Central Michigan University Athletics
Cunningham Places Second at U.S. Senior Nationals
4/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
MOUNT PLEASANT – Central Michigan University assistant coach Casey Cunningham continued his comeback in competitive wrestling with a runner-up finish at the U.S. Senior Nationals in Las Vegas last weekend.
Cunningham, competing in the 163-pound weight class, won three consecutive matches to advance to the finals, where he fell to Joe Heskett, 1-6, 4-0, 2-1. Heskett, a four-time All-American at Iowa State, won the 2002 NCAA title at 165 pounds.
By finishing second, Cunningham earns an automatic bid to the World Team Trials in Las Vegas June 9-10. Those that qualify for the world team will compete at the 2007 World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan later this year.
“I had the desire to get back into it over the past couple of years, but I didn’t feel the timing was right with my family,” Cunningham said. “My wife is very supportive and she gave me the ok to pursue this over the next year-and-a-half. It’s not that I didn’t have the desire, I just feel now that the timing is right to come back.”
Seeded eighth, Cunningham defeated top-seed and defending nationals champion Donny Pritzlaff in the second round, 7-0, 2-0. In the semifinals, he handed No. 4 seed Scott Owen a 7-0, 1-0 loss.
“This was just my second tournament in the past three years since the 2004 Olympic Trials,” said Cunningham, the 1999 NCAA champion at 157 pounds. “My goal is always to win, and I felt going into it that I could. The focus for me was just to open up, relax, compete hard and have fun. Not to take anything away from anyone else, but I see a lot of things I can improve on and think I can do better.”
Cunningham recently completed his sixth season as the assistant coach at CMU. A two-time All-American during his collegiate career, Cunningham placed runner-up at 142 pounds at the 1998 NCAA Championships before winning his 157-pound title in 1999.
Four other current or former Chippewas advanced through the qualifying rounds and into the main bracket at Senior Nationals: former Chippewa and current volunteer assistant coach Jason Borrelli (132.25 pounds), former All-American and current assistant coach David Bolyard (163 pounds), three-time defending MAC champ Wynn Michalak and 2007 All-American heavyweight Bubba Gritter.
“Everyone made it to the second day, which means they are in the top 16 in the country,” Cunningham said. “To be at the college level and compete like that at the senior level is pretty impressive. I think the important lesson for them is that you can’t make little mistakes, because those small mistakes turn into big points for the opponent. It was a good experience for them to see that they are not that far away from those guys on the national level.”
CMU was also represented at the FILA Junior Nationals last weekend. Nathaniel Holt, who redshirted as a freshman for CMU during the 2006-07 season, placed third in the 145.5-pound bracket at junior nationals. He defeated Esai Dominguez, 2-1, 4-1, in the third-place match.
CMU finished 15th as a team at the 2007 NCAA Championships. The Chippewas posted their ninth straight Mid-American Conference title and sixth straight MAC Championships title in 2007.
Cunningham, competing in the 163-pound weight class, won three consecutive matches to advance to the finals, where he fell to Joe Heskett, 1-6, 4-0, 2-1. Heskett, a four-time All-American at Iowa State, won the 2002 NCAA title at 165 pounds.
By finishing second, Cunningham earns an automatic bid to the World Team Trials in Las Vegas June 9-10. Those that qualify for the world team will compete at the 2007 World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan later this year.
“I had the desire to get back into it over the past couple of years, but I didn’t feel the timing was right with my family,” Cunningham said. “My wife is very supportive and she gave me the ok to pursue this over the next year-and-a-half. It’s not that I didn’t have the desire, I just feel now that the timing is right to come back.”
Seeded eighth, Cunningham defeated top-seed and defending nationals champion Donny Pritzlaff in the second round, 7-0, 2-0. In the semifinals, he handed No. 4 seed Scott Owen a 7-0, 1-0 loss.
“This was just my second tournament in the past three years since the 2004 Olympic Trials,” said Cunningham, the 1999 NCAA champion at 157 pounds. “My goal is always to win, and I felt going into it that I could. The focus for me was just to open up, relax, compete hard and have fun. Not to take anything away from anyone else, but I see a lot of things I can improve on and think I can do better.”
Cunningham recently completed his sixth season as the assistant coach at CMU. A two-time All-American during his collegiate career, Cunningham placed runner-up at 142 pounds at the 1998 NCAA Championships before winning his 157-pound title in 1999.
Four other current or former Chippewas advanced through the qualifying rounds and into the main bracket at Senior Nationals: former Chippewa and current volunteer assistant coach Jason Borrelli (132.25 pounds), former All-American and current assistant coach David Bolyard (163 pounds), three-time defending MAC champ Wynn Michalak and 2007 All-American heavyweight Bubba Gritter.
“Everyone made it to the second day, which means they are in the top 16 in the country,” Cunningham said. “To be at the college level and compete like that at the senior level is pretty impressive. I think the important lesson for them is that you can’t make little mistakes, because those small mistakes turn into big points for the opponent. It was a good experience for them to see that they are not that far away from those guys on the national level.”
CMU was also represented at the FILA Junior Nationals last weekend. Nathaniel Holt, who redshirted as a freshman for CMU during the 2006-07 season, placed third in the 145.5-pound bracket at junior nationals. He defeated Esai Dominguez, 2-1, 4-1, in the third-place match.
CMU finished 15th as a team at the 2007 NCAA Championships. The Chippewas posted their ninth straight Mid-American Conference title and sixth straight MAC Championships title in 2007.
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