Kent State University
MAC Championships
Schaffer Places Third, Flashes 11th at MAC Championships
3/9/2024 6:19:00 PM | Wrestling
KENT-Blake Schaffer took home third-place honors at 197 pounds but dropped a 5-3 decision in a wrestle-off for a bid to the national tournament and the Flashes took 11th at the Mid-American Conference tournament hosted by Kent State.
Schaffer won his third-place bout against Cameron Wood of Central Michigan with a 6-3 decision. After Sam Mitchell dropped the 197-title match, it set up a wrestle off for the second automatic bid, since Schaffer and Mitchell hadn't wrestled in the tournament. In the wrestle-off Mitchell was able to get a second-period take down of Schaffer to hold up. Schaffer had a couple of late shots on Mitchell but couldn't land the takedown and ran out of time.
Pablo Castro took sixth place at 133 pounds, ultimately going 2-3 in the tournament. In the consolation semis and the fifth-place match, Castro was on the wrong side of 5-1 and 7-2 decisions. Aaron Ferguson also took home sixth-place at 165 pounds. Ferguson got a take down in the first overtime period to defeat NIU's Tommy Bennett 4-1. Like Castro, he was on the wrong side of a pair of decisions in the consolation semis as well as the fifth-place match. AJ Burkhart took home eighth-place honors at 174 pounds. The grad student lost a pair of heartbreakers on Saturday, falling in overtime, 4-1 and on a narrow 7-5 decision.
The Flashes took home 11th place at the conference tournament, won by Central Michigan. Kent State will now wait to see if any of the individual wrestlers will get an at-large bid to the national tournament in Kansas City.
FRIDAY'S RECAP
Pablo Castro and Blake Schaffer advanced to the championship semi-finals before dropping into the wrestle backs. Castro, coming in as the six seed, knocked off the three-seed Nick Molchak of Cleveland State by major decision in the quarterfinals. He know awaits the winner of Vince Perez of Central Michigan and Marcel Lopez of SIU-E.
Schaffer, the tournament's three seed, won a pair of decisions before getting upended by Ben Smith of Cleveland State, the tournament's second seed. Schaffer now awaits the winner of Ethan Wiant of Clarion, who Schaffer beat in the opening round, and Tyler Kocak of George Mason. Both Schaffer and Castro must awin twice to earn third-place honors.
At 149 pounds, Matt Ryan rebounded from an opening round loss to defeat Kaleb Burgess of Buffalo, 8-5. He now faces Derek Raike of Ohio and is also two wins away from a third-place crown. At 165, Aaron Ferguson lost his opening match to top-seeded Garrett Thompson of Ohio after receiving a first-round bye. He bounced back nicely with a 11-1 major decision over Clarion's Eli Brinsky. He will take on Tommy Bennett of Northern Illinois tomorrow in the consolation quarters.
AJ Burkhart paved a similar path as Ferguson at 174 pounds. The graduate student dropped his opening match to Dom Lopez of SIU-E, 6-3. After a bye in the opening round of the consolation bracket, he knocked of DeAndre Nassar of Cleveland State, 5-2. He will face Buffalo's Jay Nivison tomorrow in the consolation quarters.
Central Michigan has a 6.5 point lead on Rider for the overall team standings after day one. Kent State's full Friday results are below. Saturday's action resumes at 11:30 a.m. in the MAC Center with the consolation quarterfinals with the championship rounds slated for a 3 p.m. start.
FULL RESULTS
125.  Adan Benavidez (10-20)
- Champ. Round 1 - Blake West (Northern Illinois) 27-5 won by tech fall over Adan Benavidez (Kent State) 10-20 (TF-1.5 5:52 (18-0))
- Cons. Round 1 - Adan Benavidez (Kent State) 10-20 won by decision over Bronson Garber (Bloomsburg) 14-21 (Dec 8-1)
- Cons. Round 2 - JB Dragovich (George Mason) 8-13 won by decision over Adan Benavidez (Kent State) 10-20 (Dec 4-1)
133.  Pablo Castro (17-11)
- Champ. Round 1 - Pablo Castro (Kent State) 17-9 won by decision over TJ England (Clarion) 9-14 (Dec 7-4)
- Quarterfinal - Pablo Castro (Kent State) 17-9 won by major decision over Nick Molchak (Cleveland State) 13-14 (MD 12-2)
