Photo by: David Dermer
Four Flashes Chasing NCAA Dreams in Oklahoma
3/18/2014 11:28:00 AM | Wrestling
NCAA Notes in PDFÂ Â Â 2014 NCAA Brackets
Kent State looks to extend its five-year trend of All-Americans, while sophomore Ian Miller(Oak Harbor, Ohio) eyes a national title at the 2014 NCAA Championships March 20-22 inside Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. Since 2009, four Golden Flashes have combined for seven All-American finishes, including two national final appearances by Dustin Kilgore, who became Kent State's first national champion in 2011.
Miller will be joined in Oklahoma by junior Caleb Marsh (Marysville, Ohio) and sophomores Mack McGuire (Upper St. Clair, Pa.) and Michael DePalma (Jeannette, Pa.). All 10 weight classes will have 33-man brackets battling for All-America (Top 8) honors. Thursday's opening session begins at 12 Eastern/11 Central.
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TV, Live Video, Live Audio
For the first time in tournament history, all six sessions will be televised and streamed. Friday night's semifinal session and Saturday night's finals session can both be seen on ESPN, beginning at 8p.m. Eastern. All other sessions can be seen on ESPNU. ESPN3 will offer streaming video of every round with individual video feeds of all eight mats. The order of Saturday night's championship matches will be determined on Saturday. ESPN's Expanded Coverage Announcement
ESPN3 Day 1 Links: Mat 1Â Â Mat 2Â Â Mat 3Â Â Mat 4Â Â Mat 5Â Â Mat 6Â Â Mat 7Â Â Mat 8
Live audio updates throughout the tournament can be heard on Golden Flashes Radio on iHearRadio.
Follow @KentStWrestl for live updates on Twitter throughout the tournament
For ongoing reults follow TrackWrestling
Last Season
Dustin Kilgore (Berea, Ohio) became the first three-time All-American in program history with a second place finish at 197 pounds last season in Des Moines. Kilgore was one of six Golden Flashes to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
NCAA Tournament History
Nineteen different Golden Flashes have combined for 23 All-American finishes at the NCAA Championships dating back to Cameron Falcone's third place finish in 1939. That season under Head Coach Joe Begala, the Golden Flashes finished 12th as a team. Begala's teams earned fifth place in both 1941 and 1942, the highest finishes in program history. Until Dustin Kilgore's championship in 2011, 1941 & 1942 were the only two seasons in which Kent State wrestlers (Mike Slepecky, Walter Porowski) earned spots in the championship finals. Â
Did You Know
With the efforts of Begala, the M.A.C. Center in Kent served as the host of the NCAA Championships in 1963 and 1967.
All-Americans
Kent State All-Americans in each of the previous five seasons.
Nic Bedelyon    125   2009, 2012
Jermail Porter   285   2009
Danny Mitcheff   133   2010
Dustin Kilgore   184, 197   2010, 2011, 2013
MAC Impact
With the recent additions of No. 5 Northern Iowa, No. 9 Missouri and Old Dominion, the nine-team Mid-American Conference is sending a conference-record 43 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Three MAC teams were ranked in the Top 25 of the final coaches poll, while three others were among the six teams receiving votes. The final individual NCAA coaches' rankings featured 49 MAC wrestlers
Battle Tested
In 2013-14, Kent State underwent what may have been the toughest schedule in program history. Thirteen of the Flashes' dual meets came against teams ranked in the Top 25 of the final coaches poll and the Southern Scuffle featured most of the nation's top teams.
• The Golden Flashes endured the brutal schedule without a single senior in its regular starting lineup
Familiar Foes
Three of Kent State's four NCAA first round matchups will come against familiar foes. Mack McGuire will be facing Missouri's Mike Manley for the fourth time this season, while Ian Miller and Mike DePalma will be facing their first round opponents for the second time. Regardless of his first round result, Caleb Marsh will face a familiar foe in his second match. DePalma and McGuire could also be facing opponents for the second time this season in their second matches of the tournament.
