MAC Co-Wrestlers of the Week
Bryan Caves, Central Michigan, 285 lbs.
Sophomore, Port Byron, Ill. (Riverdale)
Central Michigan sophomore Bryan Caves went 2-1 against a rugged field in the Journeymen Collegiate Duals in New Orleans. Caves, who hails from Port Byron, Ill., opened the event with a 4-1 victory over Brandon Whitman of North Carolina and closed the event with a pin in 3:36 of Oregon State's Ryan Reyes. In between, he dropped a 17-6 decision to Seth Nevills of Penn State. The Chippewas went up against the No. 1 (Penn State) and No. 21 ranked teams in the nation in the high-profile event.
Izzak Olejnik, NIU, 165 lbs.
Redshirt Senior, Bakersfield, Calif. (Bakersfield)
Redshirt senior Izzak Olejnik helped the Huskies take down Kent State this past Sunday, increasing NIU's MAC record to 2-0. Olejnik helped the Huskies (4-2) comeback from a 9-3 deficit with a helpful bonus-point win at 165 over nationally-ranked Enrique Munguia (No. 25). Olejnik's 9-1 major decision win helped propel NIU in front of Kent State and spark momentum.
Other Nominees
Kaleb Burgess, Buffalo, 149 lbs.
R-Freshman, Mohawk, NY (Palmyra-Macedon)
Kaleb Burgess went 2-0 on Sunday with a pair of dual wins against Edinboro and Bucknell. Against Edinboro, Burgess earned a 10-2 major decision over Jake Pail to help the Bulls defeat the Fighting Scots, 26-6. Against Bucknell, Burgess was trailing Kolby DePron, 2-0, late in the third period. He got a reversal with just two seconds left to force overtime. 56 seconds into overtime Burgess secured the takedown for the win. The Bulls defeated Bucknell, 21-9.
Seth Koleno, Clarion, Senior, 141 lbs.
Clarence, Pa. (Bald Eagle)
Seth Koleno went a perfect 4-0 in dual meet action last week, including a pair of wins against Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponents to bookend the proceedings. He helped Clarion compile a 3-1 dual record in a five-day span, including wins over Bloomsburg (W 33-8) and SIU-Edwardsville (W 25-17). His win over the Huskies' Mason came on a late takedown, with Koleno trailing and needing two points to secure the win. The senior 141-pounder also contributed to a dual victory over Gardner-Webb (W 34-6), holding on to beat Zach Price by 6-5 decision. Koleno is now 9-4 on the season, including 2-0 in MAC duals.
Malachi DuVall, George Mason, 184 lbs.
Sophomore, Centre Hall, Pa/Penn Valley Area
Sophomore Malachi DuVall earned a fall against grad student Colin Shannon at 184 pounds, his 12th win of the season. Mason won the match against American, 23-15. DuVall has four falls on the season.
Jake Ferri, Kent State, 125 lbs.
Bellerica, Mass, Grad
Ferri won the showdown between the MAC's number 2 and number three wrestlers at 125 with a 9-5 win over Blake West on Sunday. Ferri used a trio of take downs and escapes to earn the 9-5 victory over West. Ferri took advantage of the final seconds of each of the first two periods to earn critical takedown points and wrestled beautiful defensive wrestling when needed to and secured the victory.
Alec Hagan, Ohio, 149 lbs.
Graduate Student, Eureka, Mo. (Eureka)
Just 53 seconds into the 149-pound dual, Hagan pinned his opponent. This quick victory marked a turning point for the Bobcats, who had yet to put points on the board but ultimately won, 23-15.
Colton McKiernan, SIUE, 285 lbs.
Senior, Richmond, Mich. (Richmond HS)
McKiernan, who is ranked 26th nationally in the Intermat rankings, ran his winning streak to nine matches and improved each match at the quadrangular in Boiling Springs, N.C. SIUE won two of three matches with McKiernan closing out the matches. He defeated Chattanooga's Logan Andrew 3-0, Gardner-Webb's Abraha Preston 13-0 and Clarion's Reynold (Buzzy) Maines with a 15-0 technical fall. He did not give up a point in the three matches and outscored his three opponents 31-0.
