Dec. 14, 2011
Contact: Tim Ertle
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SETTING THE SCENE: The Cleveland State wrestling team will take a break from dual meet action to host the CSU Open on Sunday (Dec. 18). Wrestling will begin at 9:00 a.m. in Woodling Gym and admission is $10 per person. This will be the seventh consecutive - and 10th time in the past 11 years - that the Vikings have hosted an open.
LAST TIME ON THE MAT: The Vikings dropped their Eastern Wrestling League opener to two-time defending champion No. 9 Pittsburgh as the Panthers extended their EWL winning streak to 13 consecutive matches. Junior Chris Weber (285) picked up a win via 3-1 decision for CSU.
RECAPPING THE 2010 CSU OPEN: Last year, CSU's Chris Weber placed sixth at 285 pounds after going 3-3. Champions included: Kent State's Steve Mitcheff (125), Edinboro's A.J. Schopp (133), Northwestern's Colin Shober (141), Lehigh's Anthony Salupo (149), Northwestern's Pierce Harger (157), Virginia's Nick Sulzer (165), Michigan State's Curran Jacobs (174), Notre Dame's Jake Burge (184), Clarion's Clint Podish (197) and Mike McMullan of Northwestern (285).
TOUGH TESTS: All four Cleveland State losses have come against teams ranked in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll or the NWMA Mid-Major Poll. Boston and Old Dominion, who the Vikings lost to at the Wrestle for a Cure Duals on Nov. 12, are ranked 16th and 18th, respectively in the NWMA Mid-Major Poll. Eastern Michigan is No. 19 in the mid-major poll and Pittsburgh is ranked No. 9 in the most recent NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll (Dec. 13). The four teams that have defeated CSU have a combined record of 18-11 in duals, and seven of those 11 losses were against teams who were ranked in the top-25 at the time of the match.
ANOTHER TEST AWAITS: After taking on No. 9 Pitt last Sunday (Dec. 11), CSU has another opponent ranked in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll in No. 21 Kent State on deck. The Vikings will battle the Golden Flashes on Wednesday (Dec. 21) in DeKalb, Ill.
AND IT DOESN'T GET EASIER: Four teams from the mid-major poll remain on the schedule: No. 4 Kent State, No. 5 Edinboro (No. 24 in NWCA/USA Today poll), No. 13 Bloomsburg and No. 14 Clarion. EWL foe Lock Haven, who CSU visits on Feb. 3, fell out of the poll while Appalachian State and Chattanooga, teams CSU wrestles on back-to-back days in early January, also missed inclusion in the mid-major poll but all three programs did receive votes. CSU was the first team on the outside looking in of the mid-major poll.
EWL RANKINGS: In the Dec. 12 version of the Eastern Wrestling League rankings issued by WrestlingReport.com, Corey Carlo is third at 165 pounds and Nick Flannery is fifth at 133 pounds. Ben Willeford (125), Josh Palivoda (141), Mike Mencini (149), Tanner Lemon (157), Aric Thurn (174), Corbin Boone (184), Nick Anthony (197) and Chris Weber (285) are honorable mention selections. WrestlingReport.com editors Allen Brown and Bruce Closson conducted the rankings.
PIN TOTAL ON PACE TO FALL: During the 2