Wrestlers Drop MAC Dual at NIU

Saturday, January 27

DeKalb, Ill.

2 p.m. ET

Central Michigan University

Northern Illinois

Central Michigan's Alex Cramer (right) posted a 20-5 technical fall victory on Saturday in the Chippewas' dual-meet loss at Northern Illinois.

Photo by: Lauren Verellen '26 - @laurenverellen_photography

1/27/2024 5:23:00 PM | Wrestling

Match-by-Match Results

Chippewas return to the mat on Sunday at SIUE

By: Andy Sneddon

DeKALB, Ill. – Central Michigan dropped seven matches on Saturday in falling to Northern Illinois, 22-10, in a Mid-American Conference wrestling dual at the Huskies' Victor E. Court.

It was CMU's first MAC dual loss of the season. The Chippewas (3-6, 1-1) go to SIUE on Sunday (2 p.m. ET) for another conference dual with the Eagles (5-2, 3-1).

NIU improved to 10-2, 4-1, with its first dual win over the Chippewas since 2020 and just its second since 2003.

NIU won the first three matches by decision in putting the Chippewas into a 9-0 hole. CMU won three of the next four bouts, one on a technical fall, to draw to 12-10.

But NIU responded by winning the final three bouts to pull away.

CMU's wins came from its three nationally ranked wrestlers, Corbyn Munson (149 pounds), Johnny Lovett (157) and Alex Cramer (174).

Five of the Chippewa losses were within three points, and in several of those bouts, CMU led before being overtaken.

"I give a lot of credit to (Northern Illinois)," CMU coach Tom Borrelli said. "They beat us in a lot of real tight matches. They were just tougher than us today and grittier than us today. They outfought us. That's all there is to it.

"125, we're winning that match, a large portion of that match; 133, the same thing, and they came back and beat us; 165, the same thing. You win those three matches, and the whole dual meet's different. They had the guts to come back and get us."

• Munson, who is ranked 16^th by InterMat and eighth by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, posted a 7-1 win over Jaivon Jones, who came in ranked 31^st by InterMat and 30^th by the NWCA.

Munson, who is ranked first in the MAC, improved to 19-4 and ran his win streak to five. Jones is ranked fourth in the MAC.

• Lovett, who is ranked 26^th (InterMat) and 21^st (NWCA), also won his fifth straight and also improved to 19-4, holding off freshman Brett Smith, 5-4.

• Cramer, ranked 28^th and 22^nd, scored a 20-5 technical fall over Ricardo Salinas. It was Cramer's fourth consecutive victory as he improved to 16-7.

It marked his fourth tech fall of the season. All four of his wins during his streak have come with bonus points.

Northern Illinois 22, Central Michigan 10
125: Blake West (N) dec. Sean Spidle, 7-5, NIU 3, CMU 0
133: Michael Kaminski (N) dec. Andrew Austin, 13-10 SV-1, NIU 6, CMU 0
141: Jacob Brya (N) dec. Ja'Kerion Merritt, 5-0, NIU 9, CMU 0
149: Corbyn Munson (C) dec. Jaivon Jones, 7-1, NIU 9, CMU 3
157: Johnny Lovett (C) dec. Brett Smith, 5-4, NIU 9, CMU 5*
165: Tommy Bennett (N) dec. Tyler Swiderski, 5-4, NIU 12, CMU 5
174: Alex Cramer (C) tech. fall Ricardo Salinas, 20-5, 6:12, NIU 12, CMU 10
184: Matt Zuber (N) major dec. Adrien Cramer, 10-2, NIU 16, CMU 10
197: Carter Grewe (N) dec. Cameron Wood, 7-4, NIU 19, CMU 10
285: Jacobi Jackson (N) dec. Bryan Caves, 4-1, NIU 22, CMU 10
*CMU one team point deduction for unsportsmanlike conduct