Here is a preview of this week's MAC wrestling action.
Central Michigan:
No. 12 CMU hits the Road for Duals at NIU, No. 7 Missouri
MOUNT PLEASANT - The Central Michigan wrestling program will hit the road for a pair of duals this weekend when it travels to Northern Illinois Friday and No. 7 Missouri Sunday.
The Chippewas (8-3) currently sit atop the Mid-American Conference with a 2-0 record and will look to keep that mark unblemished when they take on the Huskies (7-4, 0-2 MAC) in the Convocation Center at 7 p.m. Friday.
The Maroon and Gold will then travel to Columbia, Mo., to take on the newest member of the MAC. The dual will not count towards conference standings however, as the Tigers (7-0-1) first conference competition will take place at the MAC Championships in Buffalo, N.Y., March 10.
Follow the Action: Live stats will be available for both matches through TrackWrestling.com. Live video streams will also be available by both NIUHuskies.com and MUTigers.com with a subscription fee. Fans can also follow the Chippewas' official Twitter account @CMUWrestling and Facebook Page for in-meet updates.
CMU vs. NIU: The Chippewas are 30-22-2 all time versus the Huskies and have won 16 of the last 17 meetings. CMU claimed a 24-9 victory last season in McGuirk Arena. NIU's last win in the series came in 2003, 16-15.
CMU vs. Missouri: Sunday's meeting will be the seventh in program history versus Missouri, with the Tigers holding a slim 3-2-1 advantage. Missouri defeated CMU at the 2011 National Duals, 29-12. CMU defeated No. 5 Mizzou on Feb. 13, 2009 in Columbia, 22-14.
Preseason Favorites: Though Sunday's dual will not count towards regular-season standings, the Chippewas and Tigers were picked to finish first and second at the MAC Championships March 10. Missouri was picked to win the championships by the conference coaches, which would end an 11-year run by the Chippewas.
CMU vs. The MAC: The Chippewas have won 72 of their last 76 MAC duals dating back to the 1997-98 season. Their current 11-year winning streak at the MAC Championships is the longest streak in conference history and their streak of 10-straight regular season titles from 1999-20008 was the second longest in any sport in MAC history.
100-Win Club: With senior Ben Bennett becoming the 16th wrestler in program history to record 100 career wins, senior Scotti Sentes is not far behind, needing just four more victories. Sentes holds a career record of 96-29 and is 15-1 all time in MAC duals.
In the Rankings: The Chippewas dropped three spots to No. 12 in both the NWCA/USA Today coaches' poll and InterMat Tournament Strength Rankings despite finishing third at the Virginia Duals last weekend. Missouri is currently ranked No. 7 in both polls. Individuals in the rankings for this weekend's duals:
Central Michigan: No. 9 Christian Cullinan (125), No. 7 Scotti Sentes (133), No. 20 Craig Kelliher (174), No. 2 Ben Bennett (184), No. 6 Jarod Trice (285).
Missouri: No. 3 Alan Waters (125), No. 8 Nathan McCormick (133), No. 16 Drake Houdashelt (149), No. 20 Kyle Bradley (157), No. 10 Zach Toal (165), No. 9 Mike Larson (184), No. 12 Brent Haynes (197), No. 1 Dom Bradley (285)
Eastern Michigan:
Wrestling Travels to Buffalo Friday
YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team heads to Buffalo on Friday.
We are going through a bit of a slump with injuries and illness,” said Head Coach Derek DelPorto, “but we are staying optimistic and on the right track to peak as scheduled. We are going to need the guys that are representing this team to step up and make things happen while the others are recovering. It is a great opportunity for these guys that are in the lineup to prove they belong in it.”
MAC ACTION PICKS BACK UP THIS FRIDAY: After a month and-a-half away from conference action, the Eagles reignite their quest for a MAC Championship Friday, Jan. 18, at Buffalo. That contest marks the beginning of six consecutive occasions on which the Green and White faces either current MAC opponents or teams which will join the conference next season.
The Eagles have fond memories of the last time they grappled with the Bulls, Feb. 8, 2012, on Senior Night at Bowen Field House. That evening, EMU posted a 31-7 drubbing of UB and clinched a winning record (3-2) in MAC competition for the first time since the since the 1990-91 campaign.
SCOUTING THE BULLS: Buffalo enters Friday's MAC contest winless on the year at 0-5 overall and 0-1 in conference tilts. Despite the record, the Bulls boast five wrestlers that rank in the top-four in the MAC Coaches Rankings for January. John-Martin Cannon, a 2011 MAC individual champion at 165 lbs., ranks first in the conference at 174 lbs.
