Flashes Look to Repeat as Navy Classic Champions

Kent State will compete in its first team-scored tournament of the season Saturday at the Navy Classic inside Wesley Brown Field House. Looking to repeat as tournament champions, the Golden Flashes will be among a field of 13 teams: No. 24 Wisconsin, George Mason, Brown, Bucknell, The Citadel, Cleveland State, Franklin & Marshall, Navy, Ohio, Princeton, Chattanooga, West Virginia.

Action begins at 10 a.m. with the final round scheduled for 5 p.m. Twenty Kent State wrestlers are expected to make the trip. Periodic updates can be found on navysports.com and @kentstwrestl on Twitter.

Last season, the Flashes won four individual titles at the Navy Classic, finishing just ahead of the second place Midshipmen. Caleb Marsh won an individual crown at 165 pounds, going 4-0 in his first competition of the season. Up a weight class (174) this season, Marsh is 3-2.

Marsh was one of nine Flashes to earn a victory against Gardner-Webb last weekend in a 42-4 win at the Eastern Michigan Duals. Kent State was also dominant in a 32-9 victory over Campbellsville. The Flashes also knocked off No. 20 Michigan 17-16. Each team won five matches, but sophomore Ian Miller's tech fall made the scoring difference.

Miller (5-1) was one of five Flashes to go 3-0 at the EMU duals. He improved to 19-2 in career duals. All five of Miller's wins have been by pin or major decision. Saturday, he could face No. 7 Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin.

Also going 3-0 last weekend was sophomore Sam Wheeler, who improved to 6-0 on the year. Wheeler defeated No. 11 Max Huntley of Michigan 3-1. Last year, he placed second at the Navy Classic. Saturday his bracket may include No. 12 Jackson Hein of Wisconsin.

After going 0-3 at the Virginia Tech Duals, sophomore 149-pounder Michael DePalma made a huge turnaround, going 3-0 at EMU. DePalma (7-5) knocked off No. 8 Eric Grajales of Michigan 9-5 and had a pair of pins.

Sophomore 197-pounder Cole Baxter went 3-0 with a tech fall on the weekend, moving to 9-3 on the season. Baxter's bracket could include No. 15 Phil Wellington of Ohio.

Junior 141-pounder Tyler Small also went 3-0 at EMU, allowing just two points in three matches. Joining Small at 141 will be sophomore Kyle Bauer, who is coming off a fifth place finish at the EMU Open. Bauer also finished fifth at last year's Navy Classic. Their bracket could include No. 6 Richard Durso of Franklin & Marshall.

Redshirt freshman heavyweight Mimmo Lytle had a pair of first period pins in a 2-1 day at the EMU Duals. His bracket could feature a pair of Top 10 opponents in No. 6 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) and No. 10 Jeremy Johnson (Ohio).

Sophomore 133-pounder Mack McGuire also went 2-1 last weekend with an opening minute pin against Garner Webb's Victor Blasucci. No. 2 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) headlines the bracket.

Junior Andy Candiello placed fourth at last year's tournament. This year, he joins Miller at 157.

In the Rankings
Amateur Wrestling News
13. Ian Miller (157)
17. Sam Wheeler (184)

InterMat
12. Ian Miller (157)
20. Sam Wheeler (184)

W.I.N.
17. Tyler Small (141)
10. Ian Miller (157)
18. Sam Wheeler (184)
18. Cole Baxter (197)

Wrestling Report
25. Mack McGuire (133)
27. Tyler Small (141)
20. Mike DePalma (149)
13. Ian Miller (157)
28. Caleb Marsh (174)
18. Sam Wheeler (184)
30. Cole Baxter (197)

Up Next
The Golden Flashes return to action Dec. 7 for their home opener and Mid-American Conference opener against Buffalo. Since Head Coach Jim Andrassy's third season (2005-06), the Golden Flashes have gone 112-40-1 in dual meets.

Flashes Look to Repeat as Navy Classic Champions

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