Jan. 9, 2006
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Setting the Scene: The Viking wrestling team welcomes Eastern Michigan, Slippery Rock and West Liberty State to Woodling Gymnasium on Saturday (Jan. 14) for the Cleveland State Duals. The tournament will feature competition on two mats, with CSU battling Eastern Michigan at 12:00 noon, Slippery Rock at 2:00 p.m. and West Liberty at 4:00 p.m.
Previewing the Vikings: The Vikings head into this weekend's competition with a 2-2 dual meet record. After dropping a tough 27-8 contest at Kent State on Thursday (Jan. 5), the Vikings got a strong moral boost by rallying from a 10-0 deficit against Ohio State on Saturday (Jan. 7) to claim a 25-18 victory over the Buckeyes. The team is benefiting greatly from the leadership of senior co-captain Ron Howard, who is ranked No. 18 at 184 pounds in the NWCA/Intermat Coaches Poll and leads the team with a 16-6 record. Freshmen Jayrl Hunt (125) and Victer Crenshaw (157) have provided a boost in their first collegiate season, with Hunt touting a 9-7 mark with three pins and Crenshaw going 14-8 with two pins and two tech falls. After spending the last two months off the mat to recover from a knee injury, sophomore Marcus Effner made a triumphant but costly return against Ohio State, scoring his first win since Nov. 4 with a pin but re-injuring his knee in the process.
Howard Nationally Ranked: Senior Ron Howard enters the week ranked among the nation's best, according to the latest NWCA/Intermat Coaches Poll. Howard currently sits at No. 18 at 184 with a record of 16-6, including two pins and three major decisions.
Last Week's Results:
Kent State 27, Cleveland State 8
Jan. 5, 2006 - M.A.C. Center - Kent, Ohio
Sophomores David Armstrong and Mike Hurley posted strong wins to close the Vikings to within one point of Kent State (10-9), but the Golden Flashes slammed the door by claiming the final five bouts to secure a 27-8 win. After KSU claimed the first three bouts to spot itself to a 9-0 advantage, Armstrong gutted out a 4-2 overtime decision over Drew Opfer at 133 pounds to get the Vikings on the board. Hurley followed with a dominant 16-0 shutout of Kyle Chonko at 141 to notch a technical fall in 3:24 and bring the scoring to 9-8, but the Vikings would get no closer as the Flashes tallied wins in the final five bouts.
Cleveland State 25, Ohio State 18
Jan. 7, 2006 - Woodling Gymnasium - Cleveland, Ohio
A pin by Jayrl Hunt at 3:20 of the final bout of the night sealed a 25-18 come-from-behind victory over Ohio State. After the Buckeyes opened up a 10-0 lead through the first three bouts, the Vikings rallied for five wins, including three falls and a major decision to claim their second home win of the year. Freshman Victer Crenshaw got things rolling with a major decision at 157 before Marcus Effner scored a pin at 165 to give the Vikings their first lead of the night. OSU reclaimed the lead with a pin at 174, but Ron Howard closed the gap with decision at 184, before a pin by Joe Dennis at 197 gave the Vikings the lead for good and set up Hunt's finale at 125.
Coach Effner's Thoughts: "The Ohio State match was definitely a huge win for our program, and it couldn't have happened at a better time. The loss to Kent State was tough, and we needed some kind of a moral boost. I'm proud of the way our guys stepped up to the plate."
A Long Time Coming: Cleveland State's win over Ohio State on Jan. 7 was a big win for the Vikings in a lot of ways, especially when you consider how long it has been since a CSU squad has topped the Buckeyes. The win was the first over Ohio State for Jack Effner in his seven seasons at the helm and the first for the Viking program since defeating the Buckeyes, 18-15, at Woodling Gym on Dec. 14, 1986. Since that time, CSU had gone 0-12 against the Big Ten foe.