PITT DUAL BLUES: Entering the Pitt Duals Sunday, Jan. 13, just a match under the .500 mark at 5-6, the Eagles had a chance to climb past that milestone for the first time this season. But the Green and White suffered an opening-match loss to Lock Haven and ran into nationally-ranked opponents Pittsburgh and Bloomsburg and ended up winless on the day.
In the opening match of the day, the Bald Eagles never trailed en route to the six-point victory. EMU held the lead against both the Panthers and Huskies through three matches, but lineups full of nationally-ranked competition outlasted the Eagles' combatants on both occasions.
Redshirt sophomore Jake Byers won two matches on the day. His only loss came against No. 15-ranked Shelton Mack of Pitt. Freshman Alexander Calandrino also received credit for two victories with one decision and another by way of forfeit.
NOT ALL BAD IN THE QUAKER STATE: Despite faltering at the Pitt Duals, the Eagles salvaged one victory during their trip to Pennsylvania when they knocked off Seton Hill, 40-11, Saturday, Jan. 12, in Greensburg, Pa. Four grapplers made their regular-season debut: freshman Alexander Calandrino (125 lbs.), redshirt freshman Chris Rau (157 lbs.), redshirt sophomores Jake Byers (133 lbs.) and Alan Constable (174 lbs.).
Calandrino, the team leader in wins with 18 (combining opens and regular-season duals), made the most of his first-career dual-meet action, starting the Eagles off with a pin at the 2:00 mark of the 125 lbs. match against Trey Constable. Byers won by forfeit, while Rau and Byers each lost their matches.
PLENTY OF HOME ACTION IN 2013: EMU wrestling fans are encouraged to come out to Bowen Field House to support the Eagles at the two remaining home matches of the 2012-13 season. The squad brings in nationally-ranked Kent State, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m., for the lone home MAC match of the season. Eastern Michigan closes out the regular season taking on Iowa State, Feb. 17, at 1 p.m.
Kent State:
A big weekend lies ahead for Kent State wrestling fans as the Golden Flashes host archrival Ohio Friday at 7 p.m. and Clarion Sunday at 2 p.m. Coming off a sixth place finish at the Virginia Duals, Kent State (4-3) looks to move to 2-0 in Mid-American Conference duals Friday. The Flashes are ranked No. 18 according to Wrestling Insider NewsMagazine.
Live video of both duals can be seen on MAC-sports.com and live audio streams for both duals can be heard on Golden Flashes Radio on iHeartRadio.
The Rivalry: Kent State has faced Ohio more than any other opponent. The series dates back to 1929 and escalated into a rivalry just a few years later after Bobcat graduate Joe Begala took over as Kent State's head coach. Kent State leads the all-time series with Ohio 44-23 and has won the last eight meetings. Last season, the Golden Flashes claimed a 23-9 victory in Athens. Wins by current Flashes included Stevie Mitcheff (Lorain, Ohio), Casey Newburg (Union, Ohio) and Keith Witt (Oak Harbor, Ohio).
The Flashes have also started to develop a non-conference rivalry with Clarion. Last season, the Golden Eagles led the Flashes 16-14 in Clarion, before Kent State took the last four bouts in a 30-16 road win. Clarion leads the series 12-9, but the Flashes have won the last eight meetings, dating back to 2001.
Success at Home and in Conference Competition: The Flashes have won 17 of their last 20 dual meets at the M.A.C. Center, including a 30-6 victory over Ohio in 2011 and a 44-6 win over Clarion in 2011 during that run. In its only home dual this season, Kent State claimed a decisive 29-9 victory over Northern Illinois.
Since the 2008-09 season, Kent State has gone 19-2 in conference duals. Since the 2005-06 season, the Golden Flashes have not lost a MAC dual to a team other than Central Michigan, going 28-0-1 against the combination of Northern Illinois, Buffalo, Ohio and Eastern Michigan.
The Competition: Ohio is 3-1 in duals this season with conference victories over Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois. The Bobcats finished seventh in a star-studded, 24-team field at the Southern Scuffle two weeks ago. Four different Bobcats placed in the top seven.
Clarion is coming off a 25-16 victory over Michigan State last weekend, taking six matches, including two wins over top 20 opponents.
Dominant is an Understatement: Kent State’s 2011 national champion Dustin Kilgore (Berea, Ohio) added another award to his ever-growing pile Wednesday, when he was named Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week for the second time this season. Kilgore went 5-0 at the Virginia Duals with four pins and a forfeit.
