Central Michigan University Athletics
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Field, Seedings Set For NCAA Wrestling Championships
3/10/2022 6:18:00 PM | Wrestling
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The task at hand has come into clear focus for four Central Michigan wrestlers.
The NCAA released its championship brackets and CMU's Matt Stencel is seeded eighth at 285 pounds, Dresden Simon is 14th at 141, Johnny Lovett is 15th at 157, and Corbyn Munson is 25th at 149.
All four are seeded close to where longtime CMU coach Tom Borrelli had estimated that they would be. The tournament runs from Thursday-Saturday, March 17-19, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Stencel, who is 18-4, will open against a familiar foe, Lock Haven's Isaac Reid (20-2). Stencel defeated Reid, 4-2, last weekend to win his record fifth Mid-American Conference title.
The Stencel-Reid winner will take on ninth-seeded Lucas Davison of Northwestern (22-6) or No. 24 Sam Schuyler of Iowa State, 17-6.
That winner reaches the quarterfinal where he will likely encounter top-seed Gable Steveson (13-0) of Minnesota, the defending NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner and the 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist.
It is Stencel's fifth career NCAA Championships berth. He is a two-time All-American.
Simon (18-5), who earned an at-large bid to the tournament after going 1-2 at the MAC Championships, opens against 19th-seeded Chad Red of Nebraska (12-6). Simon defeated Red, 6-3, at the 2021 NCAA tournament. Red went on to finish fifth.
If Simon wins that bout, he would face No. 3-seed Sebastian Rivera of Rutgers (24-0) or 30th-seeded Jacob Butler of Oklahoma (8-13).
It marks the third time that Simon has reached the NCAA Championships. He was an All-American in 2020 when the tournament was cancelled due to COVID and wrestlers received All-America honors from the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
Munson, a junior, is in the NCAA Championships for the first time. He qualified for the tournament with a third-place finish at the MAC Tournament and is 25-7 on the season.
Munson is set to open against the No. 8 seed, Max Murin (12-3) of Iowa. The Munson-Murin winner will take on ninth-seeded Kaden Gfeller (18-2) of Oklahoma State or 24th-seeded PJ Ogunsanya (12-4) of Army.
Lovett (21-6) earned his second consecutive bid to the NCAA Championships by virtue of his runner-up finish at 157 at the MAC Championships.
He is set to open against Andrew Cerniglia (27-7) of Navy. The Lovett-Cerniglia winner gets No. 2-seeded Ryan Deakin (13-0) of Northwestern or Wyatt Sheets (10-8) of Oklahoma State. Deakin finished third at the national tournament a year ago.
The top eight finishers in each weight class at the national tournament earn All-America honors.
The NCAA released its championship brackets and CMU's Matt Stencel is seeded eighth at 285 pounds, Dresden Simon is 14th at 141, Johnny Lovett is 15th at 157, and Corbyn Munson is 25th at 149.
All four are seeded close to where longtime CMU coach Tom Borrelli had estimated that they would be. The tournament runs from Thursday-Saturday, March 17-19, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Stencel, who is 18-4, will open against a familiar foe, Lock Haven's Isaac Reid (20-2). Stencel defeated Reid, 4-2, last weekend to win his record fifth Mid-American Conference title.
The Stencel-Reid winner will take on ninth-seeded Lucas Davison of Northwestern (22-6) or No. 24 Sam Schuyler of Iowa State, 17-6.
That winner reaches the quarterfinal where he will likely encounter top-seed Gable Steveson (13-0) of Minnesota, the defending NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner and the 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist.
It is Stencel's fifth career NCAA Championships berth. He is a two-time All-American.
Simon (18-5), who earned an at-large bid to the tournament after going 1-2 at the MAC Championships, opens against 19th-seeded Chad Red of Nebraska (12-6). Simon defeated Red, 6-3, at the 2021 NCAA tournament. Red went on to finish fifth.
If Simon wins that bout, he would face No. 3-seed Sebastian Rivera of Rutgers (24-0) or 30th-seeded Jacob Butler of Oklahoma (8-13).
It marks the third time that Simon has reached the NCAA Championships. He was an All-American in 2020 when the tournament was cancelled due to COVID and wrestlers received All-America honors from the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
Munson, a junior, is in the NCAA Championships for the first time. He qualified for the tournament with a third-place finish at the MAC Tournament and is 25-7 on the season.
Munson is set to open against the No. 8 seed, Max Murin (12-3) of Iowa. The Munson-Murin winner will take on ninth-seeded Kaden Gfeller (18-2) of Oklahoma State or 24th-seeded PJ Ogunsanya (12-4) of Army.
Lovett (21-6) earned his second consecutive bid to the NCAA Championships by virtue of his runner-up finish at 157 at the MAC Championships.
He is set to open against Andrew Cerniglia (27-7) of Navy. The Lovett-Cerniglia winner gets No. 2-seeded Ryan Deakin (13-0) of Northwestern or Wyatt Sheets (10-8) of Oklahoma State. Deakin finished third at the national tournament a year ago.
The top eight finishers in each weight class at the national tournament earn All-America honors.
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