Central Michigan University Athletics
Veteran CMU coach Tom Borrelli's Chippewas, who are the two-time defending MAC West champions, were picked to finish second in the MAC poll.
Photo by: Lauren Verellen '26 - @laurenverellen_photography
Wrestling Second in MAC Preseason Poll
11/1/2023 9:09:00 PM | Wrestling
Three Chippewas ranked No. 1: Johnny Lovett (157 pounds), Alex Cramer (174), Bryan Caves (285)
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The top of the Mid-American Conference when it comes to wrestling looks very familiar to the way it looked last March after the league tournament.
Central Michigan was picked to finish second behind Lock Haven in the WrestleStat preseason poll, released by the conference on Wednesday.
Lock Haven placed first in the MAC Championships in March with 112.5 points, while the Chippewas were second with 110.
Lock Haven received 126.5 points to finish first in the WrestleStat poll. The Chippewas had 119. Cleveland State (86.5) was third in the 13-team league.
Three Chippewas are ranked first in their respective weight classes. Two, seniors Alex Cramer and Johnny Lovett, are defending champions.
Cramer is ranked first at 174 pounds, while Lovett is first at 157 after winning the 149-pound title last season. CMU's other top-ranked wrestler is Bryan Caves (285), who last season placed third in the MAC Championships.
Four other Chippewas are ranked in the top five: Senior Vince Perez is fifth at 133; senior Corbyn Munson is third at 149; graduate student Tracy Hubbard is second at 165; and redshirt sophomore Cameron Wood is third at 197.
CMU's Adrien Cramer, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Maryland, is ranked eighth at 184; redshirt sophomore Sean Spidle is sixth at 125; and sophomore Jimmy Nugent is 13th at 141.
The other No. 1-ranked wrestlers by weight class: 125-Anthony Noto, Lock Haven; 133-Gabe Strickland, Lock Haven; 141-Josh Mason, Bloomsburg; 149-Nathan Higley, George Mason; 165-Avery Bassett, Lock Haven; 184-Zayne Lehman, Ohio; 197-Ben Smith, Cleveland State.
Noto and Strickland are the defending MAC champions in their respective weight classes. Mason, Higley and Lehman each finished second last season in theirs.
The Chippewas posted a 5-1 MAC-dual record last season to share the West Division title, their second straight, with Northern Illinois. Rider is the defending MAC East champion.
The West comprises CMU, NIU, Buffalo, Ohio, SIUE and Kent State. Rider, Lock Haven, Clarion, Cleveland State, George Mason, Edinboro and Bloomsburg make up the East.
CMU is scheduled to open the season on Thursday, Nov. 9, with a nonconference dual with Oklahoma at McGuirk Arena. CMU is slated to entertain Edinboro on Jan. 21, 2024, in its first MAC dual.
The MAC Championships are scheduled for March 8-9, 2024, at Kent State.
The poll:
1-Lock Haven, 126.5 points
2-CMU, 119
3-Cleveland State, 86.5
4-Rider, 82.5
5-Ohio, 81
6-Clarion, 73.5
7-George Mason, 70.5
8-Northern Illinois, 54
9-SIUE, 47
10-Buffalo, 42
11-Kent State, 32
11-Edinboro, 32
13-Bloomsburg, 28.5
Central Michigan was picked to finish second behind Lock Haven in the WrestleStat preseason poll, released by the conference on Wednesday.
Lock Haven placed first in the MAC Championships in March with 112.5 points, while the Chippewas were second with 110.
Lock Haven received 126.5 points to finish first in the WrestleStat poll. The Chippewas had 119. Cleveland State (86.5) was third in the 13-team league.
Three Chippewas are ranked first in their respective weight classes. Two, seniors Alex Cramer and Johnny Lovett, are defending champions.
Cramer is ranked first at 174 pounds, while Lovett is first at 157 after winning the 149-pound title last season. CMU's other top-ranked wrestler is Bryan Caves (285), who last season placed third in the MAC Championships.
Four other Chippewas are ranked in the top five: Senior Vince Perez is fifth at 133; senior Corbyn Munson is third at 149; graduate student Tracy Hubbard is second at 165; and redshirt sophomore Cameron Wood is third at 197.
CMU's Adrien Cramer, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Maryland, is ranked eighth at 184; redshirt sophomore Sean Spidle is sixth at 125; and sophomore Jimmy Nugent is 13th at 141.
The other No. 1-ranked wrestlers by weight class: 125-Anthony Noto, Lock Haven; 133-Gabe Strickland, Lock Haven; 141-Josh Mason, Bloomsburg; 149-Nathan Higley, George Mason; 165-Avery Bassett, Lock Haven; 184-Zayne Lehman, Ohio; 197-Ben Smith, Cleveland State.
Noto and Strickland are the defending MAC champions in their respective weight classes. Mason, Higley and Lehman each finished second last season in theirs.
The Chippewas posted a 5-1 MAC-dual record last season to share the West Division title, their second straight, with Northern Illinois. Rider is the defending MAC East champion.
The West comprises CMU, NIU, Buffalo, Ohio, SIUE and Kent State. Rider, Lock Haven, Clarion, Cleveland State, George Mason, Edinboro and Bloomsburg make up the East.
CMU is scheduled to open the season on Thursday, Nov. 9, with a nonconference dual with Oklahoma at McGuirk Arena. CMU is slated to entertain Edinboro on Jan. 21, 2024, in its first MAC dual.
The MAC Championships are scheduled for March 8-9, 2024, at Kent State.
The poll:
1-Lock Haven, 126.5 points
2-CMU, 119
3-Cleveland State, 86.5
4-Rider, 82.5
5-Ohio, 81
6-Clarion, 73.5
7-George Mason, 70.5
8-Northern Illinois, 54
9-SIUE, 47
10-Buffalo, 42
11-Kent State, 32
11-Edinboro, 32
13-Bloomsburg, 28.5
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