Central Michigan University Athletics
Friday, March 6
Buffalo, N.Y.
Noon
Central Michigan University
at
MAC Championships
CMU freshman Archer Anderson (left) sends his opponent from George Mason to the mat during a 125-pound match on Friday at the Mid-American Conference Championships at Alumni Arena in Buffalo.
Photo by: Lauren Verellen '26 - @laurenverellen_photography
Eight Chippewas Remain in the Hunt at MAC Championships
3/6/2026 9:55:00 PM | Wrestling
BUFFALO – Not the very best of days for coach Ben Bennett's Central Michigan wrestlers at the Mid-American Conference Championships on Friday at Buffalo's Alumni Arena.
But still, plenty of hope as the Chippewas compete Saturday in the final day of the tournament.
Eight Chippewas remain alive in their respective weight classes, though none is in position to claim a championship.
All 10 Chippewas lost at least one match on Friday to fall into the consolation bracket. Two, Luke Cochran (197 pounds) and Cody Brenner (174), lost two matches and were eliminated.
"There's still a lot of wrestling to be done," Bennett said. "We're not done. We've got a lot of wrestling ahead of us.
"We can finish the right way (on Saturday). Things can change a lot and we'll feel a little better about ourselves, but every (CMU) guy that's in the tournament still has a chance to get to the NCAA tournament, still has a chance to qualify, and it's just going out one match at a time, taking care of business, and executing the right way, wrestling your match.
"That's what they've got to remember. I know we had some guys that wanted to be in the finals. They wanted to win. But ultimately, you want to get yourself to the NCAA tournament. Every guy's still in the hunt."
CMU's Archer Anderson (125), Andrew Austin (133), Nick Blackburn (141), Jimmy Nugent (149), Mason Shrader (157), Chandler Amaker (165), Wyatt Ferguson (184), and Bryan Caves (285) are in their respective consolation bracket.
Each could still finish as high as third. The top four finishers at 133, 149 and 157 will qualify for the NCAA Championships, which are scheduled for Cleveland's Rocket Arena in two weeks.
There are three qualification spots at 184 and two at 125, 141, 165, and 285.
Wrestling begins at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday with place matches set to begin at 3 p.m.
CMU is ninth in the team standings with 29.5 points. Rider, which has a tournament-high four wrestlers who will vie for titles on Saturday and three remaining in the consolation brackets, is first with 85.5 points.
Lock Haven is second with 64.
Match-by-match results for CMU wrestlers and their record during the first day of the MAC Championships:
125-Archer Anderson (2-1)
No. 4 Archer Anderson dec. Brayden Teunissen, Ohio, 10-8
Anderson dec. No. 5 Ben Monn, George Mason, 7-0
Semifinals: No. 1 Tyler Klinsky, Rider, tech. fall Anderson, 18-2
133-Andrew Austin (2-1)
No. 8 Andrew Austin dec. Austin Pollard, Bloomsburg, 12-8
Vs. No. 1 Markel Baker, Northern Illinois, dec. Austin, 4-1
Consolation: Austin tech. fall Ryan Meek, Ohio, 18-3
141-Nick Blackburn (1-1)
No. 8 Nick Blackburn bye
Vs. No. 1 Elijah Griffin, Rider, major dec. Blackburn, 14-4
Consolation: Blackburn tech. fall Richie Woods, Bloomsburg, 18-3
149-Jimmy Nugent (2-1)
No. 6 Jimmy Nugent dec. Paul Woo, Ohio, 6-2
Nugent def. No. 3 Kaden Cassidy, George Mason, MFF
Semifinals: Lucas Kapusta, Lock Haven, dec. Nugent, 2-0
157-Mason Shrader (2-1)
No. 1 Mason Shrader bye
Vs. No. 8 Garret McChesney, Edinboro, dec. Shrader, 7-5
Consolation: Nugent tech. fall Landen Johnson, Northern Illinois, 17-2, 7:00
165-Chandler Amaker (2-1)
No. 4 Chandler Amaker dec. Jack Lledo, Ohio, 4-1
No. 5 Chris Earnest, Kent State, major dec. Amaker, 11-1
Consolation: Amaker dec. Kelin Laffey, Buffalo, 2-1, TB2
174-Cody Brenner (0-2)
No. 1 Avery Bassett, Lock Haven, tech. fall Cody Brenner, 18-3, 5:29
Consolation: Tate Geiser, Edinboro, major dec. Brenner, 17-8
Brenner eliminated
184-Wyatt Ferguson (2-1)
No. 7 Wyatt Ferguson dec. Braidon Woodward, Bloomsburg, 4-1
Vs. No. 2 Jared McGill, Edinboro, major dec. Ferguson, 14-5
Consolation: Brenner def. Ronald Dimmerling, Kent State, disqualification
197-Luke Cochran (1-2)
No. 5 Luke Cochran major dec. Spencer Mooberry, Northern Illinois, 11-2
No. 4 Blake Schaffer, Kent State, dec. Cochran, 4-1, SV
Consolation: Brody Evans, Edinboro, dec. Cochran, 11-4
285-Bryan Caves (1-1)
No. 2 Bryan Caves bye
No. 7 John Meyers, Clarion, dec. Caves, 4-1
Consolation: Caves major dec. Wyatt Schmitt, Ohio, 14-1
But still, plenty of hope as the Chippewas compete Saturday in the final day of the tournament.
