Flashes Host NIU Friday and UNI Sunday
1/26/2017 10:46:00 AM | Wrestling
Kent State hosts a pair of Mid-American Conference duals this weekend at the M.A.C. Center, beginning with Northern Illinois Friday night at 7 p.m. The Golden Flashes take on their fourth Top 20 opponent of the season in No. 18 Northern Iowa Sunday at 2 p.m.
Live Video and Audio
A live, free video stream of both duals can be seen on Kent StateSports.com. Live audio can be heard on Golden Flashes Radio with Ty Linder Friday and Matt Miller Sunday on iHeartRadio. Live scoring can be followed on TrackWrestling.com.
Projected Lineup vs. Northern Illinois
125: Cory Simpson (9-15) vs. Brock Hudkins (12-7) or Kirk Johansen (3-2)
133: No. 23 Anthony Tutolo (17-5) vs. Alijah Jeffery (11-11)Â
141: Chance Driscoll (17-11) vs. Angel Velasquez (9-10)Â
149: Tim Rooney (16-16) vs. No. 13 Steve Bleise (19-5)Â
157: No. 30 Casey Sparkman (18-8) vs. No. 31 Caden McWhirter (14-9)Â
165: Isaac Bast (8-9) vs. Andrew Scott (4-6) or Shaun'Qae McMurtry (4-7)
174: Jared Walker (14-14) vs. No. 25 Trace Engelkes (12-2)Â
184: Jerald Spohn (12-13) or Shane Mast (13-11) vs. Bryce Gorman (14-8) or Michael Aldrich (6-7)
197: Stephen Suglio (16-13) vs. No. 11 Shawn Scott (17-3)
285: Devin Nye (13-15) vs. Caleb Gossett (9-12)Â
Projected Lineup vs. Northern Iowa
125: Cory Simpson (9-15) vs. Jay Schwarm (13-8)
133: No. 23 Anthony Tutolo (17-5) vs. No. 10 Josh Alber (16-3)Â
141: Chance Driscoll (17-11) vs. Jake Hodges (9-7) or Tyler Willers (7-9)
149: Tim Rooney (16-16) vs. No. 8 Max Thomsen (21-3)Â
157: No. 30 Casey Sparkman (18-8) vs. Paden Moore (14-9)Â
165: Isaac Bast (8-9) vs. Isaiah Patton (11-6) or No. 10 Bryce Steiert (13-2)
174: Jared Walker (14-14) vs. No. 10 Taylor Lujan (19-4)Â
184: Jerald Spohn (12-13) or Shane Mast (13-11) vs. No. 14 Drew Foster (15-3)
197: Stephen Suglio (16-13) vs. Jacob Holschlag (12-5)
285: Devin Nye (13-15) vs. JJ Everard (9-6)Â
*NCAA Coaches Panel rankings
Dual Success
Since Head Coach Jim Andrassy's third season (2005-06), the Golden Flashes have gone 145-75 in dual meets and 48-18-1 in MAC dual meets. Since January of 2015, Kent State is 8-4 in duals at the M.A.C. Center. Since 2005-06, Kent State is 43-3-1 against the MAC combination of Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois and Ohio.
Junior 141-pounder Chance Driscoll is 8-2 in duals on the season.Â
All-Time Series
Kent State leads the all-time series with Northern Illinois 23-5-2 and has won the last 10 meetings. Last season, the Flashes won six matches in a 21-12 team victory in DeKalb.
The last time the teams met at the M.A.C. Center, the Flashes won eight matches including one from Jerald Spohn in a 27-6 victory in 2015.Â
Northern Illinois' last win in the series came at the M.A.C. Center in 2005, edging the Flashes 19-18.
Northern Iowa leads the all-time series with Kent State 2-1, with the only meetings coming in the last three seasons.Â
Last season, Kent State took 7-of-10 matches from the Panthers in a 23-13 victory in Cedar Falls on Feb. 6, 2016. Anthony Tutolo started a string of seven straight KSU wins, beginning at 141 pounds.
The only time the teams met at the M.A.C. Center, the Panthers came away with a 21-16 victory in 2015.Â
Quick Shots
- Devin Nye recorded his team-leading seventh pin at the Virginia Duals, while Casey Sparkman notched his seventh tech fall.
- The Flashes' eight straight years with at least one All-American is the 10th longest active streak in the nation.
- The Golden Flashes do not have a single senior on their roster
- Kent State concluded its 2015-16 season with a 16th place finish at the NCAA Championships and two All-Americans.
- The NWCA honored Kent State for having the fifth highest grade point average in the nation last season at 3.325.
- Nine Flashes placed in the Top 6 spots at the Navy Classic (Nov. 19).
- The Flashes finished second of 15 teams at the Lock Haven Classic (Dec. 19) that included four top four finishes.
The Opponents
Northern Illinois (5-5, 1-3 MAC) won its most recent MAC dual 22-14 over Eastern Michigan.  Two-time NCAA qualifier Shawn Scott placed third in the 197-pound bracket at the Midlands Championships.  Senior 174-pounder Trace Engelkes was named MAC Wrestler of the Week on Wednesday after knocking off No. 9 Zach Brunson of Illinois 6-2. Sophomore 149-pounder Steve Bleise placed second at the Michigan State Open in November. Bleise won 27 matches last season and qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Northern Iowa (7-2, 4-0 MAC) will open its weekend Friday night at Ohio. The Panthers have won their last four duals, including victories over Central Michigan and Iowa State. Earlier this month, five Panthers earned spots on the medal stand at the Southern Scuffle as UNI finished fifth at one the nation's toughest tournaments. Sophomore 133-pounder Josh Alber, redshirt freshman 149-pounder Max Thomsen and sophomore 165-pounder Bryce Steiert all placed third. Sophomore 184-pounder Drew Foster placed sixth, while 174-pound redshirt freshman Taylor Lujan was seventh.
Three Scholar Athletes of the Week
Junior Chance Driscoll (Aurora, Ohio) recently gave Kent State wrestling its third Mid-American Conference Male Scholar Athlete of the Week honor in just over a month's span. The 141-pounder went 4-0 at the Virginia Duals. An economics major, Driscoll carries a 3.63 cumulative grade point average.Â
Two weeks earlier, redshirt freshman Tim Rooney earned MAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Week honors. An exercise science major, Rooney carries a 3.9 cumulative grade point average.
The award also went to sophomore Anthony Tutolo in December. A communications major, Tutolo carries a 3.6 cumulative grade point average.
Flashes Welcome Transfer
Freshman 125-pounder Harry Feuer joined the Golden Flashes this month. Feuer was a three-time state place winner in high school and spent the fall semester at Notre Dame College.
Up Next
Kent State hosts a pair of events next Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 4-5) to close out its 2016-17 home slate. Teaming with gymnastics for Beauty and the Beast on Feb. 4 at the M.A.C. Center, the Golden Flash grapplers will take on No. 1 Oklahoma State, as the gymnasts compete with West Virginia simultaneously. The next day, the Flashes host a MAC dual against Eastern Michigan.
Players Mentioned
