Simon, Lovett, Stencel Remain Alive At NCAA Championships

Thursday, March 17

Detroit, Mich.

Session 2: 7 p.m.

Central Michigan University

NCAA Championships

CMU's Dresden Simon (left) controls Oklahoma's Jacob Butler on Thursday during a 141-pound match at the NCAA Championships at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw

3/17/2022 10:38:00 PM | Wrestling

Photo Gallery

By: Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

DETROIT – Three Central Michigan wrestlers are still alive and in the hunt for All-America honors after Day 1 of the NCAA Championships at Little Caesars Arena.

Dresden Simon (141 pounds), Johnny Lovett (157) and Matt Stencel (285) each went 1-1 on Thursday and are in the consolation bracket of their respective weight classes. Each can still finish as high as third place.

A top-eight finish earns a wrestler All-America honors. Starting Friday morning in the wrestlebacks means that a wrestler must win three consecutive matches to guarantee a top-eight finish.

"We don't have anybody on the championship side," CMU coach Tom Borrelli said. "That's a little bit disappointing, but we have three guys wrestling (Friday) and we have an opportunity to win matches and continue to move forward. I know our work's cut out for us but at least we're still wrestling.

"It's a little bit disappointing, but this tournament's tough; it's really tough. This year is exceptionally tough. There's a lot of sixth- and seventh-year people that normally wouldn't be here. It's probably the best NCAA Tournament we've had in I don't know how long."

Stencel is vying to become a three-time All-American as he wrestles in his final tournament as a Chippewa. Simon, who is also in his final year, is attempting to become a two-time All-American.

"I think they want to do well in their final tournament," Borrelli said. "I don't know why they would have come back for a sixth year if that wasn't the case. But I don't think that puts any pressure on them. They just have to be themselves."

"I think (experience is) invaluable. Having been here before and having been in those battles before, they know what to expect."

Stencel and Lovett opened with victories on Thursday and then dropped their second-round matches.

• Lovett was pinned by Northwestern's Ryan Deakin, the No. 2 seed, at the 4:35 mark after opening with a 6-5 win over Andrew Cerniglia of Navy,

The 15^th-seeded Lovett (22-7) will wrestle on Friday morning in the consolation bracket against either Derek Holschlag of Northern Iowa or Brady Berge of Penn State. Holschlag is the 33^rd seed; Berge the No. 16.

• Stencel, seeded eighth, fell, 9-2, to ninth-seeded Luke Davison of Northwestern after posting an 8-2 victory over Lock Haven's Isaac Reid in his opening bout.

Stencel (19-5) will next face either Ben Goldin of Penn or Quinn Miller of Virginia. Goldin was seeded 26^th, Miller 23^rd.

• Simon rebounded from a 6-5 loss to Chad Red of Nebraska to post a 14-5 major-decision victory over Oklahoma's Jacob Butler on Thursday night.
Simon (19-6), who is seeded 14^th, is set to take on 20^th-seeded Parker Filius of Purdue on Friday morning.

• CMU junior Corbyn Munson (149), who was seeded 25^th, was eliminated from the tournament with a 12-7 loss to P.J. Ogunsanya, the No. 24 seed. Munson was pinned by Iowa's Max Murin in his opening bout. Munson, a first-time NCAA qualifier, finished 25-10.

"He wrestled well in both of the matches," Borrelli said. "Those guys that he wrestled are pretty good and he's wrestled them both before. That might be the fourth or fifth time that kid from Army has beaten Corbyn and (Munson) gets closer every time. He had a pretty tough draw. He competed better against (them) today than he has in the past."