Central Michigan University Athletics
Sunday, February 22
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
2 p.m.
Central Michigan University
6
vs
34
No. 13 Michigan
CMU's Luke Cochran celebrates after his 4-2 victory at 197 pounds on Sunday at McGuirk Arena.
Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography
Chippewas Fall in Dual Finale to No. 13 Michigan
2/22/2026 5:26:00 PM | Wrestling
CMU finishes 10-7 in duel meets, looks ahead to Mid-American Conference Championships
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan dropped eight of 10 matches against 13th-ranked Michigan at McGuirk Arena on Sunday in falling to the Wolverines, 34-6, in the Chippewas final wrestling dual meet of the season.
CMU finished 10-7 in duals and now turns its attention to the March 6-7 Mid-American Conference Championships in Buffalo.
The Chippewas' final weekend of the regular season comprised a split of duals with the state's two Big Ten teams, Michigan and Michigan State. CMU defeated the Spartans, 19-15, on Friday in East Lansing.
"If everyone shows up on Friday and Saturday of the MAC Tournament and they're ready to compete like they're capable of, we'll be in good position to make it a run, but it takes all 10 guys," CMU coach Ben Bennett said. "It's what team has the best tournament; who can put it together with all 10 guys. If we can do that, I think we'll be in the mix."
Central Michigan got victories from Andrew Austin (133 pounds) and Luke Cochran (197) against a Wolverine lineup loaded with ranked wrestlers on Sunday.
Cochran, a redshirt sophomore, knocked off one of those ranked wrestlers, Hayden Walters, who entered the meet ranked 25th nationally by InterMat and 24th by FloWrestling.
Cochran got a third-period takedown in posting a 4-2 win, his first of the season over a ranked wrestler. Cochran snapped a three-match losing streak in improving to 20-11.
Austin, a redshirt junior, topped Gauge Botero, 7-5. Austin trailed, 5-3, in the third period and notched a takedown early in the period and then earned a riding-time point for his third consecutive victory. He improved to 16-12.
The Chippewas dropped a pair of close matches, the first at 157 and the second at 165.
At 157, CMU's Mason Shrader, who is ranked 23rd and 24th, fell, 8-5 in sudden victory to No. 15/13 Cameron Catrabone; at 165, CMU's Chandler Amaker fell, 4-1, to Justin Gates.
Shrader took down Catrabone with 19 seconds remaining to seize a 5-4 lead, but Catrabone escaped as regulation time expired to tie the match, 5-5. Catrabone then got a takedown out of a scramble 53 seconds into sudden victory.
Gates scored a takedown with under 5 seconds remaining to defeat Amaker.
"In a lot of those matches we competed pretty well, we gave ourselves a chance to win," Bennett said. "We've just got to capitalize when we have those opportunities. We put ourselves in position at 157, 165. We've just got to seal the deal. Those guys were right there and for Shrader, that was one of the top guys in the country and (Shrader) was an inch away from finishing that takedown (in sudden victory) and winning the match. He was right there."
Sharder and Amaker were two of eight Chippewa seniors who were introduced and recognized before the dual as they wrestled their final match on the McGuirk Arena mat.
The other seniors honored were Colton Camacho, Cody Brenner, Bryan Caves, Simon Lato, Nick Marienfeld and Tyler Swiderski.
"The seniors are always important," Bennett said. "When you have a group of guys who can make it five years – college athletics are hard, college wrestling is really, really hard, what these guys go through every day, the training, the grind, what we put them through, our demands on these guys. It's not easy, it's really challenging.
"I'm proud of these guys that they've stuck with us and they made it through all five years and they committed themselves to this program. It means a lot and I know we appreciate those guys a whole lot."
No. 13 Michigan 34, Central Michigan 6
Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026
McGuirk Arena, Mount Pleasant, Mich.
125: No. 31/28 Diego Sotelo (M) major dec. Archer Anderson, 14-4, U-M 4, CMU 0
133: Andrew Austin (C) dec. Gauge Botero, 7-5, U-M 4, CMU 3
141: Eren Sement (M) dec. Nick Blackburn, 4-0, U-M 7, CMU 3
149: Lachlan McNeil (M) tech. fall Colin Kacena, 22-6, U-M 12, CMU 3
157: No. 15/13 Cameron Catrabone (M) dec. No. 23/24 Mason Shrader, 8-5 SV, U-M 15, CMU 3
165: Justin Gates (M) dec. Chandler Amaker, 4-1, U-M 18, CMU 3
174: No. 10/8 Beau Mantanona (M) fall Cody Brenner, 5:21, U-M 24, CMU 3
184: No. 7 Brock Mantanona (M) tech. fall Wyatt Ferguson, 16-1, 3:44, U-M 29, CMU 3
197: Luke Cochran (C) dec. No. 25/24 Hayden Walters, 4-2, U-M 29, CMU 6
285: Taye Ghadiali (M) tech. fall Aidan Fockler, 17-2, 2:11, U-M 34, CMU 6
*National rankings by InterMat/FloWrestling
CMU finished 10-7 in duals and now turns its attention to the March 6-7 Mid-American Conference Championships in Buffalo.
