Central Michigan University Athletics
Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf
Stencel Named MAC Wrestler Of The Year
4/14/2020 9:04:00 AM | Wrestling
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Matt Stencel has added another major accomplishment to his ever-growing list.
Stencel, a Central Michigan junior, was named the Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Year on Tuesday, marking the ninth time in program history that a Chippewa has accomplished the feat.
"I'm proud of Matt," said CMU coach Tom Borrelli, who was named the MAC co-Coach of the Year at the league tournament in early March. "He had a great year. He's kind of like the emotional spark of our team. When we have home matches, he's the guy getting everybody pumped up in the hallway (outside McGuirk Arena). The guys on the team really rally around him. It's well deserved."
Stencel was dominant in 2019-20, winning his third-consecutive MAC title at 285 pounds and qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the third-straight year. He earned All-America honors as a sophomore in 2019, placing seventh at the nationals.
The 2020 NCAA Championships were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Stencel was seeded fifth and was ranked fourth nationally by flowrestling.org.
Stencel, who hails from Oregon, Ohio, finished the '19-20 season 30-4 with 15 pins, tying for second in the nation in that category. He enters his senior season fourth in program history with 49 pins. He is 89-25 in his career.
Of Stencel's four losses, three came to second-ranked Mason Parris of Michigan and one came to Iowa's Anthony Cassioppi, who finished the season ranked third. Parris was seeded second and Cassioppi third for the NCAA Championships. Stencel's 5-1 loss to Cassioppi came in the title match at the Midlands Championships in late December. It was his last loss of the season as he closed with a 13-match win streak and won 19 of his last 20 matches.
He went 11-1 in dual meets including 9-0 in league duals.
"I think he improved more this year than I've seen him improve in the past three years," Borrelli said of Stencel who came to CMU as a redshirt freshman in 2016-17. "The setbacks at the beginning of the year, although disappointing, I saw him use those the right way. I saw some maturity in him and also some determination to improve and that's why we were looking forward to the national tournament. He's matured a lot as a student too."
Not having an opportunity to wrestle on the national stage to close the season will serve as a motivator as Stencel goes into his final year as a Chippewa, Borrelli said.
"I really feel like he's gained a lot of confidence in himself," he said. "I don't think there's any reason for him to believe that he can do anything he sets his mind to. Who knows? He's right in the thick of it."
Stencel is the first Chippewa to earn the MAC Wrestler of the Year Award since current assistant coach Ben Bennett in 2012. He is one of six Chippewas to have accomplished the feat, joining three-time winner Wynn Michalak (2006-08), two-time winner Casey Cunningham (1998-99), and Jason Mester (2004) and Ryan Cunningham (2000).
Borrelli, the dean of MAC wrestling coaches and one of the most-respected names in college wrestling, led the Chippewas to an 8-4 dual-meet record (7-2 MAC) and a runner-up finish at the MAC Championships.
Three of his wrestlers – Stencel, Drew Hildebrandt and Dresden Simon – won MAC titles. CMU was the only team to have more than one individual league champion. Six Chippewas qualified for the NCAA Championships.
It marks the 14th time in Borrelli's 29 years at CMU that he has been named the MAC Coach of the Year. He has amassed a 337-151-7 dual-meet record at CMU. His 337 wins are second to Oklahoma State's John Smith among active Division I coaches. He ranks 17th in NCAA history in dual-meet victories.
Stencel, a Central Michigan junior, was named the Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Year on Tuesday, marking the ninth time in program history that a Chippewa has accomplished the feat.
"I'm proud of Matt," said CMU coach Tom Borrelli, who was named the MAC co-Coach of the Year at the league tournament in early March. "He had a great year. He's kind of like the emotional spark of our team. When we have home matches, he's the guy getting everybody pumped up in the hallway (outside McGuirk Arena). The guys on the team really rally around him. It's well deserved."
Stencel was dominant in 2019-20, winning his third-consecutive MAC title at 285 pounds and qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the third-straight year. He earned All-America honors as a sophomore in 2019, placing seventh at the nationals.
The 2020 NCAA Championships were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Stencel was seeded fifth and was ranked fourth nationally by flowrestling.org.
Stencel, who hails from Oregon, Ohio, finished the '19-20 season 30-4 with 15 pins, tying for second in the nation in that category. He enters his senior season fourth in program history with 49 pins. He is 89-25 in his career.
Of Stencel's four losses, three came to second-ranked Mason Parris of Michigan and one came to Iowa's Anthony Cassioppi, who finished the season ranked third. Parris was seeded second and Cassioppi third for the NCAA Championships. Stencel's 5-1 loss to Cassioppi came in the title match at the Midlands Championships in late December. It was his last loss of the season as he closed with a 13-match win streak and won 19 of his last 20 matches.
He went 11-1 in dual meets including 9-0 in league duals.
"I think he improved more this year than I've seen him improve in the past three years," Borrelli said of Stencel who came to CMU as a redshirt freshman in 2016-17. "The setbacks at the beginning of the year, although disappointing, I saw him use those the right way. I saw some maturity in him and also some determination to improve and that's why we were looking forward to the national tournament. He's matured a lot as a student too."
Not having an opportunity to wrestle on the national stage to close the season will serve as a motivator as Stencel goes into his final year as a Chippewa, Borrelli said.
"I really feel like he's gained a lot of confidence in himself," he said. "I don't think there's any reason for him to believe that he can do anything he sets his mind to. Who knows? He's right in the thick of it."
Stencel is the first Chippewa to earn the MAC Wrestler of the Year Award since current assistant coach Ben Bennett in 2012. He is one of six Chippewas to have accomplished the feat, joining three-time winner Wynn Michalak (2006-08), two-time winner Casey Cunningham (1998-99), and Jason Mester (2004) and Ryan Cunningham (2000).
Borrelli, the dean of MAC wrestling coaches and one of the most-respected names in college wrestling, led the Chippewas to an 8-4 dual-meet record (7-2 MAC) and a runner-up finish at the MAC Championships.
Three of his wrestlers – Stencel, Drew Hildebrandt and Dresden Simon – won MAC titles. CMU was the only team to have more than one individual league champion. Six Chippewas qualified for the NCAA Championships.
It marks the 14th time in Borrelli's 29 years at CMU that he has been named the MAC Coach of the Year. He has amassed a 337-151-7 dual-meet record at CMU. His 337 wins are second to Oklahoma State's John Smith among active Division I coaches. He ranks 17th in NCAA history in dual-meet victories.
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