Flashes to Take on Three ACC Opponents at Hershey Duals
Kent State will continue to get tested early in the season this Saturday with duals against three Atlantic Coast Conference opponents in Hershey, Pa. The Hershey Duals begin at 9 a.m. when the Golden Flashes take on Virginia Tech, followed by a noon showdown with Virginia and a 3 p.m. battle with North Carolina. The Golden Flashes are ranked No. 14 by Intermat, after placing seven wrestlers in the top six this past Sunday at the Hokie Open.
A LOOK AT VIRGINIA TECH
The Hokies are ranked No. 17 according to the latest NWCA Coaches Poll. Virginia Tech dropped a 17-16 battle with Iowa State Saturday, as each team won five matches. The Hokies were dominant in their own tournament Sunday with four individual champions (Devin Carter-133, Chris Diaz-141, Pete Yates-157, Tommy Spellman-184) and five others placing second.
A LOOK AT VIRGINIA
The Cavaliers (3-0) are ranked No. 22 according to Intermat. Virginia won 29-of-30 individual matches last Saturday in dual wins over Anderson (41-6), Rider (38-0) and Gardner-Webb (50-0). Three Cavalier starters are ranked in Intermat's Top 20 led by No. 2 Chris Henrich at 174. The Cavaliers return eight starters from a team that went 16-6 last season.
A LOOK AT NORTH CAROLINA
The Tar Heels return starters at seven weight classes from a team that won four of its final five duals last season, including victories at NC State and Edinboro. North Carolina also opened its season at the Hokie Open Sunday. Senior Mike Rappo (133) and redshirt freshman Zac Bennett (197) each placed fourth.
DUAL SERIES HISTORY
Kent State holds a 4-0 all-time series lead with Virginia Tech after a pair of comeback victories over the Hokies last season. In the season opener, the host Hokies won five of the first seven matches leading 18-7, before Dustin Kilgore's (184) 9-6 triumph over Tommy Spellman began the late rally. A third period pin from Brendan Barlow (285) sealed the Flashes' 20-18 win.
The Flashes hold a 5-1 series edge on Virginia, most recently downing the Cavaliers 19-15 in January of 2009. Kilgore recorded a major decision to help put KSU into the fifth place contest at the Virginia Duals.
The all-time series between Kent State and North Carolina is tied 2-2, with the Tar Heels winning the most recent meetings in January of 2004 and December of 2005.
KILGORE CLAIMS CAREER WIN NUMBER 100
Sunday at the Hokie Open, Dustin Kilgore became the first Kent State wrestler to reach 100 career victories during his junior year. Kilgore went 6-0 on the weekend, raising his victory total to 103 and becoming the 10th wrestler in school history to reach the century mark. Next up for Kilgore is his head coach Jim Andrassy, who ranks ninth on KSU's career list with 106 wins.
FLASHES MOVE AHEAD OF CHIPPEWAS IN MAC POLL
Kent State was represented in the top four of all 10 weight classes in the Nov. 10 Mid-American Conference Coaches Poll. The Flashes earned 23.5 total points, claiming the top spot just ahead of Central Michigan 23.0.
DUAL SUCCESS
The Golden Flashes have won 23 of their last 28 duals and have a recent history of starting strong. Last year KSU won its first seven dual meets. The Flashes also won four of their first five duals to start the 2008-09 and 2007-08 seasons.
LAST WEEKEND
Kent State opened its season with a 24-12 victory over Chattanooga Saturday at the Salem Civic Center, before falling to Iowa State 23-19. Both duals began at heavyweight and a surprise third period pin by Iowa State's Kyle Simonson against junior Brendan Barlow gave the Cyclones the quick break they were looking for. The Golden Flashes won 7-of-10 matches against the Mocs, but just four bouts over Iowa State.The next day, 19 KSU wrestlers competed in the un-scored Hokie Open as seven Flashes placed in the top six.
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT BREAKDOWN
125- Junior Nic Bedelyon (2-0) saw his first action in over a year Saturday with a 15-5 major decision over Chattanooga's Preston Garner and a first period pin of Iowa State's Patrick Hunter. Bedelyon is ranked No. 4 by The Open Mat and No. 6 by Intermat. The 2009 All-American did not compete in the Hokie Open. Sophomore Stevie Mitcheff (6-2) placed sixth at the Hokie Open Sunday. No. 10 Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech placed second at the Hokie Open.
