Central Michigan University Athletics
Wrestling Finishes Another Successful Season
3/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 25, 2003
MOUNT PLEASANT -- The Central Michigan University wrestling team (13-3, 4-1 Mid-American Conference) ended its season last weekend with 141-pounder Jason Mester (Mineral Point, Wis./Jr.) earning All-America honors with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Mester became CMU's first wrestling All-American since 2000.
The championships took place in Kansas City, Mo., in Kemper Arena from March 20-22.
Along with Mester's All-America honors, CMU added to its storied history this season with numerous accomplishments. CMU won its fifth-straight MAC Regular Season Championship and its fifth MAC tournament in six years. In the MAC tournament, three CMU athletes won individual titles: Kyle Stoffer (Olmsted Falls, Ohio/Fr.) at 125; Jason Mester (Mineral Point, Wis./Jr.) at 141; and Brett Faustman (Mason/Sr.) at 197. CMU also had all 10 of its wrestlers place in the top three in the tournament, the lone MAC team to do so. Stoffer was named the MAC "Freshman of the Year," and head coach Tom Borrelli was named MAC "Coach of the Year." In the 13 years the MAC "Freshman of the Year" award has been handed out, CMU has won it six times, and this is the fifth time Borrelli has won the MAC "Coach of the Year," tying him with two other coaches for the most ever.
CMU also defeated the other three Division I wrestling teams in Michigan for only the second time ever. CMU opened the season by beating Michigan State in East Lansing, then defeated both Michigan and Eastern Michigan at home. The victory over Michigan was only the second time the Chippewas have defeated the Wolverines. CMU's record of 13-3 is the best since 1993-94 when that squad went 12-2 and the second best record for a Tom Borrelli-coached team. It also ranks as seventh best all-time in CMU history in terms of season win-percentage.
BORRELLI ON SEASON: "Even though we did not finish the season liked we wanted to, overall I am proud of this team and feel that we had another successful season. The things we are proud of are our overall record of 13-3 and the victories over Michigan and Michigan State. This is only the second time in our history that we have beaten all three state programs in the same season, so when this happens it is a big deal.
"I think that the way our team started the season with quality wins over two top 10 teams, a win over top-25 ranked Cleveland State and then going 4-0 out in Oregon, with victories over Oregon and Oregon State, was rewarding. The way we ended the season with big wins over Clarion and Kent State was also important to get some momentum heading into the MAC tournament. Our performance at the MAC tournament is one thing I will always remember because we hosted the tournament and really put on a show for our fans."
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS RECAP: CMU wrestler Jason Mester took fifth place and earned All-America honors with his performance at the NCAA Championships.
Mester, who was seeded fourth entering the tournament, began the tournament by taking on Frank Edgar of Clarion. After defeating Edgar, 3-2, Mester faced Bob Seidel of Virginia in the second round, and defeated Seidel, 7-2, to move on to a match-up in the quarterfinals with defending national champion Aaron Holker of Iowa State.
Mester dominated the match with Holker, winning by major decision, 11-3. He then took on top-seeded Teyon Ware of Oklahoma. The match was tied, 1-1, at the end of regulation, and after a scoreless first overtime, Ware won the coin flip and took bottom, reversing Mester for the win. Mester fell to Scott Moore of Penn State in the consolation semifinals and then defeated Shane Cunanan of West Virginia in the fifth-place match.
Six other CMU wrestlers competed at nationals. Going 1-2 were: Ty Morgan (Huber Heights, Ohio/Jr.) at 149; David Bolyard (Akron, Ohio/So.) at 157; Kevin Carr (Warsaw, Ind./Jr.) at 165; and Brett Faustman at 197. Going 0-2 in the tournament were Kyle Stoffer at 125 and Russ Vanderheyden (Rockton, Ill./So.) at 184.
CMU finished 32nd in the team scoring with 14 points.
JASON MESTER, ALL-AMERICAN: This is the first-time that Mester has been an All-American after qualifying for the national tournament three times. This is the 12th time that a Tom Borrelli-coached wrestler has earned All-American honors. Mester finished his season with a 26-3 record. The .901 wining percentage is the fourth best season win-percentage for a CMU wrestler ever.
LOOKING AHEAD: CMU will return nine starters next season and eight national qualifiers.
The lone wrestler CMU will lose is fifth-year senior Brett Faustman. Faustman won the MAC title at 197 this season and is a two-time national qualifier. CMU will get back MAC champion and national qualifier Jordan Webster (Washington, Ill./Sr.) next year after Webster sat out this season with a knee injury. Also returning for CMU will be Mark DiSalvo (Dayton, Ohio/So.), who was a national qualifier his freshman season at the Virginia Miltary Institute. DiSalvo originally started at CMU and then transferred to VMI, returning to CMU last season and sitting out the season.
