Sunday, February 9
Buffalo, NY
Noon
Central Michigan University
26
at
6
Buffalo
CMU's Johnny Lovett moved into seventh place on CMU's all-time win list with the 125th victory of his career on Sunday at Buffalo.
Photo by: Lauren Verellen '26 - @laurenverellen_photography
Lovett's 125th Career Win Highlights Wrestling's MAC Win at Buffalo
2/9/2025 3:07:00 PM | Wrestling
Chippewas improve to 4-1 in MAC duals with 26-6 vctory; Spidle, Lovett post bonus-point wins
BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Central Michigan wrestling team won eight matches on Sunday in downing Buffalo, 26-6 in a Mid-American Conference dual meet at the Bulls' Alumni Arena.
The win completed a weekend sweep of MAC duals for the Chippewas – they won at Edinboro, 23-10, on Friday – as they improved to 6-9, 4-1 MAC. CMU entertains Kent State in a MAC dual on Thursday, Feb. 13.
The Chippewas got major-decision victories on Sunday from Sean Spidle (133 pounds) and Johnny Lovett (157).
Spidle posted a 9-0 win, completing a weekend in which he did not allow a point in going 2-0 and running his win streak to eight matches. Lovett rolled to a 14-2 win, marking the 125th victory of his career and his 11th straight.
He is one of 29 Chippewa wrestlers to win 100 matches and he ranks seventh in career wins in program history. His milestone victory came less than 48 hours after teammate Alex Cramer won the 100th match of his career.
Both are graduate students who have combined to qualify for the NCAA Championships seven times in their respective careers. They are also the Chippewas' co-captains.
"I'm excited for both Johnny and Alex," said CMU coach Ben Bennett, who now ranks eighth in program history with 121 victories. "Those guys have meant a lot to our program over the past few years. Those guys are steady and you know what you're going to get with them every time they go out there and compete. It's been fun coaching those two."
The Bulls' Max Elton won the day's opening bout at 125 and then the Chippewas won six consecutive matches, capped by Cramer's 4-3 win at 174, in seizing a 20-3 lead.
CMU also got decision victories from Kellan Aure (141), Mason Shrader (149), Chandler Amaker (165), Luke Cochran (197) and Bryan Caves (285).
"As a whole I felt like we were pretty steady," Bennett said. "We were down early in a couple matches and guys just kept working, they kept fighting, and they figured out how to get to their offense and win the match.
"They did a good job when they were in some tight situations and they were able to execute. They didn't panic, they kept wrestling, they stayed focused, and if you can do that, things usually work out for you."
Shrader trailed 3-2 entering the third period and then rode his opponent for the entire two-minute period to tie the match, 3-3, and send it to sudden victory. Shrader then scored a takedown with 37 seconds remaining in the extra period.
Cochran posted his second straight relatively high-scoring win after a back-and-forth battle. After posting a 14-11 win in sudden victory on Friday at Edinboro, Cochran on Sunday came from behind to hold off Buffalo's Lonnell Pabon and score a 9-6 win.
"He had two matches where (his opponents) made him earn the win," Bennett said. "(Pabon) came out and got a takedown and he had to have some composure and he stayed focused and he figured out how to get to his offense – some things we've been working on in practice and he executed those things. It paid off for him."
Central Michigan 26, Buffalo 6
125: Max Elton (B) dec. Grant Stahl, 4-2, Buffalo 3, CMU 0
133: No. 25 Sean Spidle (C) major dec. Troy Guerra, 9-0, CMU 4, Buffalo 3
141: Kellan Aure (C) dec. Andy Lucinsky, 1-0, CMU 7, Buffalo 3
149: No. 31 Mason Shrader (C) vs. Sam Ewing, 6-3 SV, CMU 10, Buffalo 3
157: No. 17 Johnny Lovett (C) major dec. Kaleb Burgess, 14-2, CMU 14, Buffalo 3
165: Chandler Amaker (C) dec. Hunter Shaut, 6-0, CMU 17, Buffalo 3
174: No. 8 Alex Cramer (C) dec. Rafael Knapp, 4-3, CMU 20, Buffalo 3
184: Marcus Petite (B) dec. Adrien Cramer, 9-3, CMU 20, Buffalo 6
197: Luke Cochran (C) dec. Lonnell Pabon, 9-6, CMU 23, Buffalo 6
285: Bryan Caves (C) dec. Robbie Unruh, 8-1 CMU 26, Buffalo 6
*National rankings by FloWrestling
The win completed a weekend sweep of MAC duals for the Chippewas – they won at Edinboro, 23-10, on Friday – as they improved to 6-9, 4-1 MAC. CMU entertains Kent State in a MAC dual on Thursday, Feb. 13.
