Central Michigan University Athletics
Friday, January 3
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
7 p.m.
Central Michigan University
vs
No. 5 Virginia Tech
CMU senior Logan Parks has jumped to No. 11 at 157 pounds in the flowrestling.com national rankings.
CMU Wrestlers: Out Of The Frying Pan, Into The Fire
1/2/2020 6:17:00 PM | Wrestling
Chippweas host 5th-ranked Virginia Tech on Friday, go to NIU on Sunday
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Tom Borrelli said all along that the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 would be a major test for his Central Michigan wrestlers.
He hasn't been wrong.
Fresh off a strong showing at the prestigious Midlands Championships in suburban Chicago, the 24th-ranked Chippewas step back into the competitive fire when they entertain fifth-ranked Virginia Tech on Friday (7 p.m.) in a nonconference dual at McGuirk Arena.
CMU then hits the road for a Mid-American Conference dual at Northern Illinois on Sunday (3 p.m.).
"It's a tough weekend for us, especially coming off the Midlands," said Borrelli, who led his Chippewas to a sixth-place finish at the Midlands, which is generally regarded as one of the most-competitive tournaments in the nation. "That's the way it goes. You schedule people and you've got to be ready for them.
"It's like the MAC Tournament or the national tournament. You weigh in back to back days or three days in a row. It's the same type of thing. You've got to be ready."
Virginia Tech
The Hokies are 4-0 in duals and ranked fifth and have become a fixture in the National Wrestling Coaches Association top-10 rankings. They have finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships in six of the last seven years and have won two of the last three Atlantic Coast Conference titles.
Eight Virginia Tech wrestlers rank in the top 25 in their respective weight classes, led by sophomore Hunter Bolen and senior David McFadden. Bolen is 14-1 on the season and ranked third at 184 pounds, while McFadden (165), a two-time All-American, is 12-2 and ranked fifth.
Virginia Tech's Joey Prata (125), Collin Gerardi (133), B.C. LaPrade (157) and John Borst (285) are also ranked. All are expected to wrestle against the Chippewas.
Two other ranked Hokies, Mitch Moore (141) and Brent Moore (149), are not expected to take the mat against CMU.
Among the Hokies' dual victories this season was a 29-10 triumph over seven-time defending MAC champion Missouri, which was ranked ninth nationally at the time, and a 21-15 win over No. 3 Ohio State.
"It's a good opportunity for our guys to test themselves," he said. "If we think we're going to win a MAC championship we've got to be competitive with teams like that."
The Hokies won the Navy Classic in November and placed 12th in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December.
Northern Illinois
The Huskies are 5-3 in duals including 2-1 MAC. Their league-dual victories have come over Kent State, 23-13, and over Clarion, 19-17. They lost to Rider, 26-6.
Among NIU's top wrestlers are Bryce West (125), Izzak Olejnik (165), Kenny Moore (174) and Brit Wilson (184). West, Olejnik and Wilson are each ranked fourth in the MAC, while Moore is sixth.
Olejnik is ranked 17th nationally.
"They're much improved," Borrelli said of the Huskies. "The roster that they have now, they've been with them for a little while and they've got some experience in their lineup."
History
CMU is 2-3 all-time in duals against the Hokies; it is 37-22-2 against NIU.
The Chippewas
CMU is coming off a sixth-place finish at the Midlands. Four Chippewas placed at the prestigious tournament, led by Matt Stencel (285) who was second. Drew Hildebrandt (125) was fourth, Logan Parks (157) was fifth, and Dresden Simon (141) was seventh.
Stencel, Hildebrandt and Simon are juniors; Parks is CMU's lone senior.
Parks jumped from 25th to 11th in this week's national rankings after an outstanding showing at the Midlands. He was seeded eighth and knocked off two higher-ranked and higher-seeded wrestlers en route to a 5-2 finish in the two-day event.
Hildebrandt dropped from seventh to 12th in this week's rankings; Stencel remained in the No. 8 spot; and Simon slipped from 17th to 18th.
CMU is 2-1 in duals, the lone loss coming at then-No. 19 Michigan, 22-12, on Nov. 24. The Chippewas defeated No. 25 Lock Haven and No. 20 Rider, both on the road in early December, in their first two MAC duals.
Others
Seven of the 11 other Chippewas who competed in the Midlands won at least one match in the tournament.
Borrelli said it was generally a good performance by all of the Chippewas who competed, and it shows improvement.
