Central Michigan University Athletics
No. 9 CMU Welcomes No. 4 Michigan to Rose Arena
1/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
MOUNT PLEASANT Central Michigan University’s wrestling season is nearly two months old, but the ninth-ranked Chippewas will be making just their second appearance at Rose Arena when they host No. 4 Michigan on Sunday.
Since their last home dual against Michigan State on Nov. 29, the Chippewas have traveled to the Reno Tournament of Champions in Nevada and the Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill. CMU opened the new year with a double-dual on Long Island against Hofstra and Edinboro, then traveled to Iowa last weekend for National Duals.
CMU opened National Duals with a first-round win over Ohio State but then dropped consecutive matchups with Minnesota and Iowa State.
“I thought that we competed hard at National Duals,” said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. “We had a really tough draw. Obviously we would have liked some better outcomes, but I liked that the effort was there. I think we’re a little worn down right now from all the travel we’ve been doing, so we’re trying to give the guys a little more recovery and not push them quite as hard. It will be nice to be at home this weekend.”
While the Chippewas will have the comfort of competing at Rose Arena on Sunday, the schedule does not get any easier as the Wolverines represent the sixth consecutive nationally ranked opponent for CMU. As of last week’s InterMat/NWCA rankings, Michigan boasts four individuals ranked in the top four nationally in their respective weight classes, including a pair of No. 1-ranked wrestlers.
“It’s a pretty intense in-state rivalry,” Borrelli said. “We felt like they had that type of team all year long. They won the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas and were third at National Duals. They lost to Maryland early in the season, but they’ve been lights out ever since then.”
John Matthews and Tom Minkel will be the first wrestlers in school history to have their singlets retired during a ceremony prior to the start of Sunday’s dual.
“All of those guys from that era laid the groundwork for what we are able to do here now, and we’re thankful to their contributions to CMU wrestling,” Borrelli said.
Matthews, Minkel Set to be Honored: During a ceremony prior to Sunday’s match, John Matthews and Tom Minkel will be the first wrestlers in school history to have their singlets retired. Both are members of the CMU Athletic Hall of Fame and both earned spots on the United States Greco Roman Olympic team: Matthews in 1976 and 1980 and Minkel in 1980. Matthews won a MAC title in 1974 and was named team MVP in 1973 and 1974. Minkel earned Division I and Division II All-America honors in 1970 and repeated as a Division II All-American in 1971. He won Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles in 1969 and 1970 and was named team MVP in 1970 and 1971.
The Michigan Series: Michigan leads the all-time series 18-3, but the Chippewas claimed a 21-12 decision in Ann Arbor last season.
Scouting Michigan: The Wolverines enter Sunday’s dual 13-2 ovSenior Eric Tannenbaum and junior Tyrel Todd are ranked second nationally at 165 and 184 pounds, respectively. Freshman Kellen Russell is ranked third at 141 pounds, while junior Steve Luke is fourth at 174. Senior Josh Churella checks in at No. 8 at 149 pounds. Tannenbaum, Todd, Luke and Churella all earned All-America honors last season.
Borrelli Sets the Standard: The Chippewas’ win over Ohio State made Tom Borrelli the winningest wrestling coach in school history. Borrelli is 196-87-6 in 17 seasons at CMU. He moved past Chick Sherwood, who was 195-126-6 as CMU’s head coach from 1969-85.
Home Sweet Home: CMU is 35-4-1 in home duals dating back to the start of the 2000-01 season. The Chippewas were 7-1-1 at home last season.
School-Record Streak Snapped: CMU’s school-record 18-match winning streak was snapped in the second round at National Duals. Prior to the 20-16 loss to Minnesota in the second round, the Chippewas had not been defeated in a dual since falling to Hofstra, 17-16, at National Duals in 2007. That dual actually ended in a 16-16 tie, but Hofstra earned the victory on criteria.
Taking on the Top 25: CMU is 3-2 against opponents ranked in the InterMat/NWCA top 25 this season. The Chippewas were 8-4-1 against ranked opponents during the 2006-07 season.
Rhymes with Pin: Wynn Michalak moved into a tie for third on the school’s career pins list at National Duals. His 45 career falls tie him with Greg Mayer (1995-99) for third on the list. Kevin Vogel holds the school record with 66 pins from 1987-92, and Carleton Kinkade ranks second with 64 pins (1983-88).
Climbing the Wins List: Wynn Michalak enters Sunday’s dual with a career record of 115-33, tied with Scott Bitely (1991-95) for fifth on the school’s career wins list. Carleton Kinkade (1983-88) ranks fourth in school history with 127 victories.
In the Rankings: CMU is ninth as a team in the InterMat/NWCA top 25. A total of seven Chippewas appear in the top 20 of InterMat’s individual weight class rankings.
Closing in on 100: Brandon Sinnott and Luke Smith are both nearing their 100th career victories. Sinnott enters this weekend with a career record of 98-29, while Smith brings a career mark of 93-41 into the Michigan dual.
Smith Sticks ’em: Luke Smith has won three matches by fall this season, including two in less than 40 seconds. At Northeast Duals, Smith pinned American’s Jason Borshoff in just 11 seconds, the fourth-fastest fall in school history. Smith also ranks seventh with a 14-second pin during the 2004-05 season.
The Dynasty: CMU has won nine consecutive Mid-American Conference titles and six straight MAC Championships titles. The Chippewas have won 48 of their last 49 conference duals, including 24 straight dating back to the 2002-03 season. CMU has won 25 straight MAC duals at Rose Arena.
Back in the Lineup: CMU returns nine starters from last season’s squad. The only losses from the 2007 team were Andy Keller (157 pounds, graduation) and Mike Miller (165 pounds, Olympic redshirt). Replacing Miller is junior Trevor Stewart, who finished runner-up at the MAC Championships as a true freshman in 2006 but missed the second half of the 2007 season with an injury.
Coming Up: CMU opens the Mid-American Conference portion of the schedule at Eastern Michigan on Jan. 26. The Chippewas’ next appearance in Rose Arena is against Northern Illinois on Feb. 7.