The Chippewas got major-decision victories on Sunday from Sean Spidle (133 pounds) and Johnny Lovett (157).
Spidle posted a 9-0 win, completing a weekend in which he did not allow a point in going 2-0 and running his win streak to eight matches. Lovett rolled to a 14-2 win, marking the 125th victory of his career and his 11th straight.
He is one of 29 Chippewa wrestlers to win 100 matches and he ranks seventh in career wins in program history. His milestone victory came less than 48 hours after teammate Alex Cramer won the 100th match of his career.
Both are graduate students who have combined to qualify for the NCAA Championships seven times in their respective careers. They are also the Chippewas' co-captains.
"I'm excited for both Johnny and Alex," said CMU coach Ben Bennett, who now ranks eighth in program history with 121 victories. "Those guys have meant a lot to our program over the past few years. Those guys are steady and you know what you're going to get with them every time they go out there and compete. It's been fun coaching those two."
The Bulls' Max Elton won the day's opening bout at 125 and then the Chippewas won six consecutive matches, capped by Cramer's 4-3 win at 174, in seizing a 20-3 lead.
CMU also got decision victories from Kellan Aure (141), Mason Shrader (149), Chandler Amaker (165), Luke Cochran (197) and Bryan Caves (285).
"As a whole I felt like we were pretty steady," Bennett said. "We were down early in a couple matches and guys just kept working, they kept fighting, and they figured out how to get to their offense and win the match.
"They did a good job when they were in some tight situations and they were able to execute. They didn't panic, they kept wrestling, they stayed focused, and if you can do that, things usually work out for you."
Shrader trailed 3-2 entering the third period and then rode his opponent for the entire two-minute period to tie the match, 3-3, and send it to sudden victory. Shrader then scored a takedown with 37 seconds remaining in the extra period.
Cochran posted his second straight relatively high-scoring win after a back-and-forth battle. After posting a 14-11 win in sudden victory on Friday at Edinboro, Cochran on Sunday came from behind to hold off Buffalo's Lonnell Pabon and score a 9-6 win.
"He had two matches where (his opponents) made him earn the win," Bennett said. "(Pabon) came out and got a takedown and he had to have some composure and he stayed focused and he figured out how to get to his offense – some things we've been working on in practice and he executed those things. It paid off for him."
Central Michigan 26, Buffalo 6
125: Max Elton (B) dec. Grant Stahl, 4-2, Buffalo 3, CMU 0
133: No. 25 Sean Spidle (C) major dec. Troy Guerra, 9-0, CMU 4, Buffalo 3
141: Kellan Aure (C) dec. Andy Lucinsky, 1-0, CMU 7, Buffalo 3
149: No. 31 Mason Shrader (C) vs. Sam Ewing, 6-3 SV, CMU 10, Buffalo 3
157: No. 17 Johnny Lovett (C) major dec. Kaleb Burgess, 14-2, CMU 14, Buffalo 3
165: Chandler Amaker (C) dec. Hunter Shaut, 6-0, CMU 17, Buffalo 3
174: No. 8 Alex Cramer (C) dec. Rafael Knapp, 4-3, CMU 20, Buffalo 3
184: Marcus Petite (B) dec. Adrien Cramer, 9-3, CMU 20, Buffalo 6
197: Luke Cochran (C) dec. Lonnell Pabon, 9-6, CMU 23, Buffalo 6
285: Bryan Caves (C) dec. Robbie Unruh, 8-1 CMU 26, Buffalo 6
*National rankings by FloWrestling
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