Flashes Host Michigan and Newberry Sunday
12/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
No. 15 Kent State will host a tri-meet with Michigan and Newberry Sunday, Dec. 13, at the M.A.C. Center, where the Golden Flashes look to extend their dual winning streak to 11.
MEET INFO, LIVE VIDEO & LIVE STATS
Admission for ages 18 and under at Sunday's tri-meet will be $1.00. Kent State will face Newberry in the opening dual at 11 a.m. followed by Newberry versus Michigan at 1 p.m. The Golden Flashes and Wolverines are slated to begin at 3 p.m. Live video for both of Kent State's duals can be seen at www.kentstatesports.com as part of the premium content on the K-Zone. Live results will be available on NWCA Stat Tracker.
SERIES HISTORY
The Golden Flashes and Wolverines have met only three times in the history of the two programs. Michigan holds a 3-0 series lead, most recently defeating Kent State 26-14 on Dec. 7, 2007 in Ann Arbor. Danny Mitcheff (133) was one of four individual winners for the Flashes. Current Wolverine Anthony Biondo (197) scored a technical fall victory. The other two meetings came in 1978 and 1979. KSU will be meeting Newberry for the first time.
LAST COMPETITION
Behind three individual titles, Kent State won a team crown at the Body Bar Invitational in convincing fashion Nov. 21 in Ithaca, N.Y. The Golden Flashes totaled 147.5 points, while No. 3 Cornell and No. 10 Maryland each finished with 109 points. Dustin Kilgore (184) and Danny Mitcheff (133) both improved to 10-0, while Brendan Barlow (285) improved to 13-3 after winning championships. KSU placed wrestlers in all 10 weight classes, including second places from Matt Cathell (149) and Chase Skonieczny (141), third places from Mallie Shuster (157), Ross Tice, (165) and Troy Opfer (125), a fourth from Obie Simpson (165) and fifth places by Adam Cogar (197) and Keith Witt (174).
A LOOK AT MICHIGAN
The Wolverines defeated Penn 19-12 in their most recent dual on Nov. 28. That same day Michigan split 10 individual matches against Bloomsburg and American in a pair of one-point losses (18-17, 20-19). This past weekend, 197-pounder Anthony Biondo and 174-pounder Justin Zeerip each placed in the top six at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The Wolverines were ranked 23rd in the first NWCA Coaches Poll of the season, returning seven starters from a team that finished 11th at last year's NCAA Tournament.
A LOOK AT NEWBERRY
According to TheMat.com, Newberry (4-1) is ranked No. 2 in Division II with three individuals ranked in the top three spots of their respective weight classes. Last season, Newberry finished second at the NCAA Division II Championships and went 23-2 in dual meets. Since last year, Newberry has defeated three Division I opponents (Campbell, Davidson, North Carolina State) in dual meets. Returning All-Americans Matt Oliver (125) and Bryant Blanton (184) each won individual titles this season at the UNC-Pembroke Classic.
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT BREAKDOWN
125- Sophomore Troy Opfer (7-5) claimed three convincing victories and a third place finish at the Body Bar. He also recorded his 10th career pin. Opfer won three straight matches in the consolation bracket at the Oklahoma Gold before suffering a tournament-ending injury. In his first match of the season, he led 12th-ranked Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech 6-4 late in the third period before falling in OT.
133- Senior Danny Mitcheff (10-0) is ranked fifth by W.I.N. Magazine and seventh by D1CW after winning his second tournament of the season at the Body Bar. He allowed a takedown for the first time this season in his semifinal overtime victory over No. 18 Steve Mytych (Drexel) at the Body Bar. Mitcheff notched his first pin of the year in the quarterfinals and earned a 6-3 win in the finals. He went 4-0 at the Oklahoma Gold with a technical fall and a major decision.
141- Redshirt freshman Chase Skonieczny improved to 9-3 in tournament competition following a second place at the Body Bar, where he recorded his fourth pin of the year. Skonieczny went 4-0 at the Hokie Open including a pin of 2009 NCAA qualifier Mike Rappo (North Carolina). He was ranked as high as 22nd this season by D1CW and came up one win shy of placing at the Oklahoma Gold.
149- Junior transfer Matt Cathell (3-1) made his debut with Kent State at the Body Bar and placed second. He led ninth-ranked Matt Kyler of Army 5-0 in the finals, before getting pinned. Cathell is ranked ninth by W.I.N. and 11th by D1CW. He went 45-8 in two seasons at Delaware State.
157- Redshirt freshman Mallie Shuster (8-3) earned a pin and a major decision on his way to a third place at the Body Bar. His only losses have come to nationally ranked opponents, including two in his fourth place finish at the Oklahoma Gold. Shuster has been ranked as high as 20th by D1CW. In KSU's first dual meets, he scored a major decision victory against Virginia Tech and upset 16th-ranked Joey Knox of Chattanooga 7-5.
