CLEVELAND, Ohio – Redshirt senior Evan Cheek of the Cleveland State University wrestling team was selected fourth at 141 pounds as the Mid-American Conference released its preseason rankings Wednesday morning.
The 2019-20 season will be Cleveland State wrestling's first as a member of the MAC. The MAC is welcoming seven new members overall this season, giving it 15 in total and making it the second-largest Division I conference.
The league announced preseason individual weight class rankings along with team rankings Wednesday. The MAC revealed the top six student-athletes in each weight class as voted on by the head coaches.
Cheek was ranked fourth at 141 pounds while Cleveland State was listed 14th in the team portion. Seven-time defending champion Missouri was selected as the conference preseason favorite.
While redshirting last season, Cheek posted a 20-4 record while competing as an unattached collegian, including netting 11 pins. Cheek won the Eastern Wrestling League 141-pound title in 2017-18 and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the EWL Championships. He won 24 matches en route to the NCAA Championships, including pinning an undefeated, top-five opponent in his conference title bout. Cheek posted a team-leading 16 bonus-point wins as a junior, including eight pins.
The 2019 MAC Wrestling Championships will be held March 7-8 and hosted by Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill.
Cleveland State will open the season this weekend with a pair of events, beginning with hosting the Cleveland Clash Friday, Nov. 1, at 7:00 p.m.