None of Kilgore's opponents even made it to the third period this past weekend, including Arizona State’s Jake Meredith, who is No. 5 in this week’s Amateur Wrestling News Poll. Kilgore helped the Golden Flashes to dual wins over Arizona State, VMI and No. 25 Old Dominion. The Flashes' career-victory leader extended his NCAA winning streak to 46 matches and ran his season pin total to 11.
Now 27-0, Kilgore has 20 bonus-point victories this season. He has defeated three different opponents that are ranked in the Top 5 and has the highest pound-for-pound rating of any wrestler in the nation according to Takedown Wrestling.
In addition to his 162 career victories, Kilgore is closing in on the Golden Flashes’ career pins record. His 43 falls are just three shy of Kent State’s career leader Jim Swetter. The 2011 MAC Wrestler of the Year also carries a 56-match winning streak in dual meets. In career MAC duals, Kilgore is 16-0 with six pins.
Projected Lineups
Friday Kent State vs. Ohio
125 – Tyler Heminger (4-2) or KeVon Powell (3-7) vs. No. 32 Stevie Mitcheff (19-9)
133 – Joe Munos (1-7) or Garrett Garness (0-5) vs. Mack McGuire (17-12)
141 – Kagan Squire (9-12) vs. Luke Kern (8-13) or Kyle Bauer (13-13)
149 – Andrew Romanchik (10-7) vs. Nick Carr (20-9)
157 – No. 27 Sparty Chino (16-7) vs. Tommy Sasfy (11-10)
165 – No. 29 Harrison Hightower (16-11) vs. Caleb Marsh (14-6)
174 – No. 16 Cody Walters (23-2) vs. Sam Wheeler (17-8)
184 – Ryan Garringer (13-11) or Cody Rodgers (11-8) vs. No. 17 Casey Newburg (25-4)
197 – No. 28 Phil Wellington (15-9) vs. No. 1 Dustin Kilgore (27-0)
285 – No. 17 Jeremy Johnson (22-7) vs. No. 31 Keith Witt (11-11)
Sunday Kent State vs. Clarion
125 – Tyler Fraley (8-8) vs. No. 32 Stevie Mitcheff (19-9)
133 – Joe Waltko (11-12) vs. Mack McGuire (17-12)
141 – Devin Cook (7-7) or John Matacic (9-7) or Sam Sherlock (9-6) vs. Luke Kern (8-13) or Kyle Bauer (13-13)
149 – Tyler Bedelyon (13-9) vs. Nick Carr (20-9)
157 – No. 5 James Fleming (21-2) vs. Tommy Sasfy (11-10)
165 – Nick Milano (3-11) vs. Caleb Marsh (14-6)
174 – Ryan Darch (5-11) vs. Sam Wheeler (17-8)
184 – Steven Cressley (7-12) vs. No. 17 Casey Newburg (25-4)
197 – Justin Ortega (13-9) vs. No. 1 Dustin Kilgore (27-0)
285 – Phil Catrucco (17-13) vs. No. 31 Keith Witt (11-11)
Rankings according to WrestlingReport.com
Missouri:
No. 7 Tigers Host Central Michigan, North Dakota St. in Inaugural MAC Match
Top-ranked heavyweight Dom Bradley leads the Missouri Tigers into their first-ever Mid-American Conference dual meet this weekend at the Hearnes Center.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The No.7-ranked Missouri Tigers play host to No. 12 Central Michigan and North Dakota St., January 19 and 20, at the Hearnes Center on Mizzou Wrestling Alumni Weekend. The Tigers hold a flawless dual record of 7-0, including wins over nationally ranked Bloomsburg and Cornell earlier this year. Sunday's dual with Central Michigan marks the school's first conference match as a member of the Mid-American Conference in wrestling.
Senior Dom Bradley moved into the No. 1 ranking at 285 pounds after defeating Minnesota's Tony Nelson in the New Year's Day Southern Scuffle tournament held in Chattanooga, Tenn. Bradley earned a 2-1 decision in overtime over the No. 2-ranked grappler. With 14 takedowns in dual matches and a team-high 22 victories, Bradley is enjoying his strongest season in a Tiger singlet. He is set to face another top-10 wrestler in Central Michigan's Jarod Trice on Sunday afternoon.