- Semifinal - Richie Koehler (Rider) 20-9 won by decision over Pablo Castro (Kent State) 17-9 (Dec 8-1)
- Cons. Semi - Marcel Lopez (SIU Edwardsville) 5-1 won by decision over Pablo Castro (Kent State) 17-11 (Dec 5-1)
- 5th Place Match - Mikey Kaminski (Northern Illinois) 13-9 won by decision over Pablo Castro (Kent State) 17-11 (Dec 7-2)
141Â Â Â Billy Meiszner (20-13)
- Champ. Round 1 - Billy Meiszner (Kent State) 20-13 received a bye () (Bye)
- Quarterfinal - Jacob Brya (Northern Illinois) 13-3 won by decision over Billy Meiszner (Kent State) 20-13 (Dec 2-0)
- Cons. Round 2 - Caleb Brooks (Buffalo) 7-13 won by fall over Billy Meiszner (Kent State) 20-13 (Fall 1:15)
149Â Â Matthew Ryan (13-12)
- Champ. Round 1 - Nick Stonecheck (Lock Haven) 18-12 won by major decision over Matthew Ryan (Kent State) 12-11 (MD 15-5)
- Cons. Round 1 - Matthew Ryan (Kent State) 12-11 received a bye () (Bye)
- Cons. Round 2 - Matthew Ryan (Kent State) 12-11 won by decision over Kaleb Burgess (Buffalo) 16-17 (Dec 8-5)
- Cons. Round 3 - Derek Raike (Ohio) 14-9 won by major decision over Matthew Ryan (Kent State) 13-12 (MD 11-2)
- 7th Place Match - Matthew Ryan (Kent State) 13-12 won by injury default over Kyle Schickel (Clarion) 14-15 (Inj. 0:00)
157Â Â Â Keegan Knapp (18-19)
- Champ. Round 1 - Keegan Knapp (Kent State) 18-19 won by decision over Munktulga Zuunbayan (Northern Illinois) 8-5 (Dec 3-2)
- Quarterfinal - DJ Mcgee (George Mason) 25-4 won by decision over Keegan Knapp (Kent State) 18-19 (Dec 4-3)
- Cons. Round 2 - William Morrow (Bloomsburg) 12-20 won by decision over Keegan Knapp (Kent State) 18-19 (Dec 4-2)
165Â Â Aaron Ferguson (20-17)
- Champ. Round 1 - Aaron Ferguson (Kent State) 19-15 received a bye () (Bye)
- Quarterfinal - Garrett Thompson (Ohio) 19-4 won by decision over Aaron Ferguson (Kent State) 19-15 (Dec 8-1)
- Cons. Round 2 - Aaron Ferguson (Kent State) 19-15 won by major decision over Eli Brinsky(Clarion) 9-12 (MD 11-1)
- Cons. Round 3 - Aaron Ferguson (Kent State) 20-17 won in sudden victory - 1 over Tommy Bennett (Northern Illinois) 9-19 (SV-1 4-1)
- Cons. Semi - Tyler Swiderski (Central Michigan) 16-13 won by decision over Aaron Ferguson (Kent State) 20-17 (Dec 7-2)
- 5th Place Match - Tate Geiser (Cleveland State) 22-15 won by decision over Aaron Ferguson (Kent State) 20-17 (Dec 5-2)
174Â Â AJ Burkhart (8-9)
- Champ. Round 1 - Dominic Lopez (SIU Edwardsville) 2-1 won by decision over AJ Burkhart (Kent State) 8-7 (Dec 6-3)
- Cons. Round 1 - AJ Burkhart (Kent State) 8-7 received a bye () (Bye)
- Cons. Round 2 - AJ Burkhart (Kent State) 8-7 won by decision over DeAndre Nassar(Cleveland State) 8-13 (Dec 5-2)
- Cons. Round 3 - Jay Nivison (Buffalo) 10-7 won in sudden victory - 1 over AJ Burkhart (Kent State) 8-9 (SV-1 4-1)
- 7th Place Match - Dominic Lopez (SIU Edwardsville) 3-2 won by decision over AJ Burkhart (Kent State) 8-9 (Dec 7-5)
184Â Â Kyle Snider (14-19)
- Champ. Round 1 - Colin Fegley (Lock Haven) 17-16 won by tech fall over Kyle Snider (Kent State) 14-19 (TF-1.5 5:39 (16-1))
- Cons. Round 1 - Kyle Snider (Kent State) 14-19 received a bye () (Bye)
- Cons. Round 2 - Matt Zuber (Northern Illinois) 20-7 won by decision over Kyle Snider (Kent State) 14-19 (Dec 7-0)
197Â Â Blake Schaffer (25-10)
- Champ. Round 1 - Blake Schaffer (Kent State) 25-10 won by decision over Ethan Wiant (Clarion) 7-16 (Dec 6-3)
- Quarterfinal - Blake Schaffer (Kent State) 25-10 won by decision over Jack Kilner (Edinboro) 20-14 (Dec 2-1)
- Semifinal - Benjamin Smith (Cleveland State) 22-5 won by decision over Blake Schaffer(Kent State) 25-10 (Dec 8-3)
- Cons. Semi - Blake Schaffer (Kent State) 27-10 won by major decision over Tyler Kocak (George Mason) 8-8 (MD 19-8)
- 3rd Place Match - Blake Schaffer (Kent State) 27-10 won by decision over Cameron Wood (Central Michigan) 15-17 (Dec 6-3)
- 285Â Â Josh Boggan (14-20)
- Champ. Round 1 - Josh Boggan (Kent State) 14-20 received a bye () (Bye)
- Quarterfinal - David Szuba (Rider) 22-8 won by tech fall over Josh Boggan (Kent State) 14-20 (TF-1.5 3:46 (17-1))
- Cons. Round 2 - Lonnell Owens-Pabon (Buffalo) 14-16 won by decision over Josh Boggan (Kent State) 14-20 (Dec 8-5)
Players Mentioned
