Central Michigan University Athletics
Friday, February 16
Kent, Ohio
7 p.m.
Central Michigan University
25
at
15
Kent State
Redshirt sophomore Mason Shrader stepped into the lineup at 165 pounds on Friday, posting an 11-5 victory as the Chippewas downed Kent State in a MAC dual.
Photo by: Sam Janicki
Shorthanded Wrestlers Down Kent State 25-15 in MAC Dual
2/16/2024 10:17:00 PM | Wrestling
CMU runs win streak to 4; goes to Clarion on Sunday for final MAC dual of the season
KENT, Ohio – Central Michigan won five of the first six matches, scoring bonus points in three of them, in building a big lead on Friday in downing Kent State, 25-15, in a Mid-American Conference wrestling dual at the Golden Flashes' Memorial and Athletic Convention Center.
It was CMU's fourth consecutive win as it improved to 7-6, 5-1 MAC. The Chippewas wrestle at Clarion on Sunday, Feb. 18 (2 p.m.) in their final league dual of the season. Kent State is 5-15, 1-5.
Sean Spidle (125 pounds) and Johnny Lovett (157) won by technical fall and Jimmy Nugent (141) recorded a pin as the Chippewas built a 22-3 lead through six matches.
The Chippewas needed those big early wins as three starters – Corbyn Munson (149), Tyler Swiderski (165) and Alex Cramer (174) – sat out the duel.
Up stepped three backups -- Trenton Wachter (149), Mason Shrader (165) and Chandler Amaker (174) – who delivered two victories between them. Wachter posted a 6-3 overtime win, and Shrader scored an 11-5 victory.
It marked just the second time this season that Wachter and Shrader have wrestled in a dual, and the first time for Amaker. All three are redshirt sophomores.
Amaker was pinned late in the match by senior AJ Burkhart, who is ranked seventh in the MAC. Amaker started the season wrestling as a backup at 157; he has wrestled at 165 and 174 this season.
Wachter and Shrader "came through for the team this weekend and we're going to need a little more out of them on Sunday," CMU coach Tom Borrelli said. "You don't know what to expect because it's their first experience in something like that and they did well. They did really well.
"Even (Amaker) moving up to 74; he was in on the takedown and got put on his back and got pinned really late in the match. He wrestled well too."
Wachter rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Matt Ryan, 6-3, with a takedown with 50 seconds left in the extra session.
Shrader, who normally wrestles at 157, bumped up to 165 where he posted an 11-5 win over Aaron Ferguson, who is ranked fourth in the MAC.
Shrader trailed, 5-4, after one period and then escaped seconds into the second period to tie it, 5-5. He then took control of the match, winning for the 13th time in his last 14 matches and improving to 22-4 on the season.
Adrien Cramer (184) posted a 5-1 win to up CMU's lead to 25-9 and clinch the dual. His win proved important as the Chippewas dropped the final two matches on decisions to lower-ranked opponents.
CMU's Cameron Wood (197), who is ranked third in the MAC, fell to fifth-ranked Blake Schaffer; and the Chippewas' Bryan Caves (285), who is ranked fourth, dropped a decision to 10th-ranked Josh Boggan.
"Knowing that you don't have three starters this weekend in the lineup, that puts a little bit of pressure on those other guys, like Spidle and Nugent and Lovett, and those guys came through for us," Borrelli said. "I just feel like the whole team had some pressure on it tonight and they performed for the most part. It was a good team win."
Nugent's pin was his sixth of the season as he won for the sixth time in his last seven matches to improve to 16-7. It was his ninth bonus-point victory of the season.
Lovett improved to 22-5 with his third tech fall of the season as he won for the eighth time in his last nine bouts. Of his 22 wins, 12 have come with bonus points.
Spidle ran his win streak to four with his fourth tech fall of the season. He has scored bonus points in his last three wins.
Central Michigan 25, Kent State 15
125: Sean Spidle (C) tech fall Adam Benavidez, 15-0, 3:49, CMU 5, Kent State 0
133: Pablo Castro (K) dec. Vince Perez, 8-1, CMU 5, Kent State 3
141: Jimmy Nugent (C) pin Billy Meiszner, 6:30, CMU 11, Kent State 3
149: Trenton Wachter (C) dec. Matt Ryan, 6-3 SV, CMU 14, Kent State 3
157: Johnny Lovett (C) tech. fall Ethan Barr, 19-3, 5:15, CMU 19, Kent State 3
165: Mason Shrader (C) dec. Aaron Ferguson, 11-5, CMU 22, Kent State 3
174: AJ Burkhart (K) pin Chandler Amaker, 6:41, CMU 22, Kent State 9
184: Adrien Cramer (C) dec. Mitchell Broskie, 5-1, CMU 25, Kent State 9
197: Blake Schaffer (K) dec. Cameron Wood, 10-6, CMU 25, Kent State 12
285: Josh Boggan (K) dec. Bryan Caves, 9-4, CMU 25, Kent State 15
It was CMU's fourth consecutive win as it improved to 7-6, 5-1 MAC. The Chippewas wrestle at Clarion on Sunday, Feb. 18 (2 p.m.) in their final league dual of the season. Kent State is 5-15, 1-5.
