Flashes Open Home Slate Tuesday Afternoon Against Edinboro
11/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
A pair of Top 25 teams will battle Tuesday afternoon in the M.A.C. Center when Kent State hosts Edinboro in its first home dual of the season at 3:05 p.m. The Golden Flashes are coming off an impressive second place finish at the Body Bar Invitational Saturday. Kent State will be without the services of senior Nic Bedelyon (Lewistown, Pa.), who will be competing Monday night in the NWCA All-Star Classic against Oklahoma's Jarrod Patterson in Tempe, Ariz.
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The Flashes dual against Edinboro will be followed by a Kent State men's basketball game against Cleveland State in the M.A.C. Center at 7:30 p.m.
In Kent State's most recent dual, the Golden Flashes gave Head Coach Jim Andrassy his 100th career victory against Navy at the "Wrestle For A Cure" duals in Harrisburg, Pa. Under Andrassy, the Flashes have gone 86-28-1 since 2005-06. Eight Golden Flashes are ranked in the Top 30 according to WrestlingReport.com
Weight-by-Weight Breakdown
125 Junior Troy Opfer (Sandusky, Ohio) is coming off a sixth place finish at the Body Bar and will take Bedelyon's spot in the lineup. Opfer is 7-3 this season and was a regular in the KSU lineup two years ago, when he won 17 matches. Redshirt freshman Kory Mines (6-3) is slated to go for the Fighting Scots.
133 Junior Stevie Mitcheff (Lorain,Ohio) went 3-2 with a pin at the Body Bar, after falling to three Top 20 wrestlers at the Wrestle for a Cure Duals. Redshirt freshman A.J. Schopp (9-0), who is ranked No. 12 by InterMat, will take the mat for Edinboro.
141 Sophomore Tyler Small (Littlestown, Pa.) is off to an 11-1 start with four pins after going 4-0 with two wins over Top 20 opponents at the Body Bar. The Scots are also strong at 141 with redshirt freshman Mitchell Port (7-1), who is ranked No. 16.
149 True freshman Ian Miller (Graytown, Ohio) has won seven straight matches, including four at the Body Bar, which featured two Top 20 wrestlers in his bracket. Miller is 10-2 with four pins and three major decisions. He is slated to face redshirt freshman Dave Habat, who is to a 9-2 start.
157 Junior Mallie Shuster (Newville, Pa.) is 7-5 on the season and has gone 19-9 in dual meets over the last three years. True freshman Casey Fuller (11-3) will go for Edinboro.
165 Fifth-year senior Ross Tice (Brookfield, Ohio) had a pair of pins at the Body Bar Saturday to make his way into the semifinals. Last season, Tice went 13-6 in duals. He will face sophomore Ethan Saylor, who is 4-1 this season.
174 Sophomore Brandonn Johnson (Middletown, Md.) had his best outing of the season Saturday with a second place finish at the Body Bar, going 3-1. Johnson (6-7) has three pins, a technical fall and a major decision already this season. He will face senior Chris Hrunka (6-4).
184 Junior Casey Newburg went 4-1 at the Body Bar after falling to a pair of Top 15 opponents the previous weekend. Newburg is 9-5 with a technical fall and two major decisions. He is slated to face freshman Vic Avery (6-3).
197 Junior Keith Witt is 6-5 on the year after placing third at the Body Bar. He will have his hands full against No. 4 Chris Honeycutt (9-0), who owns 99 career victories. The senior placed fifth at the NCAA Championships last season at 184.
285 Fifth-year senior Brendan Barlow (5-2) was held out of action at the Body Bar, but is expected to be ready Tuesday. Last week, Barlow moved up to No. 9 in the national rankings after knocking another Top 10 opponent in Nebraska senior Tucker Lane. Sophomore Ernest James (7-2) is ranked No. 20 by InterMat.
