Kent State University
Ohio University
Flashes Visit Ohio and Oklahoma State This Weekend
1/18/2018 12:19:00 PM | Wrestling
Coming off two straight wins at the Virginia Duals, Kent State (10-6, 0-2 MAC) will collide with archrival Ohio (2-5, 1-3) Friday night followed by a tall order at No. 5 Oklahoma State (6-1) on Sunday. The Golden Flashes' 7 p.m. tilt with the Bobcats at the Convocation Center will be the first of five Mid-American Conference duals over the next five weekends. The first program trip to Stillwater will be the Flashes' final non-conference dual of the year, beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern.
Live video of Friday night's dual can be seen on ESPN3, while Sunday's dual can be seen with a subscription to FloWrestling.
Kent State Lineup
125- Will Bardezbain (15-9) or Jake Ferri (10-11)
133- Anthony Tutolo (21-8)
141- Tim Rooney (24-9)
149- Nick Monico (19-10) or Chance Driscoll (8-9)
157- Casey Sparkman (18-12)
165- Isaac Bast (17-15)
174- Dylan Barreiro (18-14)
184- Colin McCracken (12-15)
197- Kyle Conel (16-7)
285- Devin Nye (21-16) or Stephen Suglio (14-6)
Quick Shots
- Junior Anthony Tutolo was named MAC Wrestler of the Week Wednesday after going 4-0 at the Virginia Duals.
- Eight of the Flashes' dual wins this year have been by 11 or more points. Four of those wins have been by 27 or more points.
- The NWCA honored Kent State for having the fourth highest grade point average in the nation last season at 3.423.
- Junior Casey Sparkman leads the Flashes with 11 bonus-point victories (5 tech falls, 6 major decisions) this season. He is also the Flashes' active leader in career victories with 97.
- Junior Kyle Conel is 22-4 in career dual meets.
- Conel, junior Devin Nye and freshman Colin McCracken all lead the team with five pins on the season. Nye's 31 career pins rank fifth among Kent State's all-time leaders.
- Conel won a 197-pound title at the Clarion Open this season, while Nye won a 285-pound crown at the Cleveland State Open for the second time in his career.
- Sophomore Tim Rooney was named MAC Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 15, after going 5-0 at the Journeymen Duals and Journeymen Classic.
- Since the 2005-06 season, Kent State is 155-87-1 in dual meets and 48-25-1 in MAC duals.
The Opponents & Series History
Ohio has won two of its last three duals, including its last home meet, a 21-17 victory over Eastern Michigan. Four Bobcats are in the latest MAC rankings. Junior 133-pounder Cam Kelly is No. 2. Junior heavyweight Zack Parker is No. 3, while freshman 141-pounder Alec Hagan and junior 174-pounder Austin Reese are No. 4. All four placed in the top five at the Navy Classic, where Ohio finished seventh as a team.
The Rivalry
Dubbed in recent years as "The Grudge Match," the series with Ohio dates back to 1929 and escalated into a rivalry just a few years later after Bobcat graduate Joe Begala took over as Kent State's head coach. The Golden Flashes lead the all-time series with Ohio 47-25 and have won 11 of the last 13 meetings.
Last season, Ohio won at the M.A.C. Center for the first time since 2005. Three Bobcat pins and a Kent State disqualification led to Ohio's lopsided victory 43-2.
The last time the teams met in Athens, Kent State needed victories in the final two matches to top Ohio 20-15, including a 2-1 overtime victory from Anthony Tutolo. Each team won five matches as the Flashes also got victories from Devin Nye and Kyle Conel.
The rivalry occurred every year from 1951-79. The teams did not meet from 1980-97, but have met every year since.
Ohio Lineup
125- Trevor Giallambardo
133- Cameron Kelly
141- Trey Greiner or Mario Guillen
149- Kade Kowalski
157- Cullen Cummings
165- Joe Terry
174- Arsen Ashyguan or Austin Reese
184- Hunter Yeargan
197- Aaron Naples
285- Zack Parker
Oklahoma State is coming off its only loss of the season at Iowa. In three of the team's dual wins, the Cowboys 9-of-10 bouts (Minnesota, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado). Eight Cowboys in the projected lineup are currently ranked among the top 15 spots in the nation. Senior 141-pounder Dean Heil is a two-time NCAA champion. Heil is one of five All-Americans (Nick Piccininni, Kaid Brock, Chandler Rogers, Preston Weigel) in the Oklahoma State lineup.
Oklahoma State Lineup
125- Nick Piccininni (10-3)
133- Kaid Brock (15-2)
141- Dean Heil (15-2)
149- Boo Lewallen (17-3)
157- Jonce Blaylock (10-6)
165- Chandler Rogers (11-3)
174- Jacobe Smith (13-3)
184- Keegan Moore (10-5)
197- Preston Weigel (4-0)
285- Derek White (12-2)
Last Time Out
The Golden Flashes went 2-2 at the Virginia Duals Jan. 12-13 at Hampton Coliseum, highlighted by victories over Campbell (18-14) and Fresno State (27-15). Kent State wrestlers earned victories at every weight class on the weekend, including one from Chance Driscoll, who moved up a weight class to 149.
MAC Rankings
Four Golden Flashes are in the latest January MAC rankings:
No. 4 Anthony Tutolo, 133
No. 4 Nick Monico, 149
No. 4 Casey Sparkman, 157
No. 2 Stephen Suglio, 197
Up Next
The Golden Flashes get a weekend off from competition before visiting Eastern Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m.
Players Mentioned