Sophomore Success: The success of the Cleveland State wrestling team rests on the shoulders of its young starters, especially its sophomores. In fact, six of the 10 regular starters in the CSU lineup are sophomores, including returning NCAA qualifiers Ryan Hurley (149), Marcus Effner (165) and Joe Dennis (197) along with co-captain Mike Hurley (141). Additionally, David Armstrong (133) and JT Miller (174) provide a strong presence in the lineup that is crucial to the success of the team.
...But Don't Forget the Freshmen: While the majority of the the CSU lineup is composed of sophomores, the freshman trio of Jayrl Hunt, Victer Crenshaw and Rashard Goff have provided the biggest lift to the team's success so far this season. The first-year wrestlers have combined to register 35 of the starter's 55 wins, with Hunt posting a 9-7 mark at 125, Crenshaw touting a 14-8 mark at 157 and Goff going 12-14 at 285.
...And Senior Leadership: Senior Ron Howard has become one of the most reliable competitors in the Viking lineup during his four seasons on the squad. The Cincinnati native is a two-time NCAA qualifier at 184 pounds and is currently ranked 18th nationally. A team co-captain, he owns a 65-57 career record, including a 16-6 mark this season that includes the 184-pound title at the Ashland University Harris Auto Center Open on Nov. 19. He picked up a decision in his first dual meet this year against John Carroll (Nov. 22) and added decisions against Michigan State (Dec. 10) and Ohio State (Jan. 7).
They Don't Kneed This: It took nearly two months for sophomore Marcus Effner to earn his first win since suffering a knee injury at the Slippery Rock Open on Nov. 4, but there may be even more of a wait until he is able to notch his next one. Less than a minute into the 165-pound bout against Steve Sommers of Ohio State on Jan. 7, Effner's problem knee came into hard contact with Sommers, sending the Viking to the mat in pain. Effner was able to rally through the hardship and score a pin at 2:16 of the bout, but the injury may force him to the bench once again.
...But Scarl May Step Right In: The loss of Marcus Effner leaves a big hole at the 165-pound weight class, but a new addition to the roster may provide an ample replacement. Tim Scarl, a sophomore transfer from Indiana, became eligible for competition on Jan. 7 and will be the top option at 165 for the spring. A graduate of St. Edward High School, Scarl went 13-9 with three tech falls in 2004-05 with the Hoosiers. The Vikings also have the option of using freshman Nate Kmetz, who holds a 6-11 mark with a pin this season.
Head Coach Jack Effner: Head coach Jack Effner is in his eighth season at the helm of the Vikings and holds a 53-69-3 dual meet record. During his tenure, he has coached 27 NCAA qualifiers and four Eastern Wrestling League Champions. The Vikings sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships last season, the fourth-straight year that four or more CSU wrestlers have qualified for the national tournament. Additionally, Effner has instilled an emphasis on academic success in his teams. The Vikings have finished in the top 20 nationally in grade-point average in all seven of Effner's seasons, with the 2000 squad posting the highest ranking when it finished seventh out of nearly 100 teams.
Chittick Signs with CSU: High school senior Kyle Chittick, who won the Michigan state title at 171 pounds last season, has signed a national letter of intent to attend Cleveland State and wrestle beginning in the fall of 2006. A senior at Davison High School near Burton, Mich., he holds a 146-21 career record and enters his senior season ranked 12th or higher at 171 pounds in every high school ranking, including a No. 8 ranking in Wrestling USA Magazine. Chittick placed in the top eight at the state championships in his first three years, finishing sixth as a freshman, fourth as a sophomore and first last year. He was tabbed as a Freestyle Cadet All-American his sophomore season before being named to the Freestyle Junior National Team last year.
Next Up: The Vikings head to Ashland University on Jan. 22 for the Ashland Duals where they will take on Ohio at 10:00 a.m., Davidson at 12:00 p.m. and Northern Illinois beginning at 4:00 p.m. at Kates Gymnasium.
