Central Michigan University Athletics
Sunday, January 17
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
2 p.m.
Central Michigan University
vs
Northern Illinois
Photo by: Justice Ottinger
CMU Wrestlers Welcome NIU For MAC Dual On Sunday
1/15/2021 6:03:00 PM | Wrestling
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan wrestling team returns to the mat on Sunday (2 p.m.) when it plays host to Northern Illinois in a Mid-American Conference dual meet at McGuirk Arena.
The Chippewas are 1-2, 0-1 MAC in duals having dropped a pair last weekend at Missouri. CMU fell to ninth-ranked Missouri, 30-6, and to Wyoming, 24-12. The Chippewas entered the double-dual ranked 21st and this week are among others receiving votes in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Top 25 poll.
The Huskies are 2-0, 1-0. They opened the season last weekend with a double-dual at Southern Illinois Edwardsville where they defeated the host Cougars, 18-16, in a MAC dual, and topped Bellarmine, 46-0, in a nonleaguer.
Chippewa Rankings
Four Chippewas are ranked nationally by flowrestling.org. Two-time All-American and three-time MAC champion Matt Stencel is fourth at 285 pounds, while Drew Hildebrandt (125) is sixth, Dresden Simon (141) is 12th, and Drew Marten (133) is 20th.
Both Hildebrandt and Simon are defending MAC champions in their respective weight classes and were All-Americans a year ago. Those two, along with Stencel, are among the five returning national qualifiers who likely will be in CMU's lineup on Sunday. The others are Marten and Landon Pelham (197).
Scouting NIU
The Huskies' strength appears to be in the heavier weights. Sophomore Izzak Olejnik is ranked 20th at 165, junior Brit Wilson is 17th at 184, sophomore Gage Braun is 21st at 197, and Max Ihry is 25th at 285.
Wilson is the defending MAC champion at 184; he became the first Huskie to capture a league title since 2016 when he won the tournament in NIU's Convocation Center last March. Wilson, Olejnik and Braun were 2020 NCAA qualifiers.
The Huskies lost four of the first five matches in their dual last weekend with SIUE, then won four of the last five to pull out the victory. Olejnik started the rally with a win at 165, Wilson recorded a pin which proved to be the difference in the dual, and Braun also won.
Next
The Chippewas are scheduled to go to Clarion on Saturday, Jan. 23, for a MAC quad with the host Golden Eagles, Kent State and SIUE.
The Chippewas are 1-2, 0-1 MAC in duals having dropped a pair last weekend at Missouri. CMU fell to ninth-ranked Missouri, 30-6, and to Wyoming, 24-12. The Chippewas entered the double-dual ranked 21st and this week are among others receiving votes in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Top 25 poll.
The Huskies are 2-0, 1-0. They opened the season last weekend with a double-dual at Southern Illinois Edwardsville where they defeated the host Cougars, 18-16, in a MAC dual, and topped Bellarmine, 46-0, in a nonleaguer.
Chippewa Rankings
Four Chippewas are ranked nationally by flowrestling.org. Two-time All-American and three-time MAC champion Matt Stencel is fourth at 285 pounds, while Drew Hildebrandt (125) is sixth, Dresden Simon (141) is 12th, and Drew Marten (133) is 20th.
Both Hildebrandt and Simon are defending MAC champions in their respective weight classes and were All-Americans a year ago. Those two, along with Stencel, are among the five returning national qualifiers who likely will be in CMU's lineup on Sunday. The others are Marten and Landon Pelham (197).
Scouting NIU
The Huskies' strength appears to be in the heavier weights. Sophomore Izzak Olejnik is ranked 20th at 165, junior Brit Wilson is 17th at 184, sophomore Gage Braun is 21st at 197, and Max Ihry is 25th at 285.
Wilson is the defending MAC champion at 184; he became the first Huskie to capture a league title since 2016 when he won the tournament in NIU's Convocation Center last March. Wilson, Olejnik and Braun were 2020 NCAA qualifiers.
The Huskies lost four of the first five matches in their dual last weekend with SIUE, then won four of the last five to pull out the victory. Olejnik started the rally with a win at 165, Wilson recorded a pin which proved to be the difference in the dual, and Braun also won.
Next
The Chippewas are scheduled to go to Clarion on Saturday, Jan. 23, for a MAC quad with the host Golden Eagles, Kent State and SIUE.
Players Mentioned
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