MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
MAC Wrestler of the Week
Mike Ottinger, Central Michigan—Sophomore, Schnecksville, Pa. (Parkland High School)
Central Michigan sophomore Mike Ottinger earned a pair of key victories to help Central Michigan earn a weekend sweep of Mid-American Conference foes Northern Illinois and No. 7 Missouri. With the Chippewas trailing the Huskies, Ottinger swung the match with a key 13-5 major decision over Dan Burk to keep his record in MAC duals unblemished. On Sunday, he was able to provide a critical win over No. 10 Zach Toal of Missouri by earning a takedown 39 seconds into sudden victory for a 6-4 decision. The win over Toal helped propelled Central Michigan to a 17-16 win over the Tigers, handing Mizzou its first loss of the season.
Additional Nominees:
John-Martin Cannon, Buffalo—Senior, Brockport, N.Y. (Brockport High School)
Buffalo senior John-Martin Cannon earned a blowout 17-5 win over Eastern Michigan's Jacob Davis on Friday night. After missing last weekend's action because of his third major injury within the course of the season, the senior 174 pounder was flat-out explosive, recording seven takedowns to give him 133 for his career, moving him into fifth place in the program record book. The win was a crucial one for Buffalo, who used his major decision to post a 19-14 win in the dual and move to 1-1 in the Mid-American Conference.
Phillip Joseph, Eastern Michigan—Junior, Lapeer, Mich. (Lapeer East High School)
Eastern Michigan junior Phillip Joseph posted a 2-0 week with major decisions in matches against Olivet and Buffalo to bump his season record to 14-9 overall, 11-5 in dual-meets, and 2-0 in conference action. The Lapeer, Mich. native has won each of his last three contests. On Wednesday versus Olivet, Joseph recorded the third of four major decisions for Eastern Michigan wrestlers against Olivet's Jeff Holm, 10-2, in a 34-6 drubbing of the Comets. Then Sunday at Buffalo, the redshirt junior (combined with another major decision from teammate Nick Whitenburg at 197 lbs.) helped the Eagles turn a 10-point deficit into a two-point disadvantage with a 20-7 major decision over Jarred Lux.
Mack McGuire, Kent State—Freshman, Upper St. Clair, Pa. (Upper St. Clair High School)
Kent State freshman Mack McGuire won both of its dual meets this past weekend, going 2-0 with a pin and an overtime victory. In the Golden Flashes’ 26-11 conference win over Ohio, McGuire scored a takedown in sudden victory to defeat Joe Munos, 9-7. During Kent State’s 29-10 victory over Clarion, McGuire started the second period from the bottom position, rolled Joe Waltko to his back and pinned him in 19 seconds. Recently thrust into the starting lineup as a true freshman, McGuire is 19-12 on the year with five pins and a 5-2 mark in dual meets.
Kevin Fanta, Northern Illinois—Junior, Lake Zurich, Ill. (Lake Zurich High School)
Northern Illinois junior Kevin Fanta pushed his winning streak to four Friday against Central Michigan with a decisive 8-2 win against Scott Mattingly at 141 pounds. The redshirt junior not only pushed his record to 4-2 on the year, but also registered his third win against Mattingly since the start of the 2011-12 season. Fanta currently sits 16th in the WIN Magazine individual rankings and is 26th in Takedown Wrestling's Dual Impact Index.
Jeremy Johnson, Ohio—Junior, Broadview Heights, Ohio (Broadview Heights High School)
Ohio junior Jeremy Johnson captured a pair of victories this past weekend as he defeated Kent State’s Keith Witt 2-0 this past Friday. Witt enter the match with a No. 31 ranking and had won 11 bouts on the year. On Sunday, Johnson defeated No. 18 Justin Grant from Bloomsburg by a count of 7-2. Johnson’s victory over Grant on Sunday gave him his seventh-consecutive win and his 13th triumph in the last 15 bouts. The win also improved Johnson's overall season mark to 24-7. Johnson’s win total of 24 is second only to redshirt freshman Cody Walters.