Flashes Visit Eastern Michigan Friday & Buffalo Sunday
1/31/2013 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Kent State (6-4, 2-1 MAC) competes in its final two Mid-American Conference duals this weekend with road trips to Eastern Michigan (Feb. 1) and Buffalo (Feb. 3). Wins against the Eagles (7-10, 1-2) and Bulls (1-8, 1-2) would lock up a top two finish in the MAC standings for an eighth consecutive season.
Friday night will be Eastern Michigan's Senior Night with a 7:00 p.m. start at Bowen Field House. The Golden Flashes will make a brief stop home, before heading to Buffalo for a 1 p.m. start on Sunday.
- In this week's rankings, Kent State is No. 20 according to InterMat, Wrestling Report.com and Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine
- Last week, six Golden Flashes were ranked in this season's first edition of the Division I Coaches Panel Rankings. This week, six Flashes are ranked by WrestlingReport.com
- Senior Casey Newburg (Union, Ohio) needs one more victory to pass former teammate Brendan Barlow for seventh place in career wins (112).
MAC Dual Success
Since the 2005-06 season, Kent State has gone 31-6-1 in MAC duals, including a 7-1 mark since last season. During that time, the Golden Flashes have not lost a MAC dual to a team other than Central Michigan, going 29-0-1 against the combination of Northern Illinois, Buffalo, Ohio and Eastern Michigan.
History vs, EMU and Buffalo
Kent State leads the all-time series with Eastern Michigan 39-1-1 with its only loss coming in 1974. The Flashes have won 28 straight in the series, including 28-10 victory at the M.A.C. Center last season to complete a perfect 5-0 MAC run. Returning winners for KSU include Keith Witt (Oak Harbor, Ohio) and Casey Newburg (Union, Ohio).
Kent State holds a 21-7 all-times series lead against Buffalo and has won eight straight against the Bulls. Witt, Newburg and Stevie Mitcheff (Lorain, Ohio) were among the Flashes' seven winners in a 25-9 victory over the Bulls last season at the M.A.C. Center.
Another Record Broken
Kent State's 2011 national champion Dustin Kilgore (Berea, Ohio) broke the school's career record for pins (47) last weekend at Central Michigan. Kilgore is also two pins shy of Jim Swetter's single-season record (17). The last eight times he's stepped on the mat for a dual meet, no opponent has made it to the end of the second period. Kilgore's 15 pins are three more than any other Division I wrestler this season.
Kilgore has already defeated three opponents currently ranked in the Top six spots: Jake Meredith (Arizona State), Matt Wilps (Pitt) and Alfonso Hernandez (Wyoming).
The Flashes' career-victory leader (165) extended his NCAA winning streak to 49. The 2011 MAC Wrestler of the Year also carries a 59-match winning streak in dual meets. In career MAC duals, Kilgore is 18-0 with eight pins.
Now 30-0, Kilgore has 24 bonus-point victories this season. He has the highest pound-for-pound rating of any wrestler in the nation according to Takedown Wrestling. He currently ranks second in the NCAA's Most Dominant Wrestler standings behind Ohio State's Logan Stieber.
Wheeler Breaking Through
Redshirt freshman Sam Wheeler (Copley, Ohio) scored a convincing 5-2 victory over Central Michigan's Craig Kelliher, who was ranked No. 23 heading into last weekend. Wheeler advanced to the finals of both the Brute Invitational and the Navy Classic this season. He'll be tested Sunday at Buffalo against former MAC champion John-Martin Cannon of Buffalo. Wheeler is one of four freshman starters and one of five first-year starters in the lineup.
Coming Back
Sophomore Caleb Marsh (Marysville, Ohio) and redshirt freshman Nick Carr (Fayette, Pa.) are each 2-0 in MAC duals, but both did not see action at Central Michigan due to injuries. Both are expected to return this weekend. Marsh will likely face former MAC champion Mark Lewandowski Sunday.
The Competition
Eastern Michigan is coming off a 22-17 conference victory over Northern Illinois last weekend. The Eagles biggest dual win came against North Dakota State (18-17), who is currently ranked No. 25 in the NWCA Coaches Poll. EMU also scored an impressive 30-9 victory over Duke.
Buffalo earned a 19-14 MAC victory over Eastern Michigan on Jan. 18. The Bulls split 10 matches with No. 14 Bloomsburg in an 18-15 setback. Five UB wrestlers are currently 2-1 in MAC duals.
Projected Lineups
Kent State at Eastern Michigan
125 – Alex Calandrino (20-8) vs. No. 33 Stevie Mitcheff (21-10)
133 – Jake Byers (14-10) vs. Mack McGuire (19-13)
141 – Seth Schaner (6-11) vs. Luke Kern (8-16)
149 – Mike Shaw (11-11) vs. Nick Carr (21-10)
157 – No. 30 Aaron Sulzer (15-9) vs. Tommy Sasfy (12-12)
165 – Jake Davis (18-8) vs. No. 32 Caleb Marsh (16-6)
174 – Jake Dorulla (10-13) or Alan Constable (0-9) vs. No. 28 Sam Wheeler (19-9)
184 – No. 32 Phillip Joseph (15-9) vs. No. 15 Casey Newburg (27-5)
197 – No. 27 Nick Whitenburg (6-6) or Anthony Abro (8-9) vs. No. 1 Dustin Kilgore (30-0)
285 – Chris Eggert (4-9) vs. No. 30 Keith Witt (12-13)
Kent State at Buffalo
125 – Max Soria (20-11) vs. No. 33 Stevie Mitcheff (21-10)
133 – Justin Farmer (7-17) or Erik Galloway (12-8) vs. Mack McGuire (19-13)
141 – Erik Galloway (12-8) or Andrew Schutt (6-11) vs. Luke Kern (8-16)
149 – Blake Roulo (14-9) vs. Nick Carr (21-10)
157 – Wally Maziarz (22-15) vs. Tommy Sasfy (12-12)
165 – No. 17 Mark Lewandowski (25-6) vs. No. 32 Caleb Marsh (16-6)
174 – No. 18 John-Martin Cannon (8-5) vs. No. 28 Sam Wheeler (19-9)
184 – Dominic Montesanti (14-11) or Jeff Palmeri (5-13) vs. No. 15 Casey Newburg (27-5)
197 – Jeff Palmeri (5-13) or Jarred Lux (3-6) vs. No. 1 Dustin Kilgore (30-0)
285 – Justin Heiserman (9-16) vs. No. 30 Keith Witt (12-13)
Rankings according to Jan. 29 WrestlingReport.com