165- Redshirt sophomore Ross Tice (14-4) has not disappointed in his new role at 165, going 8-2 since moving up a weight class. Most recently, Tice placed third at the Body Bar with a pair of wins by major decision. He has wrestled six or more matches in two tournaments this year, including a 5-1 day at the Oklahoma Gold. Tice placed sixth at the Hokie Open, going 6-2. Senior Obie Simpson (8-6) also went 3-1 at the Body Bar as he continues to compete for the starting nod. Simpson was 2-2 at the Oklahoma Gold, one win away from a top six placement and 3-2 with a pin at the Hokie Open.
174- Redshirt freshman Keith Witt (11-6) went 4-1 at the Body Bar with three first period pins. He is tied for the team lead, sticking five opponents on the year. Witt earned his way into the semifinals at both the Oklahoma Gold and the Hokie Open, where he won his first four matches and upset top-seeded and nationally ranked Bagna Tovuujav of George Mason.
184- Redshirt sophomore Dustin Kilgore (10-0) is now ranked third by by both D1CW and second by W.I.N. and has knocked off five nationally ranked opponents. He was named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Oklahoma Gold after defeating 2008 national champion Mike Pucillo 6-2. Most recently, Kilgore downed fourth-ranked Joe LeBlanc of Wyoming 8-4 in the finals of the Body Bar. Named Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 17, Kilgore's five pins on the year include nationally ranked Pat Bradshaw (Edinboro) in the first period. He has now won titles at each of the last four regular season tournaments he has competed in.
197- Redshirt freshman Adam Cogar (10-2) droped his first match 2-1 at the Body Bar, but came back to win four straight, including a pair by major decision. Cogar also won four straight bouts in a third place finish at the Oklahoma Gold. His only loss there came in overtime. Cogar also played a key role in both of the Flashes' dual meet wins.
285- Redshirt sophomore Brendan Barlow (12-3) won an individual title at the Body Bar and is ranked No. 15 by W.I.N. He defeated 19th-ranked Pat Gilmore (Maryland) in the finals of the Body Bar and earned a major decision win in the semis. At the Oklahoma Gold, Barlow fell to 11th-ranked Chris Birchler of Edinboro in overtime, before battling back for a fifth place. All of Barlow's losses have come to nationally ranked opponents. In a third place finish at the Hokie Open, his only loss was a 3-2 setback to NCAA runner-up and top-ranked Konrad Dudziak of Duke. With his team trailing Virginia Tech 18-14, Barlow came through with a clutch pin against the Hokies to give the Flashes a 20-18 comeback victory. He has two pins on the season, including 13 seconds into the match against Virginia's Jack Danilkowicz at the Hokie Open.
DUAL STREAKS
With a pair of victories on Nov. 7, Kent State extended its dual meet winning streak to nine. The Golden Flashes won seven straight duals to close out the 2008-09 season. KSU also won all four of its home duals last season and carry the four-meet home winning streak into Sunday.
ENDING IT EARLY
Along with getting placewinners at every weight class at the Body Bar, the Golden Flashes also recorded nine pins from seven different weight classes. KSU has already piled up 25 pins this season, nearly half of its 2008-09 season total of 52.
UP NEXT
The Golden Flashes will wrestle a single dual meet next Sunday, Dec. 20, at Clarion. KSU then closes out the calendar year Dec. 29-30 at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C.
LATE RALLIES: KSU opened its season with a dramatic 20-18 comeback win over No. 24 Virginia Tech followed by a 22-15 victory over Chattanooga on Nov. 7 in Blacksburg. The host Hokies won five of the first seven matches against KSU and led 18-7, before the late rally began. Dustin Kilgore's 9-6 triumph at 184 was followed by a 12-4 major decision from Adam Cogar (197) and a third period pin from Brendan Barlow (285). The Flashes also trailed Chattanooga 15-10, before Kilgore, Cogar and Barlow swept the last three matches.
APPROACHING 700 WINS
One of the winningest programs in NCAA history, Kent State is closing in on yet another milestone. The Golden Flashes need just seven more wins to become 12th school in Division I to reach 700 all-time victories.
100-WIN CLUB: On Nov. 14 at the Oklahoma Gold, fifth-year senior Danny Mitcheff (133) became the ninth wrestler in Kent State history with 100 career wins. He is the fourth KSU wrestler to reach the feat in the last 2 1/2 years (Kurt Gross, Jermail Porter, Eric Chine). With victory number 107, he recently passed Jim Andrassy for eighth place on the career win and list can make his way up to sixth place with a pair of wins on Sunday.
HIGHEST PROGRAM RANKING: Following its first place finish at the Body Bar, KSU moved from 18th to 14th in the USA/NWCA Division Coaches Poll. The No. 14 ranking was the highest in program history. Most recently, the Flashes moved back to No. 15 after not competing the last two weekends.
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