Central Michigan University Athletics
Seventh-Ranked Wrestling Opens MAC Season Against Eastern Michigan
1/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
MOUNT PLEASANT — Central Michigan University opens the Mid-American Conference wrestling season Friday night, hosting Eastern Michigan in Rose Arena at 7:30 p.m.
The Chippewas, ranked seventh nationally in this week’s NWCA/InterMat top 25, will lay a number of impressive conference winning streaks on the line, including 19 straight MAC dual wins and 22 consecutive conference dual victories at home.
None of that will be on the mind of head coach Tom Borrelli, however.
“It’s really important for us to do well in the MAC dual meets because that helps determine seeding at the MAC Championships,” Borrelli said. “And, we want to win the regular season conference championship.”
The Chippewas have claimed eight straight MAC regular season titles. The quest for a ninth begins against EMU, a program that has dropped eight consecutive conference duals over the past three seasons. Derek DelPorto is in his first season as the head coach at EMU after two seasons at his alma mater, Slippery Rock.
“It will be interesting to see the effort and enthusiasm they bring to the match with a new coach,” Borrelli said. “Every MAC team is out to get us. We’re a target, and and we have to be at our best every time we step onto the mat.”
CMU completed its tuneup for the MAC slate by sweeping to a 4-0 record at the Chippewa Challenge on Sunday in Rose Arena. Seventeen different individuals won at least one bout as CMU downed its four opponents by a combined score of 133-22.
“The guys who we feel are the future of our program rarely get to compete in front of our home crowd. Most of the time they are on the road competing in open tournaments,” Borrelli said. “It’s nice to have that opportunity to wrestle some of our back-ups and give them that feeling of wearing the CMU singlet and competing in a dual at home in front of our fans.
“The depth that you saw on Sunday is a big reason for our continued success as a program,” he added.
Following Friday’s dual, CMU closes the regular season by sandwiching home duals with Buffalo and Kent State around road trips to Northern Illinois and Ohio.
Smith Named MAC Wrestler of the Week: Junior 125-pounder Luke Smith won all three of his matches as CMU finished 4-0 at the Chippewa Challenge. He recorded major decisions over Anthony Ciccarelli (15-2, Eastern Illinois) and Cortney Roberts (11-2, Gardner-Webb), then finished the day with a 3-2 decision over No. 18 Tenn.-Chattanooga’s Javier Maldonado. Smith earns the conference’s weekly honor for the second time in his career.
The Dynasty: CMU has won eight consecutive Mid-American Conference titles and five straight MAC Championships titles. The Chippewas have won 43 of their last 44 conference duals, including 19 straight dating back to the 2002-03 season. CMU has won 22 straight MAC duals at Rose Arena.
The Series: CMU leads the all-time series over Eastern Michigan, 48-9-1. The Chippewas have won 15 straight meetings. Eastern Michigan’s last dual win over CMU was a 17-16 victory during the 1990-91 season.
Saving the Best for Last: In CMU’s 12 wins and one tie, its top four weights (174, 184, 197, 285) have posted a combined record of 44-8.
Sealing the Deal: Six times this season, Bubba Gritter has posted a victory in the final match to either secure a win for CMU or tie the team score.
| Date | Opponent | Gritter Result | Final Team Score |
| 1/21/07 | Tenn.-Chattanooga | W, 3-1 decision | W, 21-13 |
| 1/13/07 | Hofstra | W, 10-1 major decision | T, 16-16* |
| 1/13/07 | Oklahoma | W, 8-6 decision | W, 21-15 |
| 1/7/07 | Hofstra | W, 10-2 major decision | T, 18-18 |
| 1/5/07 | Michigan State | W, 10-5 decision | W, 21-14 |
| 12/8/06 | Michigan | W, fall at 6:38 | W, 21-12 |
* Hofstra won 17-16 on tiebreaker G, most team near-fall points.
Rhymes with Pin: Wynn Michalak won 15 matches by pin last season, tied for the fifth-most in a single season at CMU. He enters Friday’s dual with 31 career falls, tied with current CMU assistant coach and 1999 national champion Casey Cunningham for fifth in school history. Steve Adams ranks fourth on the list with 42 falls from 1984-88.
Home Sweet Home: CMU is 26-3-1 in home duals dating back to the start of the 2001-02 season. The Chippewas are 4-1-1 at home this season.
Taking on the Top 25: Twelve of the Chippewas’ first 17 dual opponents have been ranked in the InterMat top 25 at the time the teams met, including teams ranked first (Minnesota), second (Missouri) and third (Hofstra). The Chippewas have faced both Minnesota and Hofstra twice. CMU is 7-4-1 overall against teams in the top 25 this season.
Coming Up: CMU closes the season with three of its five MAC duals at home. Following Friday’s dual with EMU, the Chippewas sandwich home duals with Buffalo (Feb. 4) and Kent State (Feb. 18) around road trips to Northern Illinois (Feb. 9) and Ohio (Feb. 15).
