Wrestling Opens December with Duals at Lock Haven, Bucknell

RV Michigan State (0-0) at Lock Haven (0-0)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 2
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Thomas Fieldhouse (Lock Haven, Pa.)
Watch: PSAC Sports Digital Network
Listen: Bear 99.9
Twitter Updates: @wrestlingmsu
Notes: Michigan State

RV Michigan State at Bucknell (3-0)
Date: Friday, Dec. 3
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Davis Gym (Lewisburg, Pa.)
Watch: ESPN+
Twitter Updates: @wrestlingmsu

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State wrestling team begins its slate of dual matches this week, heading to Pennsylvania for two meets. The Spartans will face Lock Haven on Thursday, Dec. 2 in the first dual for both teams this season, before MSU takes on a 3-0 Bucknell squad the following night.

Both meetings are set for 7 p.m. starts, with Thursday's action streaming on the PSAC Sports Digital Network and Friday's showdown airing live on ESPN+.

This marks the beginning of a three-week stretch for the MSU team where it will wrestle five different opponents on the road before the end of the calendar year.

Last Time Out
MSU is coming off a team title at the Navy Classic on Nov. 20, as the team racked up 129.5 points and had nine placers out of 18 entrants. Redshirt senior Rayvon Foley claimed the 133 crown after placing second at the MSU Open, while redshirt sophomore Peyton Omania won the 149 title in his season debut for the Spartans.

Redshirt senior Cameron Caffey and redshirt junior Layne Malczewski also aided the team score by making the finals in the 197 and 184 weight class, respectively. Other notables were sophomore Chase Saldate taking third place in the 157 class, pinning both of his first two opponents in under 2:00, and fellow sophomore Caleb Fish going 4-1 to place third at 165.

String of Non-Conference Duals Lined Up
The Spartans have three duals in December, along with a tri-meet at Olivet, and then head to the Southern Scuffle tournament on New Year's Day before jumping into the Big Ten dual slate. After Lock Haven and Bucknell, Michigan State heads to Gardner-Webb on Dec. 11 and finish the month by taking on Olivet and Baldwin Wallace on Dec. 18.

Following eight-straight B1G duals, MSU closes the regular season with a non-conference dual against Central Michigan on Feb. 18 in preparation of the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Championships.

Chandler Quotable
"We're definitely kind of where I expected us to be. We've got a lot of young talent, and we got some senior leadership as well. I could see as many as 8 or 9 guys being at the NCAA Championships, which is being held in Detroit at Little Caesars Arena the third weekend of March. We have a lot of leaders within our program. Obviously, Rayvon Foley and Cam Caffey, these are guys that have competed at the highest levels, we've got Peyton Omania who is making his second attempt in the starting lineup. There is a lot of positive momentum, we've got guys like Chase Saldate, who was a true freshman last year and qualified for the NCAA Championships wrestling a Big Ten-only schedule. So, we got guys that can compete against the best across the country." - Head Coach Roger Chandler

About Lock Haven
LHU will open its dual-match slate with MSU on Thursday before hosting No. 22 Lehigh on Saturday. The Bald Eagles have competed in four early-season tournaments already (Clarion Open, Journeymen tournament, Navy Classic and the Mat-Town Open I)

Head coach Scott Moore is in his ninth season, leading the program to a 16th-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Championships. The former Penn State and Virginia wrestler was the 2004 ACC Wrestler of the Year, 2003 Big Ten Champion and a two-time All-American.

Connor Eck paces the Bald Eagles with 10 overall victories, while Tyler Stoltzfus has a team-high three pins. Former NWCA Honorable Mention All-American Luke Werner is three victories away from reaching the 100-win career milestone.

About Bucknell
The Bison opened the season at the Patriot Duals on Nov. 13, picking up three dual wins in one day. Bucknell defeated Averett, 40-3, before beating host George Mason, 26-6, and wrapped up the event with a 39-2 win over Bellarmine. The team then placed fourth at the Navy Classic.

A familiar face leads the Bison, as former Spartan and 1995 NCAA runner-up Dan Wirnsberger is in his 17th season as head coach for Bucknell. The three-time Spartan All-American has produced six All-Americans himself while in Lewisburg, also coaching 465 NCAA Championship qualifiers during his time with the Bison.

2021 NCAA semifinalist Zach Hartman enters the week sitting No. 10 in the FloWrestling polls at 165 pounds. A two-time All-American, Hartman has a perfect record this season and took the 165 title at the Navy Classic with three falls among his five wins.

Series History
MSU holds a 4-1 edge in the all-time series with the Bald Eagles, including a 24-12 win over LHU on Nov. 26, 2016. The lone Lock Haven win came on Feb. 12, 2016, a 18-15 victory.

The Spartans also have a 2-1 edge against Bucknell all-time, winning the first two meetings in 2011 and 2013, but the Bison claimed the 2015 dual with a 25-12 win on Jan. 4, 2015.

Up Next
The Spartans travel to Gardner-Webb on Dec. 11 for a non-conference dual. That showdown is set for 6 p.m.

Probable MSU Lineup
125 – Tristan Lujan -OR- Julian Saldana -OR- Andrew Hampton
133 – Rayvon Foley
141 – Matt Santos -OR- Jordan Hamdan
149 – Peyton Omania -OR- Eddie Homrock
157 – Chase Saldate
165 – Caleb Fish
174 – Nathan Jimenez -OR- Marty Larkin
184 – Layne Malczewski
197 – Cam Caffey -OR- Brad Wilton
285 – Christian Rebottaro -OR- Nick West

In the Rankings
Team
NWCA - Receiving Votes
FloWrestling - 27
WrestleStat - 29

Rayvon Foley - 133
FloWrestling - 14
WrestleStat - 12
Intermat - 10
The Open Mat - 17

Peyton Omania - 149
FloWrestling - Honorable Mention
WrestleStat - 40
Intermat - 33

Chase Saldate - 157
FloWrestling - 21
WrestleStat - 19
Intermat - 22
The Open Mat - 20

Caleb Fish - 165
WrestleStat - 23

Layne Malczewski - 184
FloWrestling - 22
WrestleStat - 26
Intermat - 27

Cameron Caffey - 197
FloWrestling - 23
WrestleStat - 18
Intermat - 20
The Open Mat - 17

Wrestling Opens December with Duals at Lock Haven, Bucknell

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cameron Caffey

Caleb Fish

Rayvon Foley

Jordan Hamdan

Eddie Homrock

Nathan Jimenez

Marty Larkin

Tristan Lujan

Layne Malczewski

Peyton Omania

Christian Rebottaro

Julian Saldana

Chase Saldate

Matt Santos

Nick West

Brad Wilton