Eight Chippewas remain alive in their respective weight classes, though none is in position to claim a championship.
All 10 Chippewas lost at least one match on Friday to fall into the consolation bracket. Two, Luke Cochran (197 pounds) and Cody Brenner (174), lost two matches and were eliminated.
"There's still a lot of wrestling to be done," Bennett said. "We're not done. We've got a lot of wrestling ahead of us.
"We can finish the right way (on Saturday). Things can change a lot and we'll feel a little better about ourselves, but every (CMU) guy that's in the tournament still has a chance to get to the NCAA tournament, still has a chance to qualify, and it's just going out one match at a time, taking care of business, and executing the right way, wrestling your match.
"That's what they've got to remember. I know we had some guys that wanted to be in the finals. They wanted to win. But ultimately, you want to get yourself to the NCAA tournament. Every guy's still in the hunt."
CMU's Archer Anderson (125), Andrew Austin (133), Nick Blackburn (141), Jimmy Nugent (149), Mason Shrader (157), Chandler Amaker (165), Wyatt Ferguson (184), and Bryan Caves (285) are in their respective consolation bracket.
Each could still finish as high as third. The top four finishers at 133, 149 and 157 will qualify for the NCAA Championships, which are scheduled for Cleveland's Rocket Arena in two weeks.
There are three qualification spots at 184 and two at 125, 141, 165, and 285.
Wrestling begins at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday with place matches set to begin at 3 p.m.
CMU is ninth in the team standings with 29.5 points. Rider, which has a tournament-high four wrestlers who will vie for titles on Saturday and three remaining in the consolation brackets, is first with 85.5 points.
Lock Haven is second with 64.
Match-by-match results for CMU wrestlers and their record during the first day of the MAC Championships:
125-Archer Anderson (2-1)
No. 4 Archer Anderson dec. Brayden Teunissen, Ohio, 10-8
Anderson dec. No. 5 Ben Monn, George Mason, 7-0
Semifinals: No. 1 Tyler Klinsky, Rider, tech. fall Anderson, 18-2
133-Andrew Austin (2-1)
No. 8 Andrew Austin dec. Austin Pollard, Bloomsburg, 12-8
Vs. No. 1 Markel Baker, Northern Illinois, dec. Austin, 4-1
Consolation: Austin tech. fall Ryan Meek, Ohio, 18-3
141-Nick Blackburn (1-1)
No. 8 Nick Blackburn bye
Vs. No. 1 Elijah Griffin, Rider, major dec. Blackburn, 14-4
Consolation: Blackburn tech. fall Richie Woods, Bloomsburg, 18-3
149-Jimmy Nugent (2-1)
No. 6 Jimmy Nugent dec. Paul Woo, Ohio, 6-2
Nugent def. No. 3 Kaden Cassidy, George Mason, MFF
Semifinals: Lucas Kapusta, Lock Haven, dec. Nugent, 2-0
157-Mason Shrader (2-1)
No. 1 Mason Shrader bye
Vs. No. 8 Garret McChesney, Edinboro, dec. Shrader, 7-5
Consolation: Nugent tech. fall Landen Johnson, Northern Illinois, 17-2, 7:00
165-Chandler Amaker (2-1)
No. 4 Chandler Amaker dec. Jack Lledo, Ohio, 4-1
No. 5 Chris Earnest, Kent State, major dec. Amaker, 11-1
Consolation: Amaker dec. Kelin Laffey, Buffalo, 2-1, TB2
174-Cody Brenner (0-2)
No. 1 Avery Bassett, Lock Haven, tech. fall Cody Brenner, 18-3, 5:29
Consolation: Tate Geiser, Edinboro, major dec. Brenner, 17-8
Brenner eliminated
184-Wyatt Ferguson (2-1)
No. 7 Wyatt Ferguson dec. Braidon Woodward, Bloomsburg, 4-1
Vs. No. 2 Jared McGill, Edinboro, major dec. Ferguson, 14-5
Consolation: Brenner def. Ronald Dimmerling, Kent State, disqualification
197-Luke Cochran (1-2)
No. 5 Luke Cochran major dec. Spencer Mooberry, Northern Illinois, 11-2
No. 4 Blake Schaffer, Kent State, dec. Cochran, 4-1, SV
Consolation: Brody Evans, Edinboro, dec. Cochran, 11-4
285-Bryan Caves (1-1)
No. 2 Bryan Caves bye
No. 7 John Meyers, Clarion, dec. Caves, 4-1
Consolation: Caves major dec. Wyatt Schmitt, Ohio, 14-1
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