Central Michigan University Athletics
Friday, January 3
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
7 p.m.
Central Michigan University
16
vs
20
No. 5 Virginia Tech
CMU's Landon Pelham has his arm raised in victory after winning on a pin on Friday in the Chippewas' dual meet with Virginia Tech at McGuirk Arena.
Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf
Chippewas Fall Short Against 5th-Ranked Virginia Tech
1/3/2020 10:40:00 PM | Wrestling
CMU gets a pin from Pelham, a major-decision win from Simon
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Close, awfully close.
The Central Michigan wrestling team won four matches, one by pin, on Friday in giving fifth-ranked Virginia Tech a battle before succumbing, 20-16, in a nonconference dual at McGuirk Arena.
"We had our chances to win the match," said CMU coach Tom Borrelli, whose team is ranked 24th. "There's some positives, obviously, to take from everything, but it's a lot more fun to be successful."
Virginia Tech (5-0) won six of the first eight matches, two of them by major decision, in building a 20-7 lead with two matches remaining. The Chippewas (2-2) got a pin from Landon Pelham at 197 pounds and then a 3-1 victory from Matt Stencel (285) for the final margin.
The pivotal matches came at 133 and at 157, where Virginia Tech took a pair of one-point wins.
Tech's Collin Gerardi, who is ranked 17th nationally, got a reversal with under 20 seconds remaining to top Drew Marten, 7-6, at 133. At 157, No. 16 B.C. LaPrade held off 11th-ranked Logan Parks, 3-2, breaking a 2-2 tie with an escape early in the third period.
"We were right there at 133," Borrelli said. "We give up a reversal with very little time left in that match and if we don't do that, we probably win the match. We pressed the issue (at 157); we just didn't win the match. Those two matches are the difference in the dual meet, really."
Chippewa Winners
CMU got a 3-1 victory at 125 from 12th-ranked Drew Hildebrandt over 13th-ranked Joey Prata to open the dual. CMU's Dresden Simon (141) then posted and 18-4 major-decision victory to give CMU a 7-3 lead.
Pelham's pin, which came at 3:21, was his fourth of the season as he improved to 12-8.
"Right before I went out on the mat, Matt Stencel kind of told me to let it fly tonight, stop holding back," said Pelham, who led his match 8-1 when he recorded the pin. "A lot of (my) good throws, I kind of hesitate and I end up on my butt. Wasn't going to have that tonight. Just kind of went with it and scored some points.
"Coach Borrelli mentioned to me tonight, 'You going to be a hero tonight, is that what you're going to do?' And I kind of try to wrestle with that attitude every night."
Stencel, who is ranked eighth, defeated 18th-ranked John Borst to improve to 18-4 on the season; Hildebrandt is 20-3, and Simon improved to 19-6.
It marked Simon's eighth major-decision victory of the season, and his 11th in which he has scored bonus points.
"Dresden Simon is really coming on," Borrelli said. "He's been scoring a lot of points … I'm happy with the way he's wrestling.
"I think any time you see improvement like that it's their practice habits more than anything else. (Simon has) been working real hard, (Pelham has) been working real hard. It's getting better at things they need to get better at."
Battling the Heavyweights
While Borrelli said that there was plenty on which to build and to be satisfied with in the dual, particularly in light of the fact that the Hokies are the fifth-ranked team in the nation, there is plenty more out there for the Chippewas.
CMU's lineup on Friday featured just one senior, Parks, and five of the 10 CMU wrestlers who took the mat are underclassmen.
"We've been young for the last couple years, it's time to become a little more seasoned," he said. "We can't keep using that as an excuse."
Said Pelham, a junior: "Last year it felt like I was just trying to compete all the time, keep matches close and that gets really old after a while, not coming out on top and not being able to help your teammates. I think we have a really good team; I think we're all disappointed with the result tonight. We all think we're a top-10 team, a top-five team, and I think we kind of proved that tonight.
"We have a team full of guys who are all on the same page, everybody wants to win, nobody wants to lose, and we want to win as a team. We keep doing the right things in the wrestling room ... I think we're going to turn the corner and really surprise some people this year."
Next
The Chippewas are scheduled to depart on Saturday for a trip to DeKalb, Ill. where they will wrestle Northern Illinois in a Mid-American Conference dual on Sunday (3 p.m.).
The Chippewas are 2-0 in MAC duals. Those wins came on an eastern swing when they knocked off MAC newcomers Lock Haven and Rider, who were ranked 25th and 20th, respectively, at the time.
Northern Illinois is 5-3, 2-1 MAC. The Huskies last wrestled at the Midlands Championships last weekend.
"Our guys have to understand that the most important thing is that they're focused for Sunday," Borrelli said. "The next match is the most important thing. We move on from this and try to get better from it. Northern Illinois, they're not chopped liver. We need to be ready to wrestle, because they'll be ready to wrestle us.
"Us going to Northern Illinois is like Virginia Tech coming here. To Northern Illinois, we'll be a team that they're going to make their season on."
Virginia Tech 20, Central Michigan 16
125: Drew Hildebrandt (C) dec. Joey Prata, 3-1
133: Collin Gerardi (VT) dec. Drew Marten, 7-6
141: Dresden Simon (C) major dec. Josh Baier, 18-4
149: Bryce Andonian (VT) dec. Corbyn Munson, 13-8
157: B.C. LaPrade (VT) dec. Logan Parks, 3-2
165: David McFadden (VT) major dec. Tracy Hubbard, 22-9
174: Cody Hughes (VT) dec. Jake Lowell, 7-4
184: Hunter Bolen (VT) major dec. Ben Cushman, 18-4
197: Landon Pelham (C) pinned Stanley Smeltzer, 3:21
285: Matt Stencel (C) dec. John Borst, 3-1
The Central Michigan wrestling team won four matches, one by pin, on Friday in giving fifth-ranked Virginia Tech a battle before succumbing, 20-16, in a nonconference dual at McGuirk Arena.
