Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Begin MAC Schedule
1/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 28, 2003
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MOUNT PLEASANT -- The Central Michigan University wrestling team (8-2, 0-0 Mid-American Conference), ranked 17th in the NWCA coaches poll, begins its MAC schedule this week with two duals.
The Chippewas take on Northern Illinois on Friday, Jan. 31, in DeKalb, Illinois. The dual is set to take place in the Convocation Center at 7 p.m. CST. CMU will then host Eastern Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 2 in Rose Arena at 2 p.m.
The Huskies enter the dual with a 1-1 record in the MAC after falling to Kent State,18-14, and defeating Ohio last weekend, 20-14. They are 9-6 overall. Northern Illinois finished second in both the MAC regular season and tournament last season. It was picked by the MAC coaches to finish third this season. This season the Huskies are 1-5 against ranked opponents with the victory being over Ohio State at the Buckeye Duals.
Eastern Michigan evened its overall record up last weekend to 7-7 with victories over Franklin & Marshall, 31-10, and Duquesne, 24-19. The Eagles are winless in MAC competition, going 0-2 so far this season. They have lost to Ohio, 31-6, and Kent State, 21-15. EMU finished last in the both MAC regular season and tournament last year, and were picked by the MAC coaches to finish there again this season.
SERIES INFORMATION: CMU is 21-21-2 all-time against Northern Illinois. CMU gave Northern its lone loss in the conference last year, 18-14. In that dual, CMU jumped out to a 15-3 lead to defeat the Huskies, who used a late charge to close the gap. CMU's last loss to NIU came in 1989, 21-15. Head coach Tom Borrelli has never lost to the Huskies in his 12-year career.
The Chippewas hold a 44-9-1 record all-time against Eastern Michigan. They defeated the Eagles last season, 45-6. The last time CMU lost to Eastern was in 1991, 17-16. EMU is another team that coach Borrelli has never lost to during this time at CMU.
HEAD COACH TOM BORRELLI ON BEGINNING MAC SEASON: "I think that this season five team have the opportunity to win the MAC Championship. Even though Kent State has the early lead, Ohio, Northern Illinois, Buffalo and us all have a great shot at winning the conference because of the parity we have this year. Our conference continues to grow stronger and stronger each season.
"Northern Illinois is a team that has a lot of veteran experience on the squad with six seniors wrestling. I know it will be a difficult environment we will have to wrestle in, so the most important thing will be that we stay aggressive. Eastern Michigan has made some great strides the past two season and I think that this is its best team in five years. I know it will come in and wrestle us hard."
FINDLAY RECAP: CMU got back on the winning track on Saturday, Jan. 25, with a win at Division II-foe Findlay, 32-8.
The dual started at 197 pounds where Brett Faustman (Mason/Sr.) secured a victory in overtime. CMU took a commanding 12-0 lead after a pin at heavyweight by Bill Stouffer (Lowell/So.) and a decision by Kyle Stoffer (Olmsted Falls, Ohio/Fr.) at 125, 4-2. All-American Joey Simco got the Oilers on the board with a technical fall at 133, 17-1.
CMU responded with a technical fall of its own at 141 by top-ranked Jason Mester (Mineral Point, Wis./Jr.), 20-5. Ty Morgan (Huber Heights, Ohio/Jr.) then defeated returning national champion Waylon Lowe at 149, 7-5. CMU won the next three weight classes before Findlay picked up the final match of the dual at 184. Winning were: David Bolyard (Akron, Ohio/So.) by pin at 157; Kevin Carr (Warsaw, Ind./Jr.) at 165; and Mitch Hancock (Royal Oak/So.) at 174.
BORRELLI ON THE FINDLAY: "I thought that we came out and wrestled aggressively against them. I think one of the important things about our team this year is that we wrestle aggressively. It was a good dual for us to get back on our feet after the National Duals and prepare ourselves for the MAC schedule."
NUMBER ONE: With his two victories at the national duals, Jason Mester has earned the number one ranking by InterMat. He is also ranked seventh by Amateur Wrestling News and sixth by The Wrestling Mall. He was named the MAC "Wrestler of the Week" last week for his performance at National Duals. It is the second time this season he has won the award.
Mester ran his undefeated record to 14-0 with his victory over the weekend. He picked up victories over fifth-ranked Gabe Vigil of Boise State, 9-2, and 11th-ranked Luke Moffitt of Iowa, 11-1, at National Duals to earn the top ranking. Five of his victories have come over ranked opponents including previously second-ranked Nate Parker of Oklahoma at the Missouri Open.