Five Tiger wrestlers will take on nationally ranked wrestlers this weekend. No.7-ranked senior captain Nathan McCormick (20-2) is coming off of a third place finish in the Southern Scuffle at 133 pounds. He'll look to continue his strong campaign against Central Michigan's eighth-ranked Scotti Sentes on Sunday. Senior Mike Larson (19-5) continues his quiet surge up the national rankings at 184 pounds. The sixth-ranked Larson will grapple with No. 2 Ben Bennett of Central Michigan. Bennett is undefeated on the year.
Missouri and Central Michigan enter Sunday's dual as the top two ranked teams in the MAC, according to the MAC wrestling coaches January Rankings. The Chippewas have won 11 consecutive MAC championships dating back to 2001. Central Michigan is coming off of a 3-1 turn as a team at the Virginia Duals last weekend in Hampton, VA. The North Dakota State Bison hail from the Western Wrestling Conference and enter the weekend as the league's top ranked squad.
Missouri's match against North Dakota St. will begin on Saturday, January 19 at 6:30 p.m. They will finish the weekend against No. 12 Central Michigan on Sunday, January 20 at 1:00 p.m. Saturday is Boy Scout Appreciation Night. Any patron wearing a Boy Scouts uniform will be admitted free. Sunday is Military Appreciation Day. The first 300 people in the Hearnes Center will receive a camouflage Mizzou Wrestling t-shirt.
Here are Missouri's projected starting lineups for this weekend's matches.
No. 7 Missouri vs. North Dakota St.
125 - No. 2 Alan Waters, Jr., (16-0)/Boomer Boyd, RFr., (13-7) vs. No. 6 Trent Sprenkle, Sr., (20-2)
133 - No. 7 Nathan McCormick, Sr., (20-2) vs. Josh Rodriguez, Fr., (18-10)
141 - No. 29 Nicholas Hucke, Sr., (7-7)/ Trevor Jauch, RFr., (21-6)/Eric Wilson, Sr., (14-5) vs. Mark Erickson, Sr., (13-11)
149 - No. 15 Drake Houdashelt, Soph., (16-7) vs. Joe Garner, Sr., (13-11)
157 - No. 20 Kyle Bradley, Jr., (16-8) vs. Hayden Zillmer, R-Fr., (9-8)/Anthony Caputo, R-Fr., (2-2)
165 - No. 10 Zach Toal, Jr., (16-8) vs. No. 6 Steven Monk, Jr., (24-3)
174 - No. 15 Todd Porter, Sr., (19-6) vs. Kurtis Julson, So., (11-11)
184 - No. 6 Mike Larson, Sr., (19-5)/Johnny Eblen, Soph., (19-3) vs. No. 19 Mac Stoll, Sr., (12-7)/Kody Sorenson, R-Fr., (9-3)
197 - No. 11 Brent Haynes, Sr., (20-4) vs. Kallen Kleinschmidt, Sr., (8-10)
HWT - No. 1 Dom Bradley, Sr., (22-0)/Devin Mellon, Soph., (21-3) vs. Evan Knutson, So., (11-11)/John Gusewelle, So., (9-11)
No. 7 Missouri vs. No. 12 Central Michigan
125 - No. 2 Alan Waters, Jr., (16-0)/Boomer Boyd, RFr., (13-7) vs. No. 9 Christian Cullinan (14-5)/Joe Roth (13-3)
133 - No. 7 Nathan McCormick, Sr., (20-2) vs. No. 8 Scotti Sentes (10-4)/Tyler Keslering (18-4)
141 - No. 29 Nicholas Hucke, Sr., (7-7)/ Trevor Jauch, RFr., (21-6)/Eric Wilson, Sr., (14-5) vs. Scott Mattingly (13-11)
149 - No. 15 Drake Houdashelt, Soph., (16-7) vs. Donnie Corby (12-8)
157 - No. 20 Kyle Bradley, Jr., (16-8) vs. Lucas Smith (12-6)
165 - No. 10 Zach Toal, Jr., (16-8) vs. Mike Ottinger (11-13)/Dakota Cooley (14-10)
174 - No. 15 Todd Porter, Sr., (19-6) vs. No. 20 Craig Kelliher (17-8)/Anthony Bill (7-10)
184 - No. 6 Mike Larson, Sr., (19-5)/Johnny Eblen, Soph., (19-3) vs. No. 2 Ben Bennett (14-0)
197 - No. 11 Brent Haynes, Sr., (20-4) vs. Jackson Lewis (9-13)
HWT - No. 1 Dom Bradley, Sr., (22-0)/Devin Mellon, Soph., (21-3) vs. No. 6 Jarod Trice (13-1)
GAME NOTES: The Tigers have yet to surrender more than 3 points in a home dual meet this season. Missouri wrestling will host a bevy of former Tiger wrestlers for Mizzou Wrestling Alumni Weekend. Among those expected to attend are Chris and Tyler McCormick and current mixed-martial arts fighter Michael Chandler. Chandler is scheduled to defend his lightweight title in the Bellator Fighting Championship on January 17. These alumni will be honored before Sunday's dual against Central Michigan.
