Wrestling

CMU Shuts Out Kent State; Lock Haven Remains Perfect in Conference Duals

Thursday Wrestling results
Central Michigan 36, Kent State 0
Lock Haven 28, Cleveland State 14
 
Recapc courtesy of Athletic Communications Departments

Central Michigan 36, Kent State 0
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan won all 10 matches, scoring bonus points in five of them, in rolling to a 36-0 Mid-American Conference wrestling dual meet victory over Kent State at McGuirk Arena on Thursday.

The win was CMU's third straight and it lifted the Chippewas to 7-9, 5-1 MAC. They entertain SIU Edwardsville in their final MAC dual of the season on Sunday (2 p.m.). The Golden Flashes are 1-14 and finished 0-7 in league duals.

The Chippewas recorded 21 takedowns to Kent State's two in recording their first shutout since a 44-0 win over Edinboro on Jan. 21, 2024.

CMU got a technical fall win from Mason Shrader at 149 pounds and major-decision victories from Sean Spidle (133), Johnny Lovett (157), Alex Cramer (174) and Bryan Caves (285).

CMU got decision victories from Grant Stahl (125), Chandler Amaker (165), Adrien Cramer (184) and Luke Cochran (197).

On a night where there was little drama, Stahl provided some major fireworks with a 9-8 come-from-behind victory.

Stahl, a redshirt freshman and a Mount Pleasant High School graduate, scored a takedown and then a four-point near fall in the final 23 seconds to overcome an 8-2 deficit and bring the partisan crowd to its feet.

Like most college wrestlers, Stahl sported a sterling resumé coming out of high school, winning a state title as a senior and posting a 113-6 record during his final three years as an Oiler.

He entered Thursday's dual 5-18 on the season. His win was his second in his last four bouts after he had lost nine straight. Including his win on Thursday, his last six matches have been decided by three or fewer points, and two have gone to overtime.

Stahl gave a nod to legendary Chippewa coach Tom Borrelli, who retired after a 33-year career after leading CMU to the MAC title last March.

Borrelli has been back in the wrestling room of late, working as a volunteer assistant coach.

Among the other highlights were the wins by Amaker, Caves and Austin.

• Amaker, a redshirt junior, posted a 5-0 win in the meet's opening bout. It was his second straight shutout as he snapped a six-match losing streak last weekend at Buffalo. His win on Thursday evened his season record at 9-9.
• Caves was dominant in winning for the third straight time and improving to 16-12 on the season. He recorded three takedowns and a three-point near fall.
• Austin, a redshirt sophomore, held on for a 4-3 victory – his fifth straight and his seventh in his last eight -- over graduate student Jordan Decatur, who is ranked third in the MAC.
Austin, who is unranked in the MAC, has, in the last month, recorded wins over Edinboro's Anthony Ferraro (pin), Northern Illinois' Jacob Brya (10-3), and now Decatur. Ferrara is ranked fifth in the league and Brya is sixth.
• Spidle ran his win streak to nine straight.
• Shrader won for the seventh time in his last eight matches. He has scored bonus points in five of those seven wins.
• Alex Cramer won for the 12th time in his last 13 bouts.
• Lovett ran his win streak to 12 and has been victorious in 16 of his last 17 matches. His win on Thursday gave him 126 for his career and he is seventh in program history in that category. His next victory will move him into a tie for sixth with Carleton Kincade, who won 127 matches from 1983-88.


Lock Haven 28, Cleveland State 14
FRANKLIN, Pa. – The Lock Haven men's wrestling team won seven of 10 bouts, including two tech falls and three major decisions, and the Bald Eagles soared by Cleveland State (2-9, 2-6 MAC), 28-14, tonight (Thursday, Feb. 13) in Mid-American Conference (MAC) action.
 
With the win, the Bald Eagles extended their streak to nine matches and improved to a perfect 6-0 in MAC duals. The win also helped Lock Haven move to 13-5 overall on the season.
 
The 13 wins are the most in a season since Lock Haven won 17 (17-4) duals during the 2001-02 season.
 
Lock Haven is the only MAC team remaining with an unbeaten mark in Mid-American Conference action.
 
No. 17 Anthony Noto (133 lbs.), No. 17 Wyatt Henson (141 lbs.), Lucas Kapusta (149 lbs.), Nick Stampoulos (157 lbs.), No. 27 Avery Bassett (174 lbs.), No. 26 Colin Fegley (184 lbs.) and No. 30 Tucker Hogan (197 lbs.) all won tonight for Lock Haven.
 
Henson and Fegley posted tech falls, while Noto, Kapusta and Bassett all won by major decision as the bonus points helped carry The Haven to the big win in the dual held at Franklin High School in Franklin, Pennsylvania.
 
Noto put Lock Haven on board with a 13-4 major decision over Nick Molchak at 133. Henson's 23-8 (6:38) tech fall over Ethan Mitchell pushed the Bald Eagles' lead to 9-5 and they never looked back.
 
At 149, Kapusta majored Connor Saylor, 13-3 and Stampoulos grinded out an 8-6 win over Douglas Terry at 157 to stretch The Haven lead.
 
Bassett majored Ronald Dimmerling, 12-1, and Fegley needed just 4:25 to tech JR Reed, 16-1. Hogan rounded out Lock Haven's winners with a hard-fought 9-3 victory.

Up Next for Lock Haven:
On Sunday, Feb. 16, the Bald Eagles will host the annual Mat-Town Open II Tournament. Action is set for a 9:30 a.m. start on Sunday in Thomas Fieldhouse.
 
Looking Ahead:
Lock Haven will close out the 2024-25 regular season at home in Thomas Fieldhouse on Thursday, Feb. 20 vs. Edinboro (7 p.m.). On the season, the Bald Eagles are a perfect 5-0 at home.