrian College in the far southern Lower Peninsula town of Adrian for the Adrian Duals on Saturday, Nov. 14, and Adrian Open on Sunday, Nov. 15.
Next up is home meet No. 2, a double dual against Aurora and Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Saturday, Nov. 21. Aurora is from Aurora, Illinois, an outer suburb of Chicago.
Like all the other meets on the schedule, this meet doesn't have a starting time listed yet.
December opens with the two-day GLVC Duals to be held at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois, on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4-5. McKendree won the first NCAA women's wrestling team title in March.
Northern remains in Illinois -- or maybe makes a quick return trip -- to Naperville for the North Central Invitational on Sunday, Dec. 13. North Central is the same school the Wildcats open the season at home against in early November.
Then comes the Wildcats' final home meet, the NMU Duals back at Vandament Arena on Friday, Dec. 18. Tiffin, Sioux Falls, Davenport and Olivet are the expected competition.
There's still time for one more meet before the new year rings in, the Midlands Championships in Evanston, Illinois, on Wednesday, Dec. 30. That will be hosted by the women's club team at Big 10 and Division I member Northwestern, a program that apparently is aiming to achieve varsity status in the next few years.
Once 2027 begins, Northern travels twice to Iowa in January, going to the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals at Coe College in Cedar Rapids on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 8-9, and the For Her Championships at NCAA tournament host Coralville and the University of Iowa on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 23-24.
After that, the Wildcats prepare for the postseason, taking part in an NCAA regional qualifier in Tiffin, Ohio, at Tiffin University on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19-20, with hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Championships the first weekend of March in Iowa.
Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release previewing the schedule. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee's email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.