WHAT'S NEXT: Following this weekend's duals, Missouri will continue their march through the MAC slate. The Tigers will travel to Dekalb, Ill., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, next weekend for a trio of conference dual meets against Eastern Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Northern Iowa. For all the latest on Missouri wrestling, follow us on Twitter account (@MizzouWrestling) and right here on MUTigers.com
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Mark your calendars for the annual Beauty and the Beast event at the Hearnes Center on February 1! The event will showcase a much-anticipated dual against former Big 12 rival and the No. 2-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys. Missouri's Gymnastics program will face off against SEC foe Auburn during the event.
Northern Illinois:
Northern Illinois Takes on No. 12 Central Michigan Friday
Huskies and Chippewas to meet for 39th time
DEKALB, Ill. - The Northern Illinois wrestling team continues their mid-season home stand Friday when they match up with conference power and 12th-ranked Central Michigan.
The meet, which is NIU's second of five consecutive duals at home, starts at 7 p.m. in Victor E. Court.
"Central is a well-coached program that has built a tradition of success in this conference," said NIU head coach Ryan Ludwig. "They wrestle well within a system that they have bought into. "
The Huskies will look to end their skid against MAC schools Friday after falling to Ohio, 32-13, on Jan. 11. Despite wins by Derek Elmore, Nick Smith and Kevin Fanta, Northern could not stop the Bobcats, who registered four pins in the match.
On the other side of the mat, CMU has an 8-3 record and 2-0 MAC mark to go along with their No. 12 national ranking in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches' Poll. The Chippewas come to DeKalb after taking third place at last weekend's Virginia Duals, notching wins over Rider, North Dakota State and No. 16 Edinboro to go along with a loss to No. 9 Virginia.
Individually, five CMU wrestlers are currently in InterMat's Top 20 rankings. That group includes 2012 MAC champion and All-American Ben Bennett (2nd, 184 pounds), 2011 All-American Jarod Trice (6th, 285), Scotti Sentes (7th, 133), Christian Cullinan (9th, 125) and Craig Kelliher (20th, 174).
For NIU to have a shot of knocking off the Chippewas, Ludwig believes the Huskies have to be aggressive and maintain their techniques.
"Good things happen in wrestling matches when you attack with solid and familiar techniques and wrestle to improve your position at all times," he said.
PROJECTED LINEUP
Northern Illinois Huskies
125: Derek Elmore
133: Nick Smith
141: Kevin Fanta OR Tyler Argue
149: Rob Jillard OR Shawn Fayette
157: Andrew Morse
165: Dan Burk OR Sam Bennett
174: Matt Mougin OR Caleb Busson
184: Bryan Loughlin
197: Parker Settecase OR Arber Bebo
285: Jared Torrence OR Arthur Bunce
Central Michigan Chippewas
125: #9 Christian Cullinan OR Joe Roth
133: #7 Scotti Sentes OR Tyler Keslering
141: Scott Mattingly
149: Donnie Corby
157: Lucas Smith
165: Mike Ottinger OR Dakota Cooley
174: #20 Craig Kelliher OR Anthony Bill
184: #2 Ben Bennett
197: Jackson Lewis
285: #6 Jarod Trice
History Against The Chippewas: The Huskies and Chippewas will meet on the mat for the 39th time since 1969 Friday night, with Central Michigan holding a 24-12-2 advantage on NIU in the series. NIU has dropped the last nine meetings against CMU and will be looking for their first win against the Chippewas since Jan. 31, 2003, when they upset 13th-ranked CMU, 16-15, in DeKalb. Last season, NIU lost a 24-9 decision against Central.
Nine Place at Flash Flanagan: NIU had nine wrestlers finish on the podium Saturday at the Flash Flanagan Open in Dubuque, Iowa. Among them was Nick Harrison, who won the 125 pounds bracket by beating teammate Braun Marquez in a 4-2 decision. Additionally, Matt Smith (157) and Trace Engelkes (165) also took second.
