Sunday, February 2
Athens, Ohio
1 p.m.
Central Michigan University
16
at
18
Ohio
CMU redshirt freshman Grant Stahl posted a 3-1 victory at 125 pounds on Sunday at Ohio. It was Stahl's first MAC-dual win of the season.
Wrestlers Drop 18-16 MAC Dual at Ohio
2/2/2025 4:11:00 PM | Wrestling
Bobcats turn tables in handing Chippewas their first league dual loss of the season
ATHENS, Ohio – Ohio won four of the final matches on Sunday in handing Central Michigan an 18-16 loss in a Mid-American Conference dual meet at the Bobcats' Convocation Center.
It was the Chippewas' fourth consecutive dual loss and their first in the league this season. CMU is 4-9, 2-1 MAC and goes to Edinboro and then to Buffalo next weekend for conference duals.
CMU defeated the Bobcats, 34-3, three weeks ago at the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Ohio improved to 6-3, 4-1 with Sunday's win, it's first over the Chippewas since 2019.
"Both of us had a little bit different look in our lineups this time," CMU coach Ben Bennett said. "Ohio, they always have a tough team and we knew it was going to be a fight. No one wants to lose in their home gym and we knew they were going to give us their best. They wrestled well and came out with wins in matches that we were able to win last time."
The Chippewas were wrestling without two starters, 149-pounder Mason Shrader and 165-pounder Tyler Swiderski.
They got decision victories from Grant Stahl (125) and Andrew Austin (141) and a major decision win from Sean Spidle (133) in building a 10-0 lead.
After Ohio won by technical fall at 149 to draw to 10-5, CMU's Johnny Lovett (157) delivered a win by decision to increase the lead to 13-5.
Ohio then got three consecutive wins, the biggest at 174 where Garrett Thompson, who is ranked eighth nationally, scored a 13-1 major decision win over eighth-ranked Alex Cramer.
Cramer had won the last three consecutive meetings with Thompson, who came out of the chute quickly with a first-period takedown followed by a four-point near fall on the two-time defending MAC champion Cramer.
"He wrestled a good match," Bennett said of Thompson, who is ranked No. 1 in the MAC while Cramer is ranked second. "He got to Alex's leg and caught him in a bottom leg turk and that's a tough position to fight from and Alex fought it off for a minute and half off his back and that takes a lot out of you. Then it's an uphill battle from there.
"He kept fighting but when you're wrestling a good kid like that, it's hard to score those points and make that comeback. Those things happen to you sometimes. It's part of it. You just have to be able to move forward and regroup and be ready to go the next time around.
"Sometimes things not going your way is the best thing that can happen for you.
"It's better to have that happen now than in the postseason. Sometimes it helps you to refocus and it takes the pressure off of you."
Those three wins put Ohio up, 15-13. Luke Cochran then posted a 4-2 win at 197 to put CMU back in front, 16-15.
Ohio's Jordan Greer, who is ranked 21st nationally at 285, then defeated Bryan Caves, 4-1, in the final bout of the day to give the Bobcats three team points and the victory.
"Sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don't, but you've got to learn from them and take it the right way and get better from it," Bennett said. "I know our guys will take this the right way.
"They'll make improvements, they'll get back to work and they'll keep moving forward. That's the most important part about facing some adversity, responding the right way. That's what we're focused on, responding the right way and getting back to work, making some improvements and keep moving forward."
Ohio 18, Central Michigan 16
125: Grant Stahl (C) dec. Ryan Meek, 3-1, CMU 3, Ohio 0
133: No. 24 Sean Spidle (C) major dec. Kolton Barker, 12-1, CMU 7, Ohio 0
141: Andrew Austin (C) dec. Kaden Jett, 5-1, CMU 10, Ohio 0
149: Derek Raike (O) tech. fall Kellan Aure, 22-4, CMU 10, Ohio 5
157: No. 17 Johnny Lovett (C) dec. Logan Cravatas, 8-2, CMU 13, Ohio 5
165: Jack Lledo (O) dec. Chandler Amaker, 4-2, CMU 13, Ohio 8
174: No. 8 Garrett Thompson (O) major dec. No. 7 Alex Cramer, 13-1, CMU 13, Ohio 12
184: Jeremy Olszko (O) dec. Adrien Cramer, 5-1, Ohio 15, CMU 13
197: Luke Cochran (C) dec. Austin Starr, 4-2, CMU 16, Ohio 15
285: No. 21 Jordan Greer (O) dec. Bryan Caves, 4-1, Ohio 18, CMU 16
*Rankings by FloWrestling
It was the Chippewas' fourth consecutive dual loss and their first in the league this season. CMU is 4-9, 2-1 MAC and goes to Edinboro and then to Buffalo next weekend for conference duals.
