MAC Announces Wrestler of the Week

MAC Announces Wrestler of the Week

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MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
 
MAC Wrestler of the Week
Larry Early, Old Dominion—Junior, Oak Park, Ill. (Oak Park River Forest High School)
 
Old Dominion junior Larry Early at 157 lbs. earned one of the biggest upsets of the week, No. 9-ranked Larry Early collected a 4-2 decision over No. 2 Hayden Hidlay of N.C. State on Friday. Nov. 30. Early handed Hidlay just his second career loss off a takedown in the second period and a reversal in the third to take the decision. The redshirt junior did not allow a takedown against the 2018 NCAA Finalist. He remains perfect on the season with an 11-0 record and is 2-0 against ranked opponents. The Illinois native now ranks at No. 3 in the country according to Intermat. 

Additional Nominees:
Tim Rooney, Kent State—Junior, Columbus, Ohio (St. Charles High School)

 
Kent State junior Tim Rooney won the 133-pound championship at the Cougar Clash Sunday in Edwardsville, Illinois.  He went 3-0, topping Chattanooga’s Jake Huffine 5-2 in the finals.  Rooney also defeated a pair of Arizona State opponents with a 4-2 decision over Josiah Kline and a 7-6 victory over Josh Kramer.  After dropping down to 133 to start the season, Rooney is having his best year-to-date at 14-5 overall with three Top 3 tournament finishes.
 
Zach Elam, Missouri—Freshman, Kansas City, Mo. (Staley High School)
 
Missouri freshman Zach Elam at 285 lbs. earned a third-place finish at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas last weekend.  One of the nation’s premier tournaments, Elam was seeded ninth at the Cliff Keen Invitational.  After losing his second bout in the championships bracket, Elam ripped off eight wins in a row to secure a third-place finish through the wrestle-back bracket.  Of his nine wins, five earned bonus points for the team, including three pins.
 
Bryce West, Northern Illinois—Redshirt Freshman, Solon, Iowa (Solon High School)
 
Northern Illinois redshirt freshman Bryce West at 125 lbs. improved to 4-1 in dual matches this season after scoring an 11-7 victory over Indiana's Elijah Oliver, a past NCAA qualifier, as the Huskies battled Indiana in a 20-14 setback. West's victory at 125 gave NIU an early 3-0 lead in the match. 
 
Kyran Hagan, Ohio—Redshirt Freshman, Eureka, Mo. (Eureka High School)
 
Ohio redshirt freshman Kyran Hagan helped the Bobcats earn their first dual meet victory of the season with a 25-16 win at Appalachian State on Friday, Nov. 30. In the 141-pound bout, Hagan pinned Appalachian State senior Irvin Enriquez, who was the 2018 Southern Conference champion in his weight class and a 2018 NCAA qualifier. Hagan improved to 3-3 on the season earned his second victory by fall of the year.
 
Tyshawn Williams, SIU Edwardsville—Junior, Baltimore, Md. (Archbishop Curley High School)
 
SIU Edwardsville junior Tyshawn Williams placed third at the inaugural Cougar Clash at the Vadalabene Center on Sunday, Dec. 2. Williams avenged a first-round loss to Wisconsin's Garrett Model. He came back with two wrestle-back victories before besting Model 15-11 in the third-place match.