MAC Names Wrestler of the Week
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
MAC Wrestler of the Week
Zach Synon, Missouri—Junior, Cary, Ill. (Prairie Ridge High School)
Missouri junior Zach Synon posted two wins over the weekend at 133 lb., helping Mizzou knock off two top-25 opponents and extend its consecutive dual win-streak to 32. On Saturday, Synon defeated No. 5 Johnni Di Julius of then-No. 3 Ohio State by way of a pin (5:59). Then, on Sunday, Synon beat Cameron Kelly of then-No.21 Ohio by way of decision, 9-4. Down 10-0 after two matches to the defending national champion Buckeyes, Mizzou needed a spark to regain the momentum and get back into the dual. Synon and DiJulius were tied 2-2 heading into the third period when Synon revitalized the Tigers with a pin after takedown the sent the Hearnes Center crowd into a frenzy. The Tigers would go onto the beat Ohio State by a score of 26-17. Synon then followed up the pin with a 9-4 decision win over Kelly of Ohio, helping the Tigers beat the Bobcats, 27-9, in a MAC-showdown.
Additional Nominees:
Gage Hutchison, Eastern Michigan—Sophomore, Buchanan, Mich. (Buchanan High School)
Eastern Michigan sophomore Gage Hutchison led the Eagles at the Indiana duals this past weekend, Dec. 13. The heavyweight went 2-0 in his pair of duals, winning his first bout against Indiana in a 5-2 decision. He followed that up with a pin against Manchester in 3:14. His fall was one of five for the Eagles against the Spartans in a 46-6 victory. With the two dual victories, Hutchsion now holds a 5-3 dual record for the Eagles this season.
Devin Nye, Kent State—R-Freshman, Springfield, Ohio (Springfield High School)
Kent State redshirt freshman Devin Nye won a heavyweight title at the Cleveland State Open Saturday, going 4-0. He was dominant in his first three bouts with a first period pin, a second period pin and an 8-1 major decision. In Nye’s final bout, he scored a takedown in sudden victory to give him a 3-1 win. Nye improved to 17-7 on the year with five pins.
Max Thomsen, Northern Iowa—Freshman, La Porte City, Iowa (Union High School)
Northern Iowa freshman Max Thomsen dominated the 149-pound weight class at the UNI Open Dec. 12, 2015 with two first-period falls, two major decisions and a tech fall to win the title. He kicked off the tournament by pinning Dakota Gray of Luther College in 1 minute, 28 seconds. Thomsen earned another fall over Paul Norgren of SW Minnesota State in 2:42. He notched two major decisions, beating Brady Jennings of Iowa State and teammate Peter Stewart (who took seventh at 141 pounds at the NJCAA tournament in 2015). Thomsen won his title with a 20-3 tech fall in the championship round over Blayne Briceno of Iowa State. This was the second time Thomsen has beat Briceno. Earlier this year, he earned a 14-4 major decision.