133- True freshman Tyler Small (4-1) made a memorable collegiate debut at the Hokie Open with a third place finish. Sophomore Sean Collins (1-3) earned a 12-9 dual win over Chattanooga's Cody Hood. Virginia Tech's Devin Carter went 6-0 last weekend, winning a Hokie Open title. North Carolina's Mike Rappo placed fourth.
141- Sophomore Chase Skonieczny (5-3) bounced back from an 0-2 Saturday, by going 5-1 in a fifth place finish at the Hokie Open. All three of Skonieczny's losses have come to ranked opponents. No. 8 Chris Diaz (5-1) of Virginia Tech won an individual title at the Hokie Open. Virginia's Nick Nelson is ranked No. 16 by Intermat.
149- Junior Marcel Clopton (2-3) earned a dual win against Chattanooga Saturday, before dropping a 2-1 decision on riding time to Iowa State's Nate Carr. Virginia Tech's Brian Stephens placed second at the Hokie Open. Virginia's Derek Valenti is ranked No. 19 by Intermat.
157- Senior Matt Cathell (5-1) is ranked No. 19 by Intermat after competing at 157 for the first time last weekend. Cathell racked up four pins and a major decision on the weekend and placed third at the Hokie Open. In four career duals with Kent State, Cathell is 4-0 with three pins and a major decision. No. 15 Pete Yates (6-0) of Virginia Tech defeated Cathell Sunday on his way to a Hokie Open title.
165- Junior Ross Tice (4-3) is ranked No. 17 by The Open Mat after finishing sixth at the Hokie Open with a technical fall and a major decision. One of Tice's losses last weekend came in overtime against Iowa State's Chris Spangler. He also fell to Virginia Tech's Matt Epperly 5-3 in the semifinals of the Hokie Open. Last season, Tice defeated Epperly 3-2 at the Virginia Duals. Epperly, ranked No. 20, finished third at the Hokie Open. Virginia's Jedd Moore is No. 12 according to Intermat.
174- Redshirt freshman Brandonn Johnson (5-2) had a strong opening weekend with two pins and sixth place finish at the Hokie Open. He also won his first collegiate dual by major decision. Fifth-year senior Chris Estep went 2-2 at the Hokie Open. No. 2 Chris Henrich of Virginia went 3-0 Saturday with a pin and a tech fall.
184- Sophomores Keith Witt (3-2) and Casey Newburg (4-3) each went 3-2 at the Hokie Open. Each recorded technical falls, while Witt notched a pin competing at 184 for the first time. Newburg earned a decisive 8-2 win in his dual against Iowa State, but fell in an overtime tiebreaker to No. 19 Jason McCroskey of Chattanooga. No. 11 Tommy Spellman (5-0) of Virginia Tech won the Hokie Open Sunday. Virginia's Jon Fausey went 3-0 with a pin and a tech fall last weekend.
197- Junior All-American Dustin Kilgore (6-0) is ranked No. 3 by both Wrestling Insider NewsMagazine and Intermat following his debut at 197 last weekend. Since January of 2009, Kilgore has won in 32 straight dual meets, including a pair of major decisions Saturday. He had a pair of tech falls in a 4-0 day at the Hokie Open, concluded by a win over No. 10 Jerome Ward of Iowa State in the finals. No. 17 Mike Salopek of Virginia, earned his first tech fall of the season Saturday. North Carolina's Zac Bennett placed fourth at the Hokie Open. VT's Chris Penny (4-3) finished sixth at the Hokie Open.
285- Junior Brendan Barlow (2-3) is ranked No. 13 by Intermat despite a 1-2 day at the Hokie Open. Barlow won 33 matches last year, including three at the NCAA Tournament. No. 12 David Morone of Virginia Tech finished second at the Hokie Open. Virginia's Jack Danilkowicz is ranked No. 18 by the Open Mat. Barlow pinned Danilkowicz in 13 seconds at last year's Hokie Open.
UP NEXT
The Golden Flashes look to defend their 2009 Body Bar Invitational title Saturday, Nov. 20 in Ithaca, N.Y. To do so, Kent State will have to get past No. 1 Cornell.
