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Wrestling Team to Host Pittsburgh in EWL Opener

Wrestling Team to Host Pittsburgh in EWL Opener
Posted: Jan 21, 2008

Jan. 21, 2008

Contact: Gene Natale, Jr.

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Cleveland State Wrestling
Dual Meet 10 - Pittsburgh

Date: Friday, Jan. 25, 2008
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Site: Woodling Gymnasium, Cleveland, Ohio
All-Time Series: Teams are tied, 14-14-1
Last Meeting: CSU 21, Pitt 15 (1/24/07)

SETTING THE SCENE: The Cleveland State wrestling team hosts EWL rival Pittsburgh at Woodling Gymnasium on Jan. 25, 2008. The meet will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST.

RECAPPING LAST WEEK: The Vikings went 1-2 at the Ashland Duals, defeating Ashland while losing to Illinois and Northern Illinois. Here is a brief look at how the Vikings fared last weekend.

Ashland Duals - 1-2 (Jan. 20, 2008 - Kates Gym, Ashland, Ohio)
The Vikings lost 37-0 against a nationally ranked Illinois squad featuring nine starters ranked in the top 20 in the NCAA, then defeated Ashland, 21-13 before falling to Northern Illinois, 30-6. Alek Hughes had the best day of any Viking, going 2-1 with two pins at 197 pounds.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: Cleveland State has a lot of talent on the roster this season, with five wrestlers who have NCAA Tournament experience. Of those five, four have won at least 50 matches in their careers, including Ryan Hurley (69), Marcus Effner (68), Rashard Goff (66), and Mike Hurley (52). The veterans are joined by a highly touted group of underclassmen who may have a lot to prove on the college level, but have certainly accomplished quite a bit in high school. Josh Palivoda (133), Robbie Michaels (157), Eric Schwartz (285), and Alek Hughes (197) are all freshmen who have been CSU's top contributors in their respective weight classes and all four either won state championships in high school or were runner-up in their respective state tournaments. Michaels won 188 matches in high school and currently leads the Vikings with 23 wins as one of the most reliable options head coach Jack Effner has at any weight class. Schwartz has proven to be a potential star, and is considered by Effner to be about equal in ability to Rashard Goff, who is a two-time NCAA qualifier at 285 pounds.

THE HEAD COACH
Jack Effner (Indiana State `86)
At CSU: 71-85-3
Overall: 158-127-8

EFFNER ON THE VIKINGS: "We've got some guys that have been banged up, and hopefully we can get healthy for our league matches beginning with this weekend. We hope some of this good competition we have been getting will rub off on us and make us better."

CSU ALL-TIME VS. THE PITT PANTHERS: The all-time series is tied, 14-14-1, while the Vikings have won the last two meetings between the schools. In last year's matchup, CSU won a close one, pulling out the 21-15 victory on the road on Jan. 24, 2007.

LAST CHANCE FOR HURLEYS: Seniors Mike Hurley and Ryan Hurley have won a combined 121 matches throughout their careers, and as Coach Effner puts it, "they have done it all" when it comes to winning big matches against quality opponents. Each of the brothers, apart in age by only 18 months, was an All-American while in high school and have reached the national stage for the Vikings. Ryan has gone to nationals three straight years at 149 pounds while the older Mike made the trip during the 2005-06 season at 141.

ROOKIE SENSATION: Redshirt freshman Rob Michaels has been having an outstanding season, leading the team in wins while competing at 157 pounds. With 23 victories midway through the season, he has done an admirable job filling the shoes of last year's starter Victer Crenshaw, who currently wrestles for Notre Dame College. Crenshaw was an NCAA qualifer for the Vikings last season at 157 pounds.

BATTLE FOR POSITION: With such a large and talented team it was inevitable that it would be difficult for the coaching staff to choose just one starter at some of the weight classes. As a result, both Mike Hurley (5-6) and Antonio Nicholson (12-10) have started at 141 pounds, while Rashard Goff (16-6) has shared the starting role with Eric Schwartz (14-10) at 285 pounds.

A KNOWN QUANTITY: Junior Marcus Effner's 20-6 season has been getting plenty of attention, as the 165-pounder is currently ranked 10th in the Atlantic Division as well as garnering a 26th overall ranking in the nation.

...ALSO WELL KNOWN: Rashard Goff, with a 16-6 season, has also seen recognition. He is currently the 24th ranked heavyweight according to the Wrestling Report.

PIN TO WIN: Freshman Alek Hughes (197) physically dominates his opponents, win or lose. His unorthodox style has been successful, leading to a team-high eight pins so far to accompany his 14 victories.

...SPEAKING OF PINS: Freshman heavyweight Eric Schwartz is another Viking who racks up plenty of dominating wins. He has scored seven falls as well as two technical falls out of his 14 victories.

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.

SCORE FOR THE (BIG) LITTLE GUYS: Senior 125-pounder Ryan Riggs has matched his career high in wins with 12 this season as he seeks to end his Viking career on a high note. Prior to this season he only had 20 career victories, which makes it evident that this season could end quite well for the wrestler.

UP NEXT: The Vikings will travel to Pennsylvania for back to back EWL dual meets against Lock Haven (Feb. 1) and Bloomsburg (Feb. 2). The team will face Lock Haven at Thomas Fieldhouse in Lock Haven, PA at 7:30 p.m. EST, and will face Bloomsburg at Nelson Field House in Bloomsburg, PA at 1:00 p.m. EST.