The Chippewas' final weekend of the regular season comprised a split of duals with the state's two Big Ten teams, Michigan and Michigan State. CMU defeated the Spartans, 19-15, on Friday in East Lansing.
"If everyone shows up on Friday and Saturday of the MAC Tournament and they're ready to compete like they're capable of, we'll be in good position to make it a run, but it takes all 10 guys," CMU coach Ben Bennett said. "It's what team has the best tournament; who can put it together with all 10 guys. If we can do that, I think we'll be in the mix."
Central Michigan got victories from Andrew Austin (133 pounds) and Luke Cochran (197) against a Wolverine lineup loaded with ranked wrestlers on Sunday.
Cochran, a redshirt sophomore, knocked off one of those ranked wrestlers, Hayden Walters, who entered the meet ranked 25th nationally by InterMat and 24th by FloWrestling.
Cochran got a third-period takedown in posting a 4-2 win, his first of the season over a ranked wrestler. Cochran snapped a three-match losing streak in improving to 20-11.
Austin, a redshirt junior, topped Gauge Botero, 7-5. Austin trailed, 5-3, in the third period and notched a takedown early in the period and then earned a riding-time point for his third consecutive victory. He improved to 16-12.
The Chippewas dropped a pair of close matches, the first at 157 and the second at 165.
At 157, CMU's Mason Shrader, who is ranked 23rd and 24th, fell, 8-5 in sudden victory to No. 15/13 Cameron Catrabone; at 165, CMU's Chandler Amaker fell, 4-1, to Justin Gates.
Shrader took down Catrabone with 19 seconds remaining to seize a 5-4 lead, but Catrabone escaped as regulation time expired to tie the match, 5-5. Catrabone then got a takedown out of a scramble 53 seconds into sudden victory.
Gates scored a takedown with under 5 seconds remaining to defeat Amaker.
"In a lot of those matches we competed pretty well, we gave ourselves a chance to win," Bennett said. "We've just got to capitalize when we have those opportunities. We put ourselves in position at 157, 165. We've just got to seal the deal. Those guys were right there and for Shrader, that was one of the top guys in the country and (Shrader) was an inch away from finishing that takedown (in sudden victory) and winning the match. He was right there."
Sharder and Amaker were two of eight Chippewa seniors who were introduced and recognized before the dual as they wrestled their final match on the McGuirk Arena mat.
The other seniors honored were Colton Camacho, Cody Brenner, Bryan Caves, Simon Lato, Nick Marienfeld and Tyler Swiderski.
"The seniors are always important," Bennett said. "When you have a group of guys who can make it five years – college athletics are hard, college wrestling is really, really hard, what these guys go through every day, the training, the grind, what we put them through, our demands on these guys. It's not easy, it's really challenging.
"I'm proud of these guys that they've stuck with us and they made it through all five years and they committed themselves to this program. It means a lot and I know we appreciate those guys a whole lot."
No. 13 Michigan 34, Central Michigan 6
Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026
McGuirk Arena, Mount Pleasant, Mich.
125: No. 31/28 Diego Sotelo (M) major dec. Archer Anderson, 14-4, U-M 4, CMU 0
133: Andrew Austin (C) dec. Gauge Botero, 7-5, U-M 4, CMU 3
141: Eren Sement (M) dec. Nick Blackburn, 4-0, U-M 7, CMU 3
149: Lachlan McNeil (M) tech. fall Colin Kacena, 22-6, U-M 12, CMU 3
157: No. 15/13 Cameron Catrabone (M) dec. No. 23/24 Mason Shrader, 8-5 SV, U-M 15, CMU 3
165: Justin Gates (M) dec. Chandler Amaker, 4-1, U-M 18, CMU 3
174: No. 10/8 Beau Mantanona (M) fall Cody Brenner, 5:21, U-M 24, CMU 3
184: No. 7 Brock Mantanona (M) tech. fall Wyatt Ferguson, 16-1, 3:44, U-M 29, CMU 3
197: Luke Cochran (C) dec. No. 25/24 Hayden Walters, 4-2, U-M 29, CMU 6
285: Taye Ghadiali (M) tech. fall Aidan Fockler, 17-2, 2:11, U-M 34, CMU 6
*National rankings by InterMat/FloWrestling
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