Torrence's Tough Schedule: Of all the Huskie wrestlers this season, arguably no one has had a more daunting schedule than Jared Torrence. Thus far, the redshirt junior from Norwalk, Ohio, has faced four 2012 NCAA qualifiers - Indiana's Adam Chalfant, Michigan State's Mike McClure, Ohio's Jeremy Johnson and Kent State's Keith Whitt. Yet, he will face three opponents ranked in the Top 10 nationally - No. 1 Dom Bradley (Missouri), No. 6 Jarod Trice (CMU) and No. 9 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) - before season's end.
Top 25 Tilts: Friday's dual marks the start of a stretch where the Huskies face three opponents ranked in the NWCA/USA Today's Top 25. Following a matchup with No. 12 Central Michigan, NIU faces No. 7 Missouri (along with Eastern Michigan) on Jan. 26, then wraps up that stretch with a Feb. 8 Senior Day showdown with No. 21 Northwestern.
Staying Instate: NIU's travel budget will be light for the next month, as the Huskies will leave the state of Illinois just once between Dec. 29 and Feb. 8. In that span NIU will have four home meets, in addition to trips to Evanston and Edwardsville.
Up Next: The Huskies close out January with a triangular against No. 7 Missouri and Eastern Michigan Saturday, Jan. 26. The meet begins at 1 p.m. with NIU taking on EMU, followed by NIU and Missouri at 5 p.m.
Northern Iowa:
UNI Wrestling to Defend Home Dual Record Against Oklahoma
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa –The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team will draw inspiration from an Olympic gold medalist when the Panthers defend their undefeated home record against No. 13 Oklahoma Friday.
BILL SMITH HONORED: Bill Smith, a former UNI wrestler, will be honored at the meet for his achievements. He is the United States' oldest living Olympic wrestling gold medalist. Smith captured the gold medal in the 160.5 pound weight class at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. Smith is the only Olympic champion in UNI's history.
"What Bill accomplished as a Panther wrestler is one of the greatest athletic accomplishments that this university has ever seen,” UNI head wrestling coach Doug Schwab said.
Smith was an NCAA national champion for the Panther wrestling squad in 1949 and 1950. He compiled a mark of 52-0-1 as a Panther collegiate wrestler. In 1950, he helped then Iowa Teachers College (now UNI) to the national team title hosted in Cedar Falls in the West Gym. Smith also captured three National AAU Freestyle national titles at 165 pounds (1949, 1950 and 1951).
UNI – OKLAHOMA SERIES: UNI has faced Oklahoma 12 times since 1926 and won five of those matchups. The Sooners have never beaten the Panthers in a dual at UNI. The series breakdown:
• 1926 at UNI, 26.5-9.5 (UNI)
• 1948 at UNI, 19-11 (UNI)
• 1949 at OU, 22-6 (UNI)
• 1950 at UNI, 24-5 (UNI)
• 1951 at OU, 20-8 (OU)
• 1952 at OU, 8-19 (OU)
• 1984 at OU, 29-11 (OU)
• 1986 at Virginia Duals, 28-24 (OU)
• 1988 at Virginia Duals, 21-16 (UNI)
• 1997 at OU, 27-3 (OU)
• 2001 at Texas Duals, 23-15 (OU)
• 2002 at OU, 31-6 (OU)
UNI’S SEASON (3-2): The Panthers are undefeated at home this season with wins over Ellsworth and Iowa Western community colleges. The team has outscored opponents 173-58 in duals. UNI was a point shy of scoring an all-time high with its 56-0 win over Iowa Western. The team is ranked third in the Mid-American Conference and 27th in the nation by Intermat. With two medalists at the Midlands Championships, the team placed 13th overall.
OKLAHOMA’S SEASON (5-3): Oklahoma has not won an individual dual meet on the road this season. They did pick up two wins at the Northeast Duals. The Sooners are 5-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12 Conference. With two individual champions, (Kendric Maple and Patrick (Bubby) Graham), the team placed third at Midlands. Oklahoma is ranked 13th by Amateur Wrestling News.
THE MATCHUPS (UNI vs. OU):
• 125 – Ryan Jauch (2-3/2-1) vs. Kyle Garcia (9-8/3-5):
After wrestling in the 133-pound weight class for the last couple of years, Jauch has moved down to 125 for his senior year. His fastest pin this year was in 1:31.
Jauch faces Kyle Garcia, a freshman from Oklahoma. Garcia was a four-time state champion in Oklahoma. He was voted wrestler of the year in high school.
