Central Michigan University Athletics
Two Nationally Ranked Opponents Await CMU
1/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
MOUNT PLEASANT - Central Michigan's wrestling program will face a pair of nationally ranked opponents in less than 48 hours this weekend.
CMU, ranked No. 21 in this week's NWCA/USA Today coaches' poll, will host No. 14 Lehigh on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before traveling to No. 16 Kent State on Sunday for a 2:05 p.m. dual. The Chippewas (12-3 overall, 4-0 Mid-American Conference) can secure the outright MAC regular season title with a win at Kent State on Sunday.
"We're going to have to be composed and more efficient with what we do," said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. "We have to score when we attack, and we have to do a good job of picking our spots. It's important too that we handle the anxiety and the pressure that will be put on us by some quality opponents."
Headlining Friday's dual is the 184-pound bout between a pair of top-five ranked opponents: Lehigh's No. 4-ranked Robert Hamlin, the defending national runner-up, and CMU's No. 5-ranked Ben Bennett, a two-time All-American at 174 pounds. Bennett enters the dual 21-2 overall this season; one of his two losses came to Hamlin in the finals at the Midlands Championships.
Two special presentations will take place at McGuirk Arena following Friday's dual meet. The 2011 MAC champion Chippewas will be presented their conference championship rings, and Borrelli will be recognized for earning his 300th career dual meet victory. He enters the weekend with a career record of 304-128-8; he is 258-103-7 in 21 seasons at CMU and was 46-25-1 in five seasons as the head coach at Lake Superior State.
On Sunday, the Chippewas will head to Kent State seeking their 13th MAC title in the last 14 seasons. Last season, CMU shared the MAC regular season title with Kent State and Ohio.
Follow the Action: Friday's dual meet against Lehigh will be streamed live through both the CMU Sports Zone on CMUChippewas.com and through the CMU wrestling program's Facebook page, and live scoring will be available through TrackWrestling.com. Live updates also will be provided on Twitter @CMUWrestling. Fans tweeting during Friday's dual are encouraged to use the hashtag #CMULEHIGH.
On Sunday, live video will be available through mac-sports.com and live scoring will be available through TrackWrestling.com.
Promotions, Giveaways Set for Friday's Dual: Several promotions and giveaways are scheduled for Friday's dual meet against Lehigh. As part of CMU's partnership with the WCFX "Caravan of Care," fans who bring four non-perishable food items to McGuirk Arena will be eligible for a buy-one-get-one-free ticket promotion.
All fans in attendance at Friday's dual will be eligible to win a 32-inch flat-screen television, which will be given away immediately following the meet. CMU's wrestling program also will host an autograph session immediately following the dual meet.
The Matchups: Probable lineups for Central Michigan, Lehigh and Kent State this weekend:
| | | Central Michigan | | | Lehigh | | | Kent State |
| 125 | | No. 16 Joe Roth (So., 27-6) | | | Alex Abru (Jr., 0-9) | | | No. 4 Nic Bedelyon (Sr., 23-2) |
| 133 | | Zach Horan (Fr., 11-7) or Tyler Keselring (R-Fr., 10-8) | | | Mason Beckman (Fr., 19-6) | | | Stevie Mitcheff (Jr., 13-13) |
| 141 | | Scott Mattingly (So., 9-14) or Christian Cullinan (Jr., 11-7) | | | No. 15 Steve Dutton (So., 10-3) | | | No. 8 Tyler Small (So., 24-7) |
| 149 | | Joey Kielbasa (Fr., 18-10) | | | Shane Welsh (Jr., 16-5) or Anthony Salupo (R-Fr., 16-7) | | | No. 10 Ian Miller (Fr., 23-3) |
| 157 | | Donnie Corby (Jr., 9-4) | | | Brian Tanen (Sr., 4-7) | | | Mallie Shuster (Jr., 20-12) |
| 165 | | Mike Ottinger (Fr., 14-6) or Dakota Cooley (R-Fr., 2-8) | | | Sean Bilodeau (Sr., 11-3) | | | Ross Tice (Sr., 8-9) |
| 174 | | Craig Kelliher (So., 4-4) or Anthony Bill (R-Fr., 4-9) | | | Nate Brown (Fr., 10-5) or Kevin Bailey (Jr., 4-2) | | | Brandonn Johnson (So., 14-16) |
| 184 | | No. 5 Ben Bennett (Jr., 21-2) | | | No. 4 Robert Hamlin (Jr., 18-1) | | | Casey Newburg (Jr., 24-7) |
| 197 | | Chad Friend (Sr., 9-15) | | | No. 10 Joe Kennedy (Sr., 14-4) | | | Keith Witt (Jr., 19-11) |
| 285 | | No. 12 Peter Sturgeon (Sr., 22-7) | | | No. 3 Zach Rey (Sr., 15-1) | | | No. 20 Brendan Barlow (Sr., 20-9) |
Rankings are as of this week's InterMat weight class rankings.
CMU vs. the MAC: The Chippewas have won 70 of their last 73 conference duals dating back to the 1998-99 season. CMU has won at least a share of 12 of the last 13 MAC titles and claimed 10 straight conference tournament championships.
Scouting Lehigh: The Mountain Hawks are 8-4 overall, including 4-1 against EIWA opponents, and enter the weekend on a three-match winning streak. Lehigh's lineup features two individuals ranked in the top five nationally: junior 184-pounder Robert Hamlin (18-1 overall, 2011 NCAA runner-up) and senior heavyweight Zach Rey (15-1 overall, 2011 NCAA champion).
CMU vs. Lehigh: CMU is 2-2 all-time against Lehigh, including a 23-9 loss at Lehigh last season.
Scouting Kent State: Kent State is 9-4 overall, including 2-0 in the MAC, and has won seven straight dual meets. Included in the winning streak is a run to the team title at the Virginia Duals. Three Golden Flashes are ranked in the top 10 nationally: senior Nic Bedelyon (No. 4, 125 pounds), sophomore Tyler Small (No. 8, 141 pounds) and freshman Ian Miller (No. 10, 149 pounds).
CMU vs. Kent State: The Chippewas are 24-19 all-time against Kent State and have won 13 of the last 14 meetings. CMU secured a share of the 2011 MAC championship with a 20-14 win over the Golden Flashes at McGuirk Arena last season.
Coming Up: The Chippewas are on the road next weekend, visiting George Mason and Old Dominion on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
