Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Wrestling Nears End of an Era
2/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
MOUNT PLEASANT Sunday will unofficially mark the end of an era at Central Michigan University.
Seven individuals, making up the largest senior class for the CMU wrestling program since 2000, will suit up for their final dual meet at Rose Arena against Ohio on Sunday afternoon. They will be recognized prior to the start of Sunday’s match.
The 2008 senior class Brandon Carter, Bubba Gritter, Ben Kelto, Wynn Michalak, Brandon Sinnott, Christian Sinnott and Luke Smith will go into the history books as one of the most successful classes in program history. The group has combined for no less than nine individual Mid-American Conference titles, has earned All-America honors a total of four times, and enters the regular season’s final weekend with a cumulative record of 644-235 (.733 winning percentage). CMU is a perfect 18-0 in MAC duals over the past four seasons and has been a mainstay in the top 10 of the national rankings over the past two years.
“The biggest thing in my mind is that they all have been pretty coachable,” said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. “They didn’t come in with a lot of expectations, so I think that makes all of their accomplishments that much more special. They have worked themselves into the positions they are in now.”
It is a group that has been defined by longevity, perseverance and an ability to over-achieve. Six of the seven seniors are in their fifth year with the program; the seventh, Smith, is a sixth-year senior who took an Olympic redshirt year. Smith, Carter and Michalak are in their fourth seasons in the starting lineup, while Gritter and the Sinnott brothers have been in the lineup each of the last three years.
The class has been one of the driving forces behind a program that has won nine consecutive MAC championships and six straight MAC Tournament titles. And while the seven current seniors did combine to win 11 individual high school state championships, few expected the remarkable run of success of the past four seasons.
“They all bought into the program and the way we want to do things,” Borrelli said. “It’s paid off for them in their individual success and for the program’s overall success.
“The biggest benefit is the air of confidence that they bring,” he added. “They understand the expectations here. In practice, the coaches aren’t responsible for everything. It’s going to be a big transition for us next year.”
Michalak has climbed to fifth on CMU’s career wins list; he enters the regular season’s final weekend with 120. Brandon Sinnott has joined him in the 100-win club with 103 career victories. Smith (99 wins), Gritter (97) and Christian Sinnott (93) are all within striking distance of their 100th career win.
“To have five guys average 25 wins per season is a heck of an accomplishment,” Borrelli said. “We have upgraded our schedule significantly over the past few years, and these guys have gone through that transition. We wrestled 13 ranked opponents last season and we’ve already wrestled eight ranked opponents this year, so it certainly hasn’t been easy on them.”
The run of success this senior class has experienced has been nothing less than remarkable. The MAC Tournament and NCAA Tournament await when the calendar changes to March, but Sunday’s regular season finale will be the final time CMU fans can fill Rose Arena and show their appreciation for the efforts of seven dedicated Chippewa seniors.