• 133 – Levi Wolfensperger (16-4/5-0) vs. Cody Brewer (14-4/6-2):
UNI’s Wolfensperger is ranked 9th by Amateur Wrestling News, one spot ahead of Brewer. Wolfensperger, a sophomore, is a returning NCAA national qualifier for the Panthers and placed fourth at the Cliff Keen Invite earlier this year. He is undefeated in dual meets. Currently, he is ranked third in the Mid-American Conference and 12th by Intermat.
Freshman Cody Brewer was a three-time state champion in Missouri before starting at Oklahoma. He finished third at the 2010 Junior Freestyle Nationals.
• 141 – Joey Lazor (21-6/4-1) vs. Kendric Maple (17-0/7-0):
Joey Lazor is wrestling extremely well for UNI right now. Coach Schwab has singled out Lazor as being an example for the team. “He is wrestling really well right now,” said Schwab. “He is being aggressive and taking what he wants. We want to see that in the rest of the team.” Injury kept Lazor, a junior, out of the Panther lineup last year, but he has been an integral part of the UNI team this year. He placed seventh at the Midlands Championships and has lost just one dual match.
Lazor will challenge the top-ranked wrestler in the nation at 141 pounds, Kendric Maple. Maple was this week’s Big 12 Wrestler for the third time this season. In dual competitions, he leads the Sooners in most-points scored (34), pins (3) and near falls (7). He placed fourth last year at the NCAA national meet. Maple lost just three matches last year. He has won Midlands two years in a row and was named outstanding wrestler at last year’s tournament. In the 2011-12 season, he topped all Sooners with 72 takedowns and 23 near falls in dual action.
• 149 – Bart Reiter (8-2/4-0) vs. Nick Lester (11-5/4-3):
Injury slowed Reiter’s start to the season, but he has been healthy and an asset to the Panther lineup since returning. He is undefeated in dual matches this season. Three of his dual wins were pins, and the fourth was by technical fall. He has lost just two matches this season in tournaments.
Nick Lester moved up in the national rankings this week to No. 10. Lester placed fifth at this year’s Midlands. He was fourth at last year’s Midlands Championships and third at the 2012 Big 12 Championships. He is a returning NCAA national qualifier for the Sooners.
• 157 – David Bonin (17-4/4-1) vs. Matt Lester (12-4/4-2):
Bonin is a returning NCAA national qualifier for UNI. He holds the top ranking in the MAC at 157 pounds. He has held a national ranking for the majority of the year and lost just one dual match. “It all came down to one position,” Schawb said of his dual loss. “He got caught in a position and didn’t quite recover. The score doesn’t show how close that match really was.” Bonin won the UNI Open, was second at the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open and placed fifth at the Cliff Keen Invite.
Bonin, a senior, will face Matt Lester, who is ranked 15th in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News. He finished seventh at Midlands for the Sooners. He is a returning NCAA national qualifier and placed second at the 2012 Big 12 Conference Championships. Last year, he led the Sooners with seven reversals in dual action.
• 165 – Jarrett Jensen (12-8/4-1) or Riley Banach (9-7/0-0) or Kyle Lux (6-5) (0-0) vs. Patrick (Bubby) Graham (14-2/6-2):
Jensen, a redshirt freshman, has been in the UNI lineup for all of UNI’s dual meets this season. He has lost just one of those matches. He is the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open champion.
Riley Banach (9-7) placed third at the Cobber Open and fifth last weekend at the Flash Flanagan Open. He is a sophomore.
Lux, a redshirt freshman, has the team’s fastest pin this season (37 seconds). He took third at last weekend’s Flash Flanagan Open.
Graham is ranked fourth in the nation. He won the Midlands Championships for Oklahoma and is a returning NCAA national qualifier. Last year, he upset the No. 8 seed at nationals. The senior was a two-year starter for American University before joining the Sooners.
• 174 – Cody Caldwell (21-4/5-0) vs. Matt Reed (12-8/4-4):
Caldwell is undefeated in dual matches. He was seventh at the Cliff Keen Invite in Las Vegas, Nev. He has the second fastest pin on the team this season with 1:02 and has outscored opponents 80-16. Caldwell, a redshirt freshman, won the UNI Open and the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open.
Oklahoma will wrestle Matt Reed, a freshman. Reed only lost two matches in his last three years of prep wrestling in Kansas. He won the state championship his junior and senior years with an undefeated record.