"We had our chances to win the match," said CMU coach Tom Borrelli, whose team is ranked 24th. "There's some positives, obviously, to take from everything, but it's a lot more fun to be successful."
Virginia Tech (5-0) won six of the first eight matches, two of them by major decision, in building a 20-7 lead with two matches remaining. The Chippewas (2-2) got a pin from Landon Pelham at 197 pounds and then a 3-1 victory from Matt Stencel (285) for the final margin.
The pivotal matches came at 133 and at 157, where Virginia Tech took a pair of one-point wins.
Tech's Collin Gerardi, who is ranked 17th nationally, got a reversal with under 20 seconds remaining to top Drew Marten, 7-6, at 133. At 157, No. 16 B.C. LaPrade held off 11th-ranked Logan Parks, 3-2, breaking a 2-2 tie with an escape early in the third period.
"We were right there at 133," Borrelli said. "We give up a reversal with very little time left in that match and if we don't do that, we probably win the match. We pressed the issue (at 157); we just didn't win the match. Those two matches are the difference in the dual meet, really."
Chippewa Winners
CMU got a 3-1 victory at 125 from 12th-ranked Drew Hildebrandt over 13th-ranked Joey Prata to open the dual. CMU's Dresden Simon (141) then posted and 18-4 major-decision victory to give CMU a 7-3 lead.
Pelham's pin, which came at 3:21, was his fourth of the season as he improved to 12-8.
"Right before I went out on the mat, Matt Stencel kind of told me to let it fly tonight, stop holding back," said Pelham, who led his match 8-1 when he recorded the pin. "A lot of (my) good throws, I kind of hesitate and I end up on my butt. Wasn't going to have that tonight. Just kind of went with it and scored some points.
"Coach Borrelli mentioned to me tonight, 'You going to be a hero tonight, is that what you're going to do?' And I kind of try to wrestle with that attitude every night."
Stencel, who is ranked eighth, defeated 18th-ranked John Borst to improve to 18-4 on the season; Hildebrandt is 20-3, and Simon improved to 19-6.
It marked Simon's eighth major-decision victory of the season, and his 11th in which he has scored bonus points.
"Dresden Simon is really coming on," Borrelli said. "He's been scoring a lot of points … I'm happy with the way he's wrestling.
"I think any time you see improvement like that it's their practice habits more than anything else. (Simon has) been working real hard, (Pelham has) been working real hard. It's getting better at things they need to get better at."
Battling the Heavyweights
While Borrelli said that there was plenty on which to build and to be satisfied with in the dual, particularly in light of the fact that the Hokies are the fifth-ranked team in the nation, there is plenty more out there for the Chippewas.
CMU's lineup on Friday featured just one senior, Parks, and five of the 10 CMU wrestlers who took the mat are underclassmen.
"We've been young for the last couple years, it's time to become a little more seasoned," he said. "We can't keep using that as an excuse."
Said Pelham, a junior: "Last year it felt like I was just trying to compete all the time, keep matches close and that gets really old after a while, not coming out on top and not being able to help your teammates. I think we have a really good team; I think we're all disappointed with the result tonight. We all think we're a top-10 team, a top-five team, and I think we kind of proved that tonight.
"We have a team full of guys who are all on the same page, everybody wants to win, nobody wants to lose, and we want to win as a team. We keep doing the right things in the wrestling room ... I think we're going to turn the corner and really surprise some people this year."
Next
The Chippewas are scheduled to depart on Saturday for a trip to DeKalb, Ill. where they will wrestle Northern Illinois in a Mid-American Conference dual on Sunday (3 p.m.).
The Chippewas are 2-0 in MAC duals. Those wins came on an eastern swing when they knocked off MAC newcomers Lock Haven and Rider, who were ranked 25th and 20th, respectively, at the time.
Northern Illinois is 5-3, 2-1 MAC. The Huskies last wrestled at the Midlands Championships last weekend.
"Our guys have to understand that the most important thing is that they're focused for Sunday," Borrelli said. "The next match is the most important thing. We move on from this and try to get better from it. Northern Illinois, they're not chopped liver. We need to be ready to wrestle, because they'll be ready to wrestle us.
"Us going to Northern Illinois is like Virginia Tech coming here. To Northern Illinois, we'll be a team that they're going to make their season on."
Virginia Tech 20, Central Michigan 16
125: Drew Hildebrandt (C) dec. Joey Prata, 3-1
133: Collin Gerardi (VT) dec. Drew Marten, 7-6
141: Dresden Simon (C) major dec. Josh Baier, 18-4
149: Bryce Andonian (VT) dec. Corbyn Munson, 13-8
157: B.C. LaPrade (VT) dec. Logan Parks, 3-2
165: David McFadden (VT) major dec. Tracy Hubbard, 22-9
174: Cody Hughes (VT) dec. Jake Lowell, 7-4
184: Hunter Bolen (VT) major dec. Ben Cushman, 18-4
197: Landon Pelham (C) pinned Stanley Smeltzer, 3:21
285: Matt Stencel (C) dec. John Borst, 3-1
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