Michigan State University Athletics
Wrestling Plays Host To Central Michigan
1/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 2, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State wrestling team will host Central Michigan this Saturday, Jan. 3, to open its home dual-match season at Jenison Field House.
CMU has beaten MSU in six of their previous seven meetings, but the Spartans still hold a 13-10 all-time advantage. The Spartans' last victory against the Chippewas came in 2001, when MSU took an 18-16 victory in Mount Pleasant.
SCOUTING THE CHIPPEWAS
CMU has won four out of its five duals this season, losing its only match to top-ranked Iowa on Nov. 29. The Chippewas have defeated Bucknell (26-6), American (24-12), Drexel (27-6), and No. 15 Michigan (19-12).
Five of CMU's 10 starters are ranked in InterMat/NWCA/NWMA's weekly individual rankings. 125-pound freshman Scotti Sentes (ranked No. 9, 10-3 record), 133-pound junior Conor Beebe (No. 13, 6-3), 149-pound junior Steve Brown (No. 8, 8-4), 165-pound senior Trevor Stewart (No. 10, 7-2), and 174-pound sophomore Mike Miller (No. 10, 10-5) are all included in the weekly poll.
LAST TIME OUT
MSU sophomore Anthony Jones Jr. and redshirt freshman David Cheza took sixth place in the 157- and 149-pound classes, respectively, to lead the Spartans to a 23rd-place finish at the Midlands Championships on Tuesday, Dec. 30.
Cheza, who was wrestling unattached, thus preventing him from scoring any points for MSU in team standings, won five-straight matches after dropping his first on day one of the tournament. Cheza recorded two victories against ranked opponents to solidify a sixth-place finish.
Jones won his first two bouts in the consolation bracket, but suffered an injury against three-seed Michael Chandler of Missouri, forcing him to forfeit his final two contests. Despite not competing in his final two bouts, Jones still came away with sixth place.
16th-ranked senior Rex Kendle was knocked out of championship contention in the first round. After taking a decision in the next round, Kendle was eliminated in his third bout of the tournament.
HE'S NUMBER ONE
Gomez is ranked first in the nation by four major wrestling media outlets. The InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches Association/National Wrestling Media Association, Amateur Wrestling News, Wrestling International Newsmagazine and The Wrestling Report polls all have Gomez as the top wrestler at 133 in their latest weekly rankings.
Gomez has held the top ranking since Dec. 9, and also earned the top ranking after winning the Big Ten Championship last season.
TOURNEY TITLES
Kendle's Mat Town Open title was his second tournament title of the season and the third tournament he has placed in. Kendle won his first title at the MSU Open on Nov. 1, taking the Open division title at 165 pounds.
Kendle also took second place in the Open division at the EMU Open. His tournament record stands at 13-1, with his only loss coming in the title match at the EMU Open. Kendle joins Gomez and Jones as the only Spartans to win tournament titles this season. Gomez took the Open title at 133 pounds at the MSU Open and Jones took the MSU Open Freshman/Sophomore title at 157.
SIGNING DAY
MSU head coach Tom Minkel announced on Nov. 19 the signing of high school wrestlers Josh Harper (Mishawaka, Ind./Mishawaka) and Dan Osterman (St. Johns, Mich./St. Johns) to National Letters of Intent.
Harper enters his senior season with a 141-1 career record, while Osterman carries a 160-7 record after recording a 52-0 junior campaign.
UP NEXT
MSU will hit the road after a week off of competition to face West Virginia on Saturday, Jan. 17 and Ohio on Sunday, Jan. 18. Both matches are set for 1 p.m. EST.
