Flashes Seek Second Straight Title Saturday at Body Bar Invitational
11/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Notes in PDF
Kent State looks to repeat as team champions at the Body Bar Invitational Saturday (Nov. 20) in Ithaca, N.Y. The Golden Flashes, No. 18 according InterMat's tournament rankings, will be one of 11 teams in a field that includes No. 1 Cornell and No. 6 Central Michigan. Twenty KSU wrestlers will be in action, beginning at 9 a.m. Also competing at Cornell's University's Newman Arena will be: MAC rival Buffalo, future dual opponent Clarion, Army, Drexel, Lock Haven, Binghamton, Lock Haven and Ithaca.
LAST SEASON
Kent State won the 2009 Body Bar Invitational in convincing fashion with 147.5 points, well ahead of Cornell and Maryland, who each finished with 109 points. KSU's final count included three first places, two seconds, three thirds, one fourth and two fifths, placing a wrestler in all 10 weight classes. Dustin Kilgore (184) and Brendan Barlow (285) each won individual titles. Matt Cathell (149) and Chase Skonieczny (141) each took seconds.
• In 2008, the Flashes placed second at the Body Bar behind Boise State.
KILGORE CLAIMS CAREER WIN NUMBER 100
On Nov. 7 at the Hokie Open, Dustin Kilgore became the first Kent State wrestler to reach 100 career victories during his junior year. Kilgore is 9-0 on the season, raising his victory total to 106, tying him with his head coach Jim Andrassy for ninth on KSU's career win list. Kilgore's former teammates Kurt Gross (107 wins) and Eric Chine (108) are next on the list.
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.
LAST WEEKEND
Kent State went 1-2 Saturday at the Hershey Duals, with a 25-10 victory over North Carolina to end its day. The Golden Flashes fell to a pair of ranked opponents with a 25-12 setback against Virginia Tech and a 18-13 loss to Virginia. Nic Bedelyon (125), Dustin Kilgore (197), and Brendan Barlow (285) all went 3-0 on the day. All three of Kent State's dual meet losses this season have come to Top 25 opponents.
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT BREAKDOWN
125- Junior Nic Bedelyon (5-0) had one of the most impressive outings of his career Saturday, going 3-0 at the Hershey Duals. Bedelyon tore apart No. 10 Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech 15-0, sealing a technical fall 45 seconds into the third period. Bedelyon put togehter two more convincing victories Saturday, including his second major decision of the year. He saw his first action in over a year on Nov. 6 with a 15-5 major decision over Chattanooga's Preston Garner and a first period pin of Iowa State's Patrick Hunter. The 2009 All-American is ranked No. 4 by The Open Mat and No. 6 by Intermat. Sophomore Stevie Mitcheff placed sixth at the Hokie Open, going 6-2 on the day. Cornell's Frank Porrelli is ranked No. 15 by The Open Mat.
133- True freshman Tyler Small (4-3) made a memorable collegiate debut at the Hokie Open with a third place finish and a 4-1 mark. Saturday Small fell to No. 6 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) and was leading Virginia's Joe Spisak 2-0 late in the third, before surrendering a reversal and near fall. Sophomore Sean Collins earned a 12-9 win over Chattanooga's Cody Hood in his first dual of the season. Central Michigan, Buffalo and Lock Haven all have Top 20 wrestlers at 133.
141- Sophomore Chase Skonieczny (6-5) earned a 6-1 victory over North Carolina's Rocco Wellek Saturday. Skonieczny also went 5-1 in a fifth place finish at the Hokie Open. All five of Skonieczny's losses have come to ranked opponents. Last season, he went 3-1 with a pin in a second place finish at the Body Bar. Cornell and Binghamton each have Top 20 wrestlers at 141.
149- Sophomore Tommy Sasfy (6-3) went 1-1 at the Hershey Duals Saturday. Sasfy was 4-2 at the Hokie Open, coming up one win short of placing in the top six. Junior Marcel Clopton (2-4) earned a dual win against Chattanooga and a tournament win at the Hokie Open. Redshirt freshman T.J. Keklak went 2-2 at the Hokie Open. No. 10 Desi Green of Buffalo is expected to be in Saturday's field.
157- Senior Matt Cathell (6-3) tallied his fifth pin of the early season Saturday against North Carolina. This year, Cathell is competing at 157 for the first time in his career. He racked up four pins and a major decision in his opening weekend and placed third at the Hokie Open. Two of his losses have come at the hands of No. 12 Pete Yates of Virginia Tech. Last year at the Body Bar, Cathell went 3-1 with a pin in his second place finish. Sophomore Mallie Shuster did not see action last weekend after going 1-1 at the Hokie Open. Shuster claimed third place at last year's Body Bar, going 4-1 with a pin. Senior Sli Bostelman went 3-2 with a major decision at the Hokie Open. Binghamton and Clarion each have Top 20 wrestlers at 157.
165- Junior Ross Tice (5-4) will have his hands full with as many as three Top 20 opponent, including two in the Top 5 in his bracket Saturday. Tice went 1-1 at the Hershey Duals with a 7-3 win over Virginia's Charles Miller. Tice finished sixth at the Hokie Open with a technical fall and a major decision. Last season, he went 4-1 in a third place finish at the Body Bar.
174- Redshirt freshman Brandonn Johnson (6-4) earned a 5-1 victory over UNC's Tom Ferguson. Johnson already has 13 career pins. Johnson placed sixth at the Hokie Open with two pins. In his first career dual vs. Chattanooga, he won by major decision. Fifth-year senior Chris Estep went 2-2 at the Hokie Open. Cornell and Central Michigan each have Top 5 wrestlers at 174.
184- Sophomores Keith Witt (3-3) and Casey Newburg (4-5) 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. Newburg fell to a pair of Top 20 opponents last weeknd. Witt went 4-2 with three pins in the 174-pound weight class at last year's Body Bar. Cornell, Binghamton and Buffalo all have Top 20 wrestlers that could see action.
197- Junior All-American Dustin Kilgore (9-0) is ranked No. 3 by both Wrestling Insider NewsMagazine and InterMat in his first season at 197 pounds. Since January of 2009, Kilgore has won in 35 straight dual meets, after tallying a pair of major decisions and a convincing 11-4 win at the Hershey Duals. One of those majors came against No. 11 Mike Salopek of Virginia. Kilgore 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. Kilgore could face top-ranked Cam Simaz of Cornell, who placed third at last year's NCAA Chamnpionships. Kilgore won an individual Body Bar title at 184 last season and placed second in 2009. Senior Joe Tymoszczuk and junior Ryan Buckner are also expected to see action for the Flashes. Buckner had a pair of pins at the Hokie Open.
285- Junior Brendan Barlow (5-3) is ranked No. 13 by InterMat after defeating a pair of Top 20 opponents at the Hershey Duals. Barlow went 3-0 Saturday and did not surrender a single takedown. He won 33 matches last year, including three at the NCAA Tournament. Barlow could face rival Jarod Trice of Central Michigan, who is ranked No. 2 by InterMat and The Open Mat. Last season, Barlow and Trice each earned overtime victories against one another.
UP NEXT
No. 11 Missouri will host the Golden Flashes Dec. 5 in Columbia
