d3wrestle.com/WWSport.com Wrestler of the Week: Ben Youel

A clutch performance at the Dick Walker Invitational earns Ben Youel of North Central the d3wrestle.com/WWSport.com Wrestler of the Week award for this week.  After dispatching #8 Patrick Nagel of UW-Whitewater in the semifinals, Youel went on to a convincing 8-3 win over #1 Justin Hanson.  Hanson had earned the top spot with wins over both of last year’s finalists in the past month along with a victory over Youel at Concordia, but Youel got the better of him this time.  Youel took the title with four decisions to run his record this season to 18-2 and beat out some stiff competition for this week’s honor.

Youel, a senior from Crystal Lake, Illinois, is a two time NCAA qualifer who placed fourth in Division III last year at 165 lbs.  Along the way, he defeated Wartburg’s Hanson in the quarterfinals to go along with his victory over him on Saturday.  Youel has topped 30 wins in each of the past two seasons and will be looking for his third Academic All-American award to go along with a return trip to the NCAA podium.  Youel is currently ranked 3rd in the d3wrestle.com NCAA rankings and his North Central team is ranked fourth.  He was 3rd at the Concordia Open, and his only Division III loss this year was to Hanson at that event.  North Central is back in action tonight with a match at home against Cornell that was postponed from last night due to snow.

photo from North Central Sports Information