Central Michigan University Athletics
Photo by: Allissa Rusco
Chippewas Go 4-0 In Opening Matches At NCAA Championships
3/18/2021 4:04:00 PM | Wrestling
CMU's Lovett pulls off a shocker
ST. LOUIS – Four Central Michigan wrestlers in the field, four first-round wins.
CMU's Drew Hildebrandt (125 pounds), Dresden Simon (141), Johnny Lovett (157) and Matt Stencel (285) each won his first match of the day on Thursday at the NCAA Championships at the Enterprise Center.
All four are scheduled to wrestle second-round matches on Thursday night.
Lovett, a redshirt freshman who is seeded 26th, stunned Missouri's Jarrett Jacques, 3-2, taking the Tiger junior down early and never relinquishing the lead. Jacques had beaten Lovett twice this season, 8-3 during an early season dual meet and then 14-4 in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Championships three weeks ago.
Next for Lovett is a match with Wyoming's Jacob Wright, the 23rd seed who upset 10th-seeded Justin Thomas of Oklahoma in his first-round match. Wright and Lovett met early this season in a dual with Wright taking a 10-4 win. Lovett is 9-3 on the season.
Hildebrandt, who is seeded fourth, opened with a 3-0 victory over 29th-seed Zurich Storm of Campbell and is slated to square off with Liam Cronin of Nebraska, the 13th seed, on Thursday night.
Simon, who is seeded ninth, posted a dominant 18-6 major-decision victory over Lehigh's Connor McGonagle, the 24th seed. Simon is set to take on eighth-seeded Chad Red of Nebraska on Thursday night.
Stencel, the No. 3 seed, overcame a 5-2 deficit in pinning Binghamton's Joe Doyle, the 30th seed, with 30 seconds remaining in the match.
Stencel and Hildebrandt are both 11-0 on the season, while Simon is 10-1.
CMU's Drew Hildebrandt (125 pounds), Dresden Simon (141), Johnny Lovett (157) and Matt Stencel (285) each won his first match of the day on Thursday at the NCAA Championships at the Enterprise Center.
All four are scheduled to wrestle second-round matches on Thursday night.
Lovett, a redshirt freshman who is seeded 26th, stunned Missouri's Jarrett Jacques, 3-2, taking the Tiger junior down early and never relinquishing the lead. Jacques had beaten Lovett twice this season, 8-3 during an early season dual meet and then 14-4 in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Championships three weeks ago.
Next for Lovett is a match with Wyoming's Jacob Wright, the 23rd seed who upset 10th-seeded Justin Thomas of Oklahoma in his first-round match. Wright and Lovett met early this season in a dual with Wright taking a 10-4 win. Lovett is 9-3 on the season.
Hildebrandt, who is seeded fourth, opened with a 3-0 victory over 29th-seed Zurich Storm of Campbell and is slated to square off with Liam Cronin of Nebraska, the 13th seed, on Thursday night.
Simon, who is seeded ninth, posted a dominant 18-6 major-decision victory over Lehigh's Connor McGonagle, the 24th seed. Simon is set to take on eighth-seeded Chad Red of Nebraska on Thursday night.
Stencel, the No. 3 seed, overcame a 5-2 deficit in pinning Binghamton's Joe Doyle, the 30th seed, with 30 seconds remaining in the match.
Stencel and Hildebrandt are both 11-0 on the season, while Simon is 10-1.
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