Wrestlers Fall At MSU, But Score Important Victories

Friday, February 22

East Lansing, Mich.

6 p.m.

Central Michigan University

Michigan State

Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf

2/22/2019 11:00:00 PM | Wrestling

Chippewas' final dual is Sunday at McGuirk

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State won six matches, two of them by pin, on Friday in handing Central Michigan a 24-15 nonconference dual meet loss at the Spartans' Jenison Field House.

The Chippewas (4-8) entertain Purdue (7-9) on Sunday (2 p.m.) at McGuirk Arena in their final dual of the season. Michigan State improved to 10-8.

HIGHLIGHTS
The Chippewas lost the dual, but got two critically important victories, the first from sophomore Drew Hildebrandt, and the second from senior Jordan Atienza.

Hildebrandt scored a 7-5 sudden-victory win over Rayvon Foley at 125 pounds, and Atienza defeated Cameron Caffey, 8-5, at 184.

HILDEBRANDT
Foley entered the meet ranked eighth by The Open Mat with a sterling 29-2 record. His 29 victories are the most in the nation, and 12 of his wins have come on major decisions, also a national best.

Hildebrandt, who is ranked 17^th, scored a third-period escape to tie the match 5-5 and then took down Foley in the overtime period for the win. It was Hildebrandt's fifth consecutive victory as he improved to 16-7.

Hildebrandt has lost his previous two matches to Foley.

"It's really big for him," CMU coach Tom Borrelli said. "He wrestled a really, really good match. He was really sharp. He got away when he needed to in the third period and took the kid down in overtime and finished strong.

"Obviously it's got to help (Hildebrandt) build confidence. It's going to help him when it comes to qualifying for nationals, bringing a (nationals-qualifying) spot to the conference. All those things that are important."

ATIENZA
Atienza, who is unranked, was taken down early by Caffey, a freshman who entered the meet 26-4 and ranked 19^th.

"He wrestled really well," Borrelli said of Atienza, who won for the fourth time in his last five matches, improving to 15-9. "He gave up the first takedown, but then took the kid down three times and he reversed him once.

"He wrestled a really good match. That should give him a lot of confidence. It's been a hard year for him, but he's coming around at the right time."

OTHER CMU WINNERS
The Chippewas also got a decision victory from Dresden Simon (149) and a pin from Matt Stencel (285).

Simon won for the fifth time in his last seven matches, improving to 7-11. Stencel, who is ranked seventh, improved to 23-4 with his nation-leading 17^th pin of the season.

BORRELLI
"You can't give up bonus points in a dual meet and expect to win. When you have an opportunity to get bonus points, you have to get them. They took advantage of that tonight and that was the difference in the dual. We wrestled a little more tentative than we should have in a few weight classes."

Michigan State 24, Central Michigan 15
125: Drew Hildebrandt (C) dec. Rayvon Foley, 7-5, SV-1
133: Anthony Tutolo (MSU) dec. Deven Perez, 7-2
141: Austin Eicher (MSU) dec. Drew Marten, 4-1
149: Dresden Simon (C) dec. Jaden Enriquez, 12-5
157: Jake Tucker (MSU) dec. Logan Parks, 5-3
165: Logan Ritchie (MSU) dec. Bret Fedewa, 4-1
174: Drew Hughes (MSU) pinned Collin Lieber, 1:07
184: Jordan Atienza (C) dec. Cameron Caffey, 8-5
197: Brad Wilton (MSU) pinned Landon Pelham, :15
285: Matt Stencel (C) pinned Chase Beard, 1:34