CMU defeated the Bobcats, 34-3, three weeks ago at the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Ohio improved to 6-3, 4-1 with Sunday's win, it's first over the Chippewas since 2019.
"Both of us had a little bit different look in our lineups this time," CMU coach Ben Bennett said. "Ohio, they always have a tough team and we knew it was going to be a fight. No one wants to lose in their home gym and we knew they were going to give us their best. They wrestled well and came out with wins in matches that we were able to win last time."
The Chippewas were wrestling without two starters, 149-pounder Mason Shrader and 165-pounder Tyler Swiderski.
They got decision victories from Grant Stahl (125) and Andrew Austin (141) and a major decision win from Sean Spidle (133) in building a 10-0 lead.
After Ohio won by technical fall at 149 to draw to 10-5, CMU's Johnny Lovett (157) delivered a win by decision to increase the lead to 13-5.
Ohio then got three consecutive wins, the biggest at 174 where Garrett Thompson, who is ranked eighth nationally, scored a 13-1 major decision win over eighth-ranked Alex Cramer.
Cramer had won the last three consecutive meetings with Thompson, who came out of the chute quickly with a first-period takedown followed by a four-point near fall on the two-time defending MAC champion Cramer.
"He wrestled a good match," Bennett said of Thompson, who is ranked No. 1 in the MAC while Cramer is ranked second. "He got to Alex's leg and caught him in a bottom leg turk and that's a tough position to fight from and Alex fought it off for a minute and half off his back and that takes a lot out of you. Then it's an uphill battle from there.
"He kept fighting but when you're wrestling a good kid like that, it's hard to score those points and make that comeback. Those things happen to you sometimes. It's part of it. You just have to be able to move forward and regroup and be ready to go the next time around.
"Sometimes things not going your way is the best thing that can happen for you.
"It's better to have that happen now than in the postseason. Sometimes it helps you to refocus and it takes the pressure off of you."
Those three wins put Ohio up, 15-13. Luke Cochran then posted a 4-2 win at 197 to put CMU back in front, 16-15.
Ohio's Jordan Greer, who is ranked 21st nationally at 285, then defeated Bryan Caves, 4-1, in the final bout of the day to give the Bobcats three team points and the victory.
"Sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don't, but you've got to learn from them and take it the right way and get better from it," Bennett said. "I know our guys will take this the right way.
"They'll make improvements, they'll get back to work and they'll keep moving forward. That's the most important part about facing some adversity, responding the right way. That's what we're focused on, responding the right way and getting back to work, making some improvements and keep moving forward."
Ohio 18, Central Michigan 16
125: Grant Stahl (C) dec. Ryan Meek, 3-1, CMU 3, Ohio 0
133: No. 24 Sean Spidle (C) major dec. Kolton Barker, 12-1, CMU 7, Ohio 0
141: Andrew Austin (C) dec. Kaden Jett, 5-1, CMU 10, Ohio 0
149: Derek Raike (O) tech. fall Kellan Aure, 22-4, CMU 10, Ohio 5
157: No. 17 Johnny Lovett (C) dec. Logan Cravatas, 8-2, CMU 13, Ohio 5
165: Jack Lledo (O) dec. Chandler Amaker, 4-2, CMU 13, Ohio 8
174: No. 8 Garrett Thompson (O) major dec. No. 7 Alex Cramer, 13-1, CMU 13, Ohio 12
184: Jeremy Olszko (O) dec. Adrien Cramer, 5-1, Ohio 15, CMU 13
197: Luke Cochran (C) dec. Austin Starr, 4-2, CMU 16, Ohio 15
285: No. 21 Jordan Greer (O) dec. Bryan Caves, 4-1, Ohio 18, CMU 16
*Rankings by FloWrestling
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