Monday, December 19
New Orleans, La.
5 p.m. (ET)
Central Michigan University
vs
No. 21 North Carolina
Veteran Chippewa wrestling coach Tom Borrelli takes his team to New Orleans on Monday and Tuesday for the Collegiate Duals.
Photo by: Keara Chaperon '22
Wrestlers Face Daunting Task at Collegiate Duals
12/18/2022 6:31:00 PM | Wrestling
CMU will take the mat against No. 1 Penn State, No. 21 North Carolina on Monday
NEW ORLEANS – Never one to back down from a challenge, Tom Borrelli and his Central Michigan wrestling team face a daunting two days in New Orleans.
Borrelli and the Chippewas are set to wrestle top-ranked Penn State and No. 21 North Carolina on Monday in the Journeymen Collegiate Duals at the New Orleans Convention Center. CMU will close the event on Tuesday against a to-be-determined opponent.
The Chippewas and Tar Heels are set to begin at 5 p.m. ET; CMU will face the Nittany Lions immediately after.
It would be difficult to find a better field in college wrestling than the 12 teams that are scheduled to compete in New Orleans. The field also includes No. 3 Ohio State, No. 6 Iowa State, No. 8 North Carolina State, No. 13 Cornell, No. 18 Lehigh, No. 22 Northern Iowa and No. 24 Cal Poly. Oregon State, Lock Haven and CMU are the three unranked teams in the event.
"It's a challenge for our guys to compete against real good teams and real good individuals and see where they stand and see what we need to do to improve," said Borrelli, whose team is 0-1 and is scheduled to compete in another strong event on Dec. 29-30 at the Midlands Championships in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
More immediately, the Chippewas will face a pair of loaded teams on Monday. Nine of Penn State's expected starters are ranked nationally, while eight of North Carolina's starters are ranked.
Four Nittany Lions – Roman Bravo-Young (133 pounds), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184), and Greg Kerkvliet (heavyweight) – are ranked No. 1 in their respective weight classes. Two others, Beau Bartlett (141) and Max Dean (197), are ranked fifth.
Of North Carolina's eight ranked wrestlers, two are in the top 10: Austin O'Connor (157), sixth; and Clay Lautt (174), eighth.
Two Chippewas are ranked nationally. Johnny Lovett is 20th at 149 and Corbyn Munson is 31st at 157.
"I really feel like we're a work in progress," Borrelli said. "I think we have a lot of ability and I think we're trying to figure things out as far as how to get the most out of everybody and how to help everyone improve. I think we have a lot of upside."
Borrelli and the Chippewas are set to wrestle top-ranked Penn State and No. 21 North Carolina on Monday in the Journeymen Collegiate Duals at the New Orleans Convention Center. CMU will close the event on Tuesday against a to-be-determined opponent.
The Chippewas and Tar Heels are set to begin at 5 p.m. ET; CMU will face the Nittany Lions immediately after.
It would be difficult to find a better field in college wrestling than the 12 teams that are scheduled to compete in New Orleans. The field also includes No. 3 Ohio State, No. 6 Iowa State, No. 8 North Carolina State, No. 13 Cornell, No. 18 Lehigh, No. 22 Northern Iowa and No. 24 Cal Poly. Oregon State, Lock Haven and CMU are the three unranked teams in the event.
"It's a challenge for our guys to compete against real good teams and real good individuals and see where they stand and see what we need to do to improve," said Borrelli, whose team is 0-1 and is scheduled to compete in another strong event on Dec. 29-30 at the Midlands Championships in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
More immediately, the Chippewas will face a pair of loaded teams on Monday. Nine of Penn State's expected starters are ranked nationally, while eight of North Carolina's starters are ranked.
Four Nittany Lions – Roman Bravo-Young (133 pounds), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184), and Greg Kerkvliet (heavyweight) – are ranked No. 1 in their respective weight classes. Two others, Beau Bartlett (141) and Max Dean (197), are ranked fifth.
Of North Carolina's eight ranked wrestlers, two are in the top 10: Austin O'Connor (157), sixth; and Clay Lautt (174), eighth.
Two Chippewas are ranked nationally. Johnny Lovett is 20th at 149 and Corbyn Munson is 31st at 157.
"I really feel like we're a work in progress," Borrelli said. "I think we have a lot of ability and I think we're trying to figure things out as far as how to get the most out of everybody and how to help everyone improve. I think we have a lot of upside."
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