• 184 – Ryan Loder (19-3/4-0) vs. Nolan McBryde (3-4/0-2):
Loder has been nationally ranked all season. He is one of four returning NCAA national qualifiers for UNI. Amateur Wrestling News has ranked him ninth in the nation, while Intermat puts him at sixth. He has given up just nine points all season to opponents (79-9). Loder’s career record (84-20) is the sixth highest winning percentage among all UNI Panthers who have had at least 50 wins and competed at least two seasons in Division I. He consistently has been UNI’s top place winner at competitive tournaments, winning the UNI Open, placing third at the Cliff Keen Invite and taking fourth at the Midlands Championships.
Loder will wrestle Oklahoma’s McBryde. The junior was 1-7 in dual action last year and finished sixth at the 2012 Lone Star Duals.
• 197 – Blaize Cabell (8-8/0-2) or A.J. McBroom (3-9/0-2) vs. Brad Johnson (8-8/3-4):
Cabell and McBroom are both redshirt freshmen and have wrestled two dual meets each for the Panthers. McBroom was third at the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open. Cabell was second at the William Penn Open.
Brad Johnson of Oklahoma is a freshman. He won the state tournament in Illinois as a prep wrestler his senior year. As a prep wrestler, he was ranked ninth by Intermat in the 195-pound weight class.
• 285 – Blayne Beale (9-6/2-2) or Cody Krumwiede (14-9/0-1) vs. Keldrick Hall (7-10/2-5):
Beale, a senior, is one of four returning NCAA national qualifiers for UNI. He has wrestled the majority of the duals for the Panthers this season. He got fourth at the UNI Open, his first meet of the season.
Cody Krumwiede, a redshirt freshman, is the William Penn Open champion. He was second at the Finn Grinaker Cobber Open and UNI Open and fifth at the Flash Flannagan Open.
Keldrick Hall, a senior, was third at last year’s Big 12 Conference Championships and upset two ranked wrestlers last year. He redshirted his freshman year.
Ohio:
Bobcats Face Tough Tests This Weekend
Ohio travels to No. 18 Kent State and No. 20 Bloomsburg
ATHENS, Ohio - The No. 28 Ohio University Wrestling team (4-3; 2-1 MAC) will hit the road this weekend for a pair of matchups. The Bobcats will open the weekend with a conference meeting against No. 18 Kent State on Friday beginning at 7 p.m. before heading to Pennslyvania to face No. 20 Bloomsburg on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Ohio enters the match after posting a convincing 32-13 victory over Northern Illinois this past Friday on the road to capture its second straight conference victory. Sophomore Andrew Romanchik (Independence, Ohio), redshirt sophomore Harrison Hightower (Strongsville, Ohio) and redshirt junior Ryan Garringer (Downers Grove, Ill.) all logged pins for the Bobcats as they posted their largest margin of victory this season.
Individually, IntermatWrestle.com ranked Ohio's Cody Walters (174) and Jeremy Johnson (Heavyweight) in the Top 20 of their respective weight classes. Walters, who owns a 23-2 mark is ranked No. 17, while Johnson, who sports an impressive 22-7 record is ranked No. 15.
Kent State (4-3) comes into Friday's match after placing sixth at the Virginia Duals. KSU will look to move to 2-0 in Mid-American Conference duals. The Flashes feature four nationally-ranked individuals, including No. 1-ranked Dustin Kilgore (27-0) at 197.
In last year's meeting, the Bobcats dropped a 23-9 decision at home to the Flashes. Friday's night's match with Kent State will mark the 68th overall meeting between the two teams. The Flashes hold the all-time series lead 44-23 and have claimed the last eight matches.
Bloomsburg enters Sunday's meeting after it swept both of their matches this past Sunday at the Pitt Duals, beating No. 12 Pitt, 19-18 and Eastern Michigan, 24-9. Bloomsburg is 10-2 on the season, with a 2-1 mark at Nelson Field House.
The Huskies defeated Ohio a year ago, 25-6, in Athens, but the Bobcats still lead the all-time series with Bloomsburg, 5-4.
Ohio Projected Weekend Lineup
125: Tyler Heminger (4-2) or KeVon Powell (3-7)
133: Joe Munos (1-7) or Garret Garness (0-5)
141: Kagan Squire (9-12)
149: Andrew Romanchik (10-7)
157: Sparty Chino (16-7)
165: Harrison Hightower (16-11)
174: Cody Walters (23-2)
184: Ryan Garringer (13-11) or Cody Rodgers (11-8)
197: Phil Wellington (15-9)
HWT: Jeremy Johnson (22-7)