Wrestlers Step On To National Stage

DETROIT – All the buildup, all the hype, all the posturing is over.

Time to wrestle in the biggest tournament of the year and nothing matters except what happens on the mat.

Four Central Michigan wrestlers will test themselves this weekend against the best of the best at the NCAA Championships at Little Caesars Arena.

CMU's Dresden Simon (141 pounds), Corbyn Munson (149), Johnny Lovett (157) and Matt Stencel (285) are in the field, which comprises 333 wrestlers in 10 weight classes. The top eight in each weight class earn All-America honors.

The three-day tournament gets underway on Thursday at noon and concludes with the title matches on Saturday night.

Stencel is looking to cap his brilliant CMU career with his third podium appearance, while Simon in seeking to become a two-time All-American. Lovett is in the tournament for the second consecutive year, while Munson is a first-time qualifier.

Stencel and Simon are in their respective final seasons of college eligibility, while Munson is a junior and Lovett is a sophomore.

"We've got some experience in the tournament, which is important," veteran CMU coach Tom Borrelli said. "You can't place a value on that."

Stencel
Stencel has qualified for the NCAA Championships for the fifth time. He placed seventh in 2019 to earn All-American honors for the first time, and then was named a First Team All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association when the 2020 tournament was cancelled because of COVID.

Last year, he was seeded third but went a disappointing 1-2 and did not place. The season was cut short because of COVID. He returned in 2022 and won a record fifth Mid-American Conference title two weeks ago.

"I think Matt's ready, as ready as he's ever been going into the tournament," Borrelli said. "I think last year he wasn't ready at all with the shortened season and (dealing with) COVID. He just wasn't ready. This year he's way more ready.

"That's why he wanted to come back. He was the first one to say, 'I'm coming back.' I think he had a bitter taste in his mouth, and he wants to make amends for it."

Stencel, who is seeded eighth, will open with Lock Haven's Isaac Reid, the 25^th seed. Stencel defeated Reid, 4-2, to win the MAC title two weeks ago. The winner will then face either ninth-seeded Lucas Davison of Northwestern or 24^th-seeded Sam Schuyler of Iowa State.

If Stencel wins his first two matches, he will likely face Minnesota's Gable Steveson, the No. 1 seed and the defending champion who is also an Olympic Gold Medalist. Steveson headlines a loaded weight class but, if anything, Stencel has proven over the years that he belongs among the elite.

"I think Matt's a bad draw for anybody in the tournament," Borrelli said. "Heavyweight, that weight class, is probably as good as it's been since I've been coaching."

Simon
Simon enters the tournament perhaps with a chip on his shoulder after a disappointing 1-2 finish at the MAC Tournament two weeks ago when he was the top seed and vying for his third consecutive league title. He earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships.

"I think he'll respond well to that," Borrelli said. "It's like baseball a little bit. You could get beaten badly one night and you play another game the next day. You've got to have a real short memory. I think he's capable of that."

Simon earned his All-America honor in 2020 as selected as a second teamer by the NWCA. He is making his third NCAA appearance. He finished 2-2 in last year's tournament.

Simon, who is seeded 14^th, is set to open against 19^th-seeded Chad Red of Nebraska. Simon defeated Red, 6-3, last season at the NCAA Championships. The Simon-Red winner will face either third-seeded Sebastian Rivera of Rutgers or 30^th-seeded Jacob Butler of Oklahoma in the second round.

Lovett
Lovett is seeded 15^th and will take on 18^th-seeded Andrew Cerniglia of Navy in his opening bout. The Lovett-Cerniglia winner will face No. 2-seed Ryan Deakin of Northwestern or the 31^st seed, Wyatt Sheets of Oklahoma State, in the second round.

Lovett last year was seeded 26^th at the NCAA Championships and stunned Missouri's Jarrett Jacques in the first round, 3-2. He went on to finish 2-2, a solid showing for a first-time participant.

Lovett punched his ticket to the NCAA tournament with a runner-up finish two weeks ago in the MAC Championships. He was seeded No. 1 and lost to No. 2 seed Ben Barton of Lock Haven, 4-2, in overtime in the title match.

Munson
Munson is seeded 25^th and will open with eighth-seeded Max Murin of Iowa. The Munson-Murin winner will face ninth-seeded Kaden Gfeller of Oklahoma State or 24^th-seeded PJ Ogunsanya of Army in the second round.

"I know it's (Munson's) first time here and it's important for him to get this experience and sometimes there's no pressure on you when it's your first time so good things happen," Borrelli said. "He took a big step this year. I think he went from being about .500 last year and winning over 20 matches (this season). He's made a lot of improvements.

"He had a really good MAC Tournament. He wrestled back for third, he had some real gritty matches that he won. I expect him to do the same thing in the national tournament."

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Players Mentioned

Johnny Lovett

Corbyn Munson

Dresden Simon

Matt Stencel