Central Michigan University Athletics
Fifth-Ranked Chippewas Open MAC Schedule at Eastern Michigan
1/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
MOUNT PLEASANT Central Michigan University officially begins its quest for a 10th consecutive Mid-American Conference wrestling title this week.
The Chippewas, ranked fifth in this week’s NWCA/InterMat poll, open the conference schedule with a dual at Eastern Michigan on Saturday. The match begins at 6 p.m.
CMU (9-2 overall) is coming off one of its most emotional wins in recent memory, a 21-13 decision over Michigan on Sunday in front of a Rose Arena wrestling record crowd of 4,273. Head coach Tom Borrelli will make sure that his team does not suffer a letdown this weekend.
“Eastern Michigan is the most improved team in the MAC this year,” Borrelli said. “We know they will present a challenge for our team.”
The win over then No. 4 Michigan could not have come at a better time for the Chippewas, who had posted a 1-2 record at National Duals on Jan. 12. The Wolverines placed third as a team at the same tournament.
“It was really important for our team at that time to get a win,” Borrelli said. “After you get knocked down a little bit, you want to get back out there and try to prove yourself again. I thought our guys took advantage of that opportunity to get back out there.”
In recent years, Borrelli has built a challenging dual schedule in hopes of preparing the individuals on his team for the rigors of the NCAA Championships. One element of the national tournament for which it is often difficult to prepare is the size of the crowd. Sunday’s dual allowed the Chippewas a chance to compete in front of a large, boisterous crowd.
“One of the more enjoyable things for me was that the crowd was really into the match,” Borrelli said. “Sometimes you get a large crowd and they just sit there, but Sunday’s crowd really helped our guys.
“I was concerned that some of our guys might try to do too much, but we talked to them about being the same person as they are in the room during practice. I thought they handled the crowd and everything else really well.”
Stewart MAC Wrestler of the Week: Junior 165-pounder Trevor Stewart was named MAC Wrestler of the Week following his 5-3 decision over then No. 2 Eric Tannenbaum in the Chippewas’ 21-13 win over then No. 4 Michigan on Sunday. Tannenbaum, who was ranked No. 1 for the first two months of the season, is the highest ranked opponent Stewart has defeated in his career, and his victory gave the Chippewas an 11-10 lead they would not relinquish. Stewart is the fifth different Chippewa to be named MAC Wrestler of the Week this season.
Big Win: Fourth-ranked Michigan represents the highest-ranked opponent CMU has defeated since a 19-15 victory over then No. 3 Oklahoma at National Duals in 2006.
The Eastern Michigan Series: CMU leads the all-time series 49-9-1 and has won 16 consecutive meetings. Eastern Michigan’s last win over the Chippewas was a 17-16 decision during the 1990-91 season. CMU has more wins against Eastern Michigan than any other opponent in program history.
Scouting Eastern Michigan: The Eagles are 2-0 in conference duals with wins over Ohio, 31-6, and Buffalo, 21-12. Eastern Michigan enters Saturday’s dual having won three straight and five of its last six duals overall. Sophomore 133-pounder Sean Clair is ranked 18th nationally by InterMat/NWCA; he is the lone nationally ranked EMU wrestler.
Familiar Face: David Bolyard, a 2005 All-American for CMU, is in his first season as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan. Bolyard had spent the previous two seasons as a member of the coaching staff at CMU.
Borrelli Sets the Standard: The Chippewas’ win over Ohio State at National Duals made Tom Borrelli the winningest wrestling coach in school history. Borrelli is 197-87-6 in 17 seasons at CMU. He moved past Chick Sherwood, who was 195-126-6 as CMU’s head coach from 1969-85.
Perfect 10: CMU’s next dual victory will be its 10th of the season. In Tom Borrelli’s first 16 seasons as head coach, the Chippewas have won at least 10 duals in a season 13 times. CMU has posted at least 10 victories each of the last seven seasons and 10 of the last 11 years.
CMU in the MAC: 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.
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 99-29, while Smith brings a career mark of 94-41 into the conference opener.
In the Rankings: The Chippewas are fifth as a team in the InterMat/NWCA top 25. CMU is the only program not from the Big 10 or Big 12 in the InterMat top 10. A total of seven Chippewas appear in the top 20 of InterMat’s individual weight class rankings. (See page four for individual rankings and records.)
Home Sweet Home: CMU is 36-4-1 in home duals dating back to the start of the 2000-01 season. The Chippewas were 7-1-1 at home last season and are 2-0 this 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 4-2 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 match Greg Mayer’s total from 1995-99. Kevin Vogel holds the school record with 66 pins from 1987-92, and Carleton Kinkade ranks second with 64 pins (1983-88).
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.
CMU on TV: The Chippewas’ regular season finale against Ohio on Feb. 24 will be televised on the CMU PBS Network. The dual begins at 2 p.m.
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.
Climbing the Wins List: Wynn Michalak enters Saturday’s dual with a career record of 116-33. He ranks fourth in school history in career victories. Carleton Kinkade (1983-88) ranks fourth in school history with 127 victories.
Coming Up: CMU continues Mid-American Conference competition at Buffalo on Feb. 2. The Chippewas’ next appearance in Rose Arena is against Northern Illinois on Feb. 7.