Piling Up Pins
In just his third season, Ian Miller is already alone in fourth place in career falls at Kent State.
Kent State looks to extend its five-year trend of All-Americans, while sophomore Ian Miller(Oak Harbor, Ohio) eyes a national title at the 2014 NCAA Championships March 20-22 inside Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. Since 2009, four Golden Flashes have combined for seven All-American finishes, including two national final appearances by Dustin Kilgore, who became Kent State's first national champion in 2011.
Miller will be joined in Oklahoma by junior Caleb Marsh (Marysville, Ohio) and sophomores Mack McGuire (Upper St. Clair, Pa.) and Michael DePalma (Jeannette, Pa.). All 10 weight classes will have 33-man brackets battling for All-America (Top 8) honors. Thursday's opening session begins at 12 Eastern/11 Central.
  Â
TV, Live Video, Live Audio
For the first time in tournament history, all six sessions will be televised and streamed. Friday night's semifinal session and Saturday night's finals session can both be seen on ESPN, beginning at 8p.m. Eastern. All other sessions can be seen on ESPNU. ESPN3 will offer streaming video of every round with individual video feeds of all eight mats. The order of Saturday night's championship matches will be determined on Saturday. ESPN's Expanded Coverage Announcement
ESPN3 Day 1 Links: Mat 1Â Â Mat 2Â Â Mat 3Â Â Mat 4Â Â Mat 5Â Â Mat 6Â Â Mat 7Â Â Mat 8
Live audio updates throughout the tournament can be heard on Golden Flashes Radio on iHearRadio.
Follow @KentStWrestl for live updates on Twitter throughout the tournament
For ongoing reults follow TrackWrestling
Last Season
Dustin Kilgore (Berea, Ohio) became the first three-time All-American in program history with a second place finish at 197 pounds last season in Des Moines. Kilgore was one of six Golden Flashes to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
NCAA Tournament History
Nineteen different Golden Flashes have combined for 23 All-American finishes at the NCAA Championships dating back to Cameron Falcone's third place finish in 1939. That season under Head Coach Joe Begala, the Golden Flashes finished 12th as a team. Begala's teams earned fifth place in both 1941 and 1942, the highest finishes in program history. Until Dustin Kilgore's championship in 2011, 1941 & 1942 were the only two seasons in which Kent State wrestlers (Mike Slepecky, Walter Porowski) earned spots in the championship finals. Â
Did You Know
With the efforts of Begala, the M.A.C. Center in Kent served as the host of the NCAA Championships in 1963 and 1967.
All-Americans
Kent State All-Americans in each of the previous five seasons.
Nic Bedelyon    125   2009, 2012
Jermail Porter   285   2009
Danny Mitcheff   133   2010
Dustin Kilgore   184, 197   2010, 2011, 2013
MAC Impact
With the recent additions of No. 5 Northern Iowa, No. 9 Missouri and Old Dominion, the nine-team Mid-American Conference is sending a conference-record 43 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Three MAC teams were ranked in the Top 25 of the final coaches poll, while three others were among the six teams receiving votes. The final individual NCAA coaches' rankings featured 49 MAC wrestlers
Battle Tested
In 2013-14, Kent State underwent what may have been the toughest schedule in program history. Thirteen of the Flashes' dual meets came against teams ranked in the Top 25 of the final coaches poll and the Southern Scuffle featured most of the nation's top teams.
• The Golden Flashes endured the brutal schedule without a single senior in its regular starting lineup
Familiar Foes
Three of Kent State's four NCAA first round matchups will come against familiar foes. Mack McGuire will be facing Missouri's Mike Manley for the fourth time this season, while Ian Miller and Mike DePalma will be facing their first round opponents for the second time. Regardless of his first round result, Caleb Marsh will face a familiar foe in his second match. DePalma and McGuire could also be facing opponents for the second time this season in their second matches of the tournament.
Piling Up Pins
In just his third season, Ian Miller is already alone in fourth place in career falls at Kent State.
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