"Hopefully it motivates and inspires them to realize that if they fix some things they can be just as good as these guys who are placing," he said.
Next
CMU entertains longtime MAC heavyweight Missouri on Friday, Jan. 17, and then entertains another league rival, SIUE, on Sunday, Jan. 19.
He hasn't been wrong.
Fresh off a strong showing at the prestigious Midlands Championships in suburban Chicago, the 24th-ranked Chippewas step back into the competitive fire when they entertain fifth-ranked Virginia Tech on Friday (7 p.m.) in a nonconference dual at McGuirk Arena.
CMU then hits the road for a Mid-American Conference dual at Northern Illinois on Sunday (3 p.m.).
"It's a tough weekend for us, especially coming off the Midlands," said Borrelli, who led his Chippewas to a sixth-place finish at the Midlands, which is generally regarded as one of the most-competitive tournaments in the nation. "That's the way it goes. You schedule people and you've got to be ready for them.
"It's like the MAC Tournament or the national tournament. You weigh in back to back days or three days in a row. It's the same type of thing. You've got to be ready."
Virginia Tech
The Hokies are 4-0 in duals and ranked fifth and have become a fixture in the National Wrestling Coaches Association top-10 rankings. They have finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships in six of the last seven years and have won two of the last three Atlantic Coast Conference titles.
Eight Virginia Tech wrestlers rank in the top 25 in their respective weight classes, led by sophomore Hunter Bolen and senior David McFadden. Bolen is 14-1 on the season and ranked third at 184 pounds, while McFadden (165), a two-time All-American, is 12-2 and ranked fifth.
Virginia Tech's Joey Prata (125), Collin Gerardi (133), B.C. LaPrade (157) and John Borst (285) are also ranked. All are expected to wrestle against the Chippewas.
Two other ranked Hokies, Mitch Moore (141) and Brent Moore (149), are not expected to take the mat against CMU.
Among the Hokies' dual victories this season was a 29-10 triumph over seven-time defending MAC champion Missouri, which was ranked ninth nationally at the time, and a 21-15 win over No. 3 Ohio State.
"It's a good opportunity for our guys to test themselves," he said. "If we think we're going to win a MAC championship we've got to be competitive with teams like that."
The Hokies won the Navy Classic in November and placed 12th in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December.
Northern Illinois
The Huskies are 5-3 in duals including 2-1 MAC. Their league-dual victories have come over Kent State, 23-13, and over Clarion, 19-17. They lost to Rider, 26-6.
Among NIU's top wrestlers are Bryce West (125), Izzak Olejnik (165), Kenny Moore (174) and Brit Wilson (184). West, Olejnik and Wilson are each ranked fourth in the MAC, while Moore is sixth.
Olejnik is ranked 17th nationally.
"They're much improved," Borrelli said of the Huskies. "The roster that they have now, they've been with them for a little while and they've got some experience in their lineup."
History
CMU is 2-3 all-time in duals against the Hokies; it is 37-22-2 against NIU.
The Chippewas
CMU is coming off a sixth-place finish at the Midlands. Four Chippewas placed at the prestigious tournament, led by Matt Stencel (285) who was second. Drew Hildebrandt (125) was fourth, Logan Parks (157) was fifth, and Dresden Simon (141) was seventh.
Stencel, Hildebrandt and Simon are juniors; Parks is CMU's lone senior.
Parks jumped from 25th to 11th in this week's national rankings after an outstanding showing at the Midlands. He was seeded eighth and knocked off two higher-ranked and higher-seeded wrestlers en route to a 5-2 finish in the two-day event.
Hildebrandt dropped from seventh to 12th in this week's rankings; Stencel remained in the No. 8 spot; and Simon slipped from 17th to 18th.
CMU is 2-1 in duals, the lone loss coming at then-No. 19 Michigan, 22-12, on Nov. 24. The Chippewas defeated No. 25 Lock Haven and No. 20 Rider, both on the road in early December, in their first two MAC duals.
Others
Seven of the 11 other Chippewas who competed in the Midlands won at least one match in the tournament.
Borrelli said it was generally a good performance by all of the Chippewas who competed, and it shows improvement.
"Hopefully it motivates and inspires them to realize that if they fix some things they can be just as good as these guys who are placing," he said.
Next
CMU entertains longtime MAC heavyweight Missouri on Friday, Jan. 17, and then entertains another league rival, SIUE, on Sunday, Jan. 19.
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