Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Cleveland State University

The Official Home of the Cleveland State University Vikings

CSU Heads to Buffalo Duals

CSU Heads to Buffalo Duals
Posted: Jan 02, 2008

Jan. 2, 2008

Contact: Gene Natale, Jr.

Complete Release in PDF Format Get Acrobat Reader

Cleveland State Wrestling
Dual Meets 2-4 - At Buffalo Duals

Date: Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Site: Alumni Arena, Buffalo, NY

SETTING THE SCENE: Following a tough go at a loaded Midlands Invitational field, the Cleveland State wrestling team will travel to the University at Buffalo for the Buffalo Duals, and will compete in dual meets against Buffalo, West Liberty State, and Mercyhurst College. The competition will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Buffalo's Alumni Arena.

RECAPPING LAST WEEK: The Vikings finished 28th out of 50 teams at the Midlands Invitational last weekend at Northwestern University, as all 10 Viking entrants were eliminated on the competition's first day. Junior Rashard Goff, at 2-2, led the way for CSU. Freshman Alek Hughes had a chance to compete for a consolation title but took a medical forfeit for his next match due to an ankle sprain suffered in his previous bout, leaving him at 1-1 for the day.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: Cleveland State, having completed its open meet portion of the schedule, heads into dual meet action undefeated thus far after scoring an early season dual meet win at home against John Carroll on November 20th. Several Vikings are having breakout seasons, including JT Miller, starting for the first time at 174 pounds this year and posting a 16-10 record thus far. Freshman Robbie Michaels leads the team in wins with 19 at the 157 pound class and has eased the blow of losing 2006-07 NCAA qualifier Victer Crenshaw, who transferred to Notre Dame College following last season. Junior Rashard Goff has been working hard to improve on the mat and in the classroom and has made himself eligible for competition, meaning that his 14-4 record for the season while competing unattached will officially go into the books. The two-time NCAA qualifier endeavors to finish the year strong after winning the CSU Open at 285 pounds in mid-December.

THE HEAD COACH
Jack Effner (Indiana State `80)
At CSU: 68-80-3
Overall: 155-122-8

EFFNER ON THE VIKINGS: "I look at this as a big momentum building week for us. We will face three quality teams, but at the same times they are three teams that we can and should beat. If for some reason we don't rise to the occasion it certainly won't be over, but it would make the rest of the season much more challenging."

CSU ALL-TIME VS. THIS WEEKEND'S OPPOSITION: Cleveland State has only faced Mercyhurst once and West Liberty twice, but is 1-0 and 2-0 against the respective schools in dual meet action. Meanwhile, the Vikings are 5-4 all time against host school Buffalo, losing the last meeting by a score of 34-10 back on Jan. 6, 2001. That matchup was also the first meeting of the two schools since the 1976-77 season, during which the Vikings, under hall of fame coach Dick Bonacci, posted a 31-5 victory.

WINNING BIG: The Viking wrestlers have been getting a lot a matches in this season with a large roster, and have been taking full advantage of their opportunities, a fact made clear as one observes that the team has eight wrestlers with double digit victories. Those Vikings include Marcus Effner (15-5), Rashard Goff (14-4), Alek Hughes (12-7), Robbie Michaels (19-4), JT Miller (16-10), Shaun Michell (10-7), Antonio Nicholson (12-9), and Eric Schwartz (11-9).

LOCKED AND LOADED: Several weight classes feature multiple quality contributors, presenting Coach Effner with an enviable problem. "We have two heavyweights that are about equal in ability, and this is a good problem to have, since they are both such good wrestlers," he said. At heavyweight, freshman Eric Schwartz has shown that he is a quality wrestler with his 11 victories on the season, and even managed to score a victory in intersquad competition at the beginning of the season over teammate and two-time NCAA qualifier Rashard Goff. At the 141 pound class, 2005-06 NCAA qualifier Mike Hurley has Antonio Nicholson to challenge him for mat time, although Hurley has missed much of the season up to this point due to injury. Nicholson has produced well in Hurley's absence, winning 12 matches.

HUGHES THE RELENTLESS: Freshman Alek Hughes is the team's only option at 197 pounds this year, and has really stepped up in his first year in the college ranks with a 12-7 record including a team-leading seven pins. "Hughes is just relentless, he's someone that you have to be willing to go the whole round against to have a chance, which is something that some of his opponents this season learned the hard way," said Coach Effner.

MAKING A BIG IMPACT: This Vikings rely on their younger contributors a great deal, particularly the freshman class. So far on the season the freshmen who have competed wearing the green and white have posted a cumulative record of 53-49, including the aforementioned Michaels, Hughes, and Schwartz, as well as Caleb Kennedy, 5-9 at 174, DJ Cummins, 8-9 at 184, Josh Palivoda, 5-9 at 133, and Matt Reynolds, 5-9 at 125.

VETERAN LEADERSHIP: The Vikings boast a roster that includes five previous NCAA qualifiers, including senior and 2007-08 redshirt David Armstrong at 133, juniors Marcus Effner at 165 and Rashard Goff at 285, and seniors Mike Hurley at 141 and Ryan Hurley at 149.

UP NEXT: Following competition at the Buffalo Duals, the Vikings will travel to Kent, Ohio for a dual meet against Kent State at KSU's MAC Center on January 8, with competition commencing at 7:05 p.m.