Sean Spidle (125 pounds) and Johnny Lovett (157) won by technical fall and Jimmy Nugent (141) recorded a pin as the Chippewas built a 22-3 lead through six matches.
The Chippewas needed those big early wins as three starters – Corbyn Munson (149), Tyler Swiderski (165) and Alex Cramer (174) – sat out the duel.
Up stepped three backups -- Trenton Wachter (149), Mason Shrader (165) and Chandler Amaker (174) – who delivered two victories between them. Wachter posted a 6-3 overtime win, and Shrader scored an 11-5 victory.
It marked just the second time this season that Wachter and Shrader have wrestled in a dual, and the first time for Amaker. All three are redshirt sophomores.
Amaker was pinned late in the match by senior AJ Burkhart, who is ranked seventh in the MAC. Amaker started the season wrestling as a backup at 157; he has wrestled at 165 and 174 this season.
Wachter and Shrader "came through for the team this weekend and we're going to need a little more out of them on Sunday," CMU coach Tom Borrelli said. "You don't know what to expect because it's their first experience in something like that and they did well. They did really well.
"Even (Amaker) moving up to 74; he was in on the takedown and got put on his back and got pinned really late in the match. He wrestled well too."
Wachter rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Matt Ryan, 6-3, with a takedown with 50 seconds left in the extra session.
Shrader, who normally wrestles at 157, bumped up to 165 where he posted an 11-5 win over Aaron Ferguson, who is ranked fourth in the MAC.
Shrader trailed, 5-4, after one period and then escaped seconds into the second period to tie it, 5-5. He then took control of the match, winning for the 13th time in his last 14 matches and improving to 22-4 on the season.
Adrien Cramer (184) posted a 5-1 win to up CMU's lead to 25-9 and clinch the dual. His win proved important as the Chippewas dropped the final two matches on decisions to lower-ranked opponents.
CMU's Cameron Wood (197), who is ranked third in the MAC, fell to fifth-ranked Blake Schaffer; and the Chippewas' Bryan Caves (285), who is ranked fourth, dropped a decision to 10th-ranked Josh Boggan.
"Knowing that you don't have three starters this weekend in the lineup, that puts a little bit of pressure on those other guys, like Spidle and Nugent and Lovett, and those guys came through for us," Borrelli said. "I just feel like the whole team had some pressure on it tonight and they performed for the most part. It was a good team win."
Nugent's pin was his sixth of the season as he won for the sixth time in his last seven matches to improve to 16-7. It was his ninth bonus-point victory of the season.
Lovett improved to 22-5 with his third tech fall of the season as he won for the eighth time in his last nine bouts. Of his 22 wins, 12 have come with bonus points.
Spidle ran his win streak to four with his fourth tech fall of the season. He has scored bonus points in his last three wins.
Central Michigan 25, Kent State 15
125: Sean Spidle (C) tech fall Adam Benavidez, 15-0, 3:49, CMU 5, Kent State 0
133: Pablo Castro (K) dec. Vince Perez, 8-1, CMU 5, Kent State 3
141: Jimmy Nugent (C) pin Billy Meiszner, 6:30, CMU 11, Kent State 3
149: Trenton Wachter (C) dec. Matt Ryan, 6-3 SV, CMU 14, Kent State 3
157: Johnny Lovett (C) tech. fall Ethan Barr, 19-3, 5:15, CMU 19, Kent State 3
165: Mason Shrader (C) dec. Aaron Ferguson, 11-5, CMU 22, Kent State 3
174: AJ Burkhart (K) pin Chandler Amaker, 6:41, CMU 22, Kent State 9
184: Adrien Cramer (C) dec. Mitchell Broskie, 5-1, CMU 25, Kent State 9
197: Blake Schaffer (K) dec. Cameron Wood, 10-6, CMU 25, Kent State 12
285: Josh Boggan (K) dec. Bryan Caves, 9-4, CMU 25, Kent State 15
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