Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Wrestling Opens Homestand Against Eastern Michigan
1/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
MOUNT PLEASANT After spending the first two months of the season on the road, sixth-ranked Central Michigan opens a five-match homestand this week.
The Chippewas welcome Eastern Michigan to Rose Arena for the Mid-American Conference opener Thursday night. CMU then hosts Virginia Tech and No. 4 Nebraska for a tripleheader on Sunday. Virginia Tech and Nebraska square off at 11 a.m., followed by CMU and Nebraska at 1 p.m. and CMU and Virginia Tech at 3 p.m.
Sunday’s action also includes a dual between Davison High School and Detroit Catholic Central High School beginning at 9 a.m.
“If you’re a fan of the sport of wrestling, Sunday will be a heck of a day,” said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. “Nebraska is ranked fourth in the country, we’re ranked sixth and Virginia Tech is an up-and-coming program in the ACC that is receiving votes in the polls. This is a great opportunity as well for high school athletes to see a high caliber of competition in person.”
Thursday’s MAC opener against Eastern Michigan marks the Chippewas’ first appearance at Rose Arena in nearly 11 months.
“We’re obviously very excited to compete in front of our home crowd and in front of a community that has supported us so well in the past,” Borrelli said.
CMU continues its homestand next week when it hosts Buffalo and Old Dominion on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, respectively.
CMU on TV: CMU Public Broadcasting will televise both of CMU’s duals Sunday against Nebraska and Virginia Tech. The telecast also will be streamed online through the CMU Sports Zone on cmuchippewas.com.
Ticket Information: One ticket is good for admission to all four duals Sunday. Pre-sale tickets are $10 for adults, $6 for youth and seniors and $3 each for groups of 15 or more people. Tickets purchased Sunday are $15 for adults and $10 for youth and seniors. For more information contact CMU’s athletic ticket office at 1-888-FIRE-UP2 or online at cmuchippewas.com.
CMU vs. Eastern Michigan: CMU is 50-9-1 all-time against Eastern Michigan and has won 17 straight meetings. Eastern Michigan’s last win in the series was a 17-16 decision in 1991. The Chippewas won in Ypsilanti last season, 22-12.
CMU vs. Nebraska: The Chippewas are 0-3 all-time against Nebraska. The teams’ last meeting was in the third-place match at the 2006 National Duals, a 21-10 Nebraska victory. The Cornhuskers last visited Rose Arena in 1997, claiming a 26-7 victory in that matchup. Nebraska also won in Mount Pleasant during the 1982-83 season, 32-9.
CMU vs. Virginia Tech: Sunday’s dual marks just the second meeting all-time between CMU and Virginia Tech. The Chippewas won the only other meeting, 44-(-1), at the 2005 Northeast Duals.
Showdown in Rose: Sunday’s dual against Nebraska marks the fourth straight year that an opponent ranked in the top five nationally has visited Mount Pleasant. CMU is 1-2-1 in home matches against top-five opponents during that time.
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| 1/20/08 | No. 4 Michigan | W, 21-13 |
| 1/7/07 | No. 3 Hofstra | T, 18-18 |
| 12/9/06 | No. 2 Missouri | L, 31-9 |
| 12/11/05 | No. 2 Michigan | L, 22-14 |
The Tie That Binds: A number of ties exist between the CMU program and the opposing coaching staffs that will visit Rose Arena this week:
Former Chippewa David Bolyard is in his second season as the assistant coach at Eastern Michigan. Bolyard was an All-American in 2004 and MAC champion in 2005.
Nebraska’s top assistant Mike Greenfield and strength and conditioning coach Jason Mester both are former CMU standouts on the mat. Greenfield was a two-time All-American (1998-99) and three-time MAC champion (1997-99), while Mester was a two-time All-American (2003-04), three-time MAC champion (2001, 2003-04) and the 2004 MAC Wrestler of the Year.
Home Sweet Home: CMU is 39-4-1 in home duals dating back to the start of the 2000-01 season. The Chippewas were 5-0 at home last season.
In-State Success: CMU has won nine consecutive duals against programs in the state of Michigan. The Chippewas’ last loss to an in-state foe was a 22-14 decision against then No. 2 Michigan in 2005. CMU has won three straight duals against Michigan, eight straight against Michigan State and 17 straight against Eastern Michigan.
Sentes’ Strong Start: True freshman 125-pounder Scotti Sentes improved to 17-3 overall with a pair of victories last week. His 17 wins already are the most for a CMU true freshman since Mitch Hancock was 19-16 during the 2000-01 season. Sentes’ three losses this season all are to opponents ranked in the top 10 who are returning All-Americans: No. 3 Brandon Precin (Northwestern), No. 4 Charlie Falck (Iowa) and No. 6 James Nicholson (Old Dominion).
Dual Meet Dominance: CMU has experienced a considerable amount of success in dual meets over the past three seasons:
CMU has won 10 straight and 19 of its last 20 duals dating back to last season. The lone loss was to No. 1 Iowa on Nov. 29.
CMU has won at least 10 duals nine consecutive seasons and 12 times in the last 13 years. The Chippewas have won at least 13 duals each of the last four seasons.
CMU won a school-record 17 duals (17-4-1 overall) during the 2006-07 season. The Chippewas followed that with 16 wins during the 2007-08 campaign. Since the start of the 2006-07 season, CMU is 44-7-1 overall.
CMU won a school-record 18 consecutive duals during a stretch that spanned from the seventh-place match at the 2007 National Duals to the second round of the 2008 National Duals.
Taking on the Top 25: CMU is 5-1 against teams ranked in the NWCA/InterMat top 25 this season. Four opponents remaining on CMU’s schedule are ranked in this week’s NWCA/InterMat poll. Since the start of the 2006-07 season, the Chippewas are 19-6-1 against ranked opponents.
Chippewas Hand Oklahoma State Rare Dual Loss: CMU’s win over Oklahoma State at Virginia Duals evened the all-time record between the programs at 1-1. For Oklahoma State, the loss was just its second to a program not from the Big 12 or Big 10 in the last 15 years. Since the start of the 1993-94 season, the Cowboys were 137-1 in duals against teams not from the Big 12 or Big 10 prior to facing CMU in Virginia.
CMU in the MAC: CMU has won 10 consecutive Mid-American Conference titles and seven straight MAC Championships titles. The Chippewas have won 53 of their last 54 conference duals, including 29 straight dating back to the 2002-03 season. CMU has won 27 straight MAC duals at home.
10-for-10: CMU’s run of 10 straight MAC championships is the second-longest streak in any sport in conference history. Eastern Michigan’s men’s swimming and diving program won 17 straight titles from 1980-96.
