Chippewas Fall To No. 23 Missouri

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – A good start, but not the finish that coach Tom Borrelli and his Central Michigan wrestlers would have hoped for.

CMU won two of the first three matches, scoring bonus points in both, but then dropped six consecutive matches in falling to No. 23 Missouri, 25-13, on Friday in a Mid-American Conference dual meet at McGuirk Arena.

The Chippewas fell to 2-4, 2-2 MAC. They entertain SIU-Edwardsville on Sunday (2 p.m.) at McGuirk. The Cougars are 1-7, 0-4. Missouri improved to 7-5, 4-0.

Good Start
The Chippewas got a pin from junior Drew Hildebrandt in the meet's opening bout at 125 pounds, and then a 12-3 major-decision victory from Dresden Simon at 141 in opening a 10-4 lead.

But Missouri posted six-consecutive wins, three of them by major decision, in taking command.

CMU's Matt Stencel (285) scored an 8-2 victory in the final bout of the night.

"We got off to a good start, we were excited," CMU coach Tom Borrelli said. "We needed something to go right for us at a few weight classes and they just didn't. We probably needed to win at 157, we needed to win at 197, to win the dual meet and then we needed to be a little more competitive at three (other) weight classes."

Hildebrandt's Pin
Hildebrandt pinned Dack Punke at 4:40, giving the Chippewas an early shot of momentum.

After a scoreless first period, Hildebrandt chose the top position to start the second. He turned Punke to record his fourth pin of the season and run his record 22-3, including 6-0 in duals.

"Momentum's big so I really wanted to go out there and kind of light it up," said Hildebrandt, who defeated Punke, 3-1, in overtime last season when the Chippewas and Tigers met in a dual in Columbia, Mo.

"A lot of times last year I'd get (on top) and just ride them, and we've been working a lot on turns," said Hildebrandt, who is ranked 12^th nationally. "I know I'm in pretty good shape. The first period you try to wear guys down. The first period they always come out hard because everyone's fresh in the first period. Once I came out of that first period, I didn't get any points, but I was like hey, I might have got the guy tired. I just went to work on top."

Other Wins
Simon, who is ranked 13^th, controlled things from the outset against 19^th-ranked Grant Leeth, who was an All-American in 2018. Simon posted four takedowns and earned a riding-time point in the match.

It was Simon's team-leading ninth major of the season as he improved to 20-7.

Stencel, who is ranked fourth, scored two first-period takedowns in improving to 20-4, 5-1 in duals.

Other Matches
The Chippewas surrendered bonus points at 165, 174 and 184, losing by major decision in all three bouts.

"We're not seasoned enough at those three weight classes," Borrelli said. "Their kids are a little more experienced than us, our guys have a ways to go. They're fighting, they're battling. It's disappointing to watch them give up bonus points.

"You want the guys to watch the films and say, 'This is what I need to work on.' And hopefully when they're getting beat in those positions it embarrasses them enough to where they're saying, 'I'm going to fix that, I'm not going to let that happen again.'"

Missouri 25, Central Michigan 13
125: Drew Hildebrandt (C) pinned Dack Punke, 4:40
133: Allan Hart (M) major dec. Drew Marten, 10-1
141: Dresden Simon (C) major dec. Grant Leeth, 12-3
149: Brock Mauller (M) dec. Corbyn Munson, 10-4
157: Jarrett Jacques (M) dec. Logan Parks, 5-4
165: Peyton Mocco (M) major dec. Tracy Hubbard, 8-0
174: Jeremiah Kent (M) major dec. Jake Lowell, 14-3
184: Dylan Wisman (M) major dec. Ben Cushman, 12-4
197: Wyatt Koelling (M) dec. Landon Pelham, 4-2
285: Matt Stencel (C) dec. Jacob Bohlken, 8-2

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ben Cushman

Drew Hildebrandt

Tracy Hubbard

Jake Lowell

Drew Marten

Corbyn Munson

Logan Parks

Landon Pelham

Dresden Simon

Matt Stencel