Central Michigan University Athletics
Wrestling Ranked Sixth After Second-Place Finish at Midlands
1/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 4, 2006
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MOUNT PLEASANT -- Central Michigan University head wrestling coach Tom Borrelli is cautiously optimistic about what the 2006 portion of the schedule has in store for his young Chippewas.
"I'm happy with where we are as a team," Borrelli said. "I think we have a big upside in terms of how young we are. We have a lot of potential for success down the road."
CMU closed out 2005 with a runner-up showing at Midlands, the best team finish in the program's history at the event. Sophomore Wynn Michalak, the top-ranked 197-pounder in the country, won an individual title to lead a contingent of eight Chippewas finishing in the top seven. Of those eight, five are freshmen or sophomores.
"I was happy with the way we wrestled, particularly in the placing rounds," Borrelli said. "We've talked a lot about focusing on not being satisfied with making the placing rounds and being more persistent in trying to place higher.
"I liked how we competed, but I felt like a few things could have gone differently during the tournament to allow us to win the championship," he added.
CMU climbed to No. 6 in this week's NWCA/InterMat poll by virtue of its showing at Midlands, the highest the program has ever climbed in the national rankings. With runner-up finishes at Reno and Midlands, the 2005 Chippewas are beginning to garner attention on a national level. Still, Borrelli stresses his young lineup has plenty of room to grow and improve.
"We're still a work in progress," Borrelli said. "We probably won't know until the end of the year how good we really are."
CMU is off this weekend, returning to action at the National Duals on Jan. 14-15 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It marks the third straight tournament on the Chippewas' schedule that will feature a national field. Borrelli anticipates using the extra prep time to take care of some fine-tuning with his team.
"I'm really happy with how the schedule has worked out for us," Borrelli said. "We're going to use this time to get in some good training and get in some individual work that we think we need."
Michalak Named MAC Wrestler of the Week: Sophomore Wynn Michalak was named MAC Wrestler of the Week on the heels of his championship run at Midlands over the weekend. Michalak won four straight matches to claim the individual title at 197 and extend his record to 18-0 this season.
Michalak earned the honor for the second time in three weeks. He was also tabbed as wrestler of the week after winning five matches en route to the 197-pound championship at the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 18.
Run at the Record: Wynn Michalak's current 18-match winning streak is tied for the ninth-longest at CMU. David Bolyard holds the record with 21 straight wins last season. Michalak is tied with former Chippewa standouts, and current members of the coaching staff, Casey Cunningham and Mitch Hancock.
Leading the Pack: Wynn Michalak, ranked first in the nation at 197, is the first Chippewa to be ranked first in his weight class since Jason Mester during the 2002-03 season. Mester was the top-ranked 141-pounder for two weeks during his junior season, in which he earned All-America honors by finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships.
Mr. Automatic: Sophomore 197-pounder Wynn Michalak ran his record to 18-0 this season en route to his individual title at Midlands over the weekend. Seven of Michalak's 18 wins this year have been by fall; in the other 11, Michalak has won by an average score of 8.9-2.0. An All-American as a redshirt freshman last season, Michalak is 52-10 with 18 falls in his college career.
Gazing into the Crystal Ball: CMU's runner-up showing at Midlands was its fourth top-five finish at the event since 1998. On the previous three occasions, the Chippewas' success at Midlands foreshadowed a solid team performance at the NCAA Championships. During the 1997-98 season, CMU finished fifth at Midlands at fifth at nationals. In 1998-99, the Chippewas followed a third-place finish at Midlands with a seventh at the NCAA Championships. Last year, CMU took fourth at Midlands and 12th at nationals.
Bright Future: Eight Chippewas placed in the top seven in their respective weight classes at Midlands. Of those eight, five are either freshmen or sophomores. A look at who finished where:
Name Weight Place YearWynn Michalak 197 1st SophomoreMark DiSalvo 149 2nd SeniorJason Borrelli 133 3rd SeniorLuke Smith 125 3rd SeniorBrandon Carter 141 5th SophomoreEric Kruger 141 6th FreshmanAndy Keller 157 7th JuniorMatt Steintrager 125 7th FreshmanSolid Second: Senior Mark DiSalvo finished runner-up in the 149-pound bracket at Midlands, marking the second straight tournament in which he has placed second. The 2005 All-American, who is ranked fifth in this week's NWCA/InterMat poll, fell to 2004 national champ Cliff Moore (Hawkeye Training Club), 6-4, in the championship bout at Midlands. At Reno, DiSalvo dropped a tough 7-6 decision to No. 1 Zack Esposito (Oklahoma State), with riding time accounting for the decisive point. DiSalvo is 12-3 overall this season, including 8-2 in tournament action.
Coming Up: The Chippewas are back in action Jan. 14-15, competing in the National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. CMU opens the MAC schedule on Jan. 29, visiting Eastern Michigan. The Chippewas' next appearance in Rose Arena is slated for Feb. 10 against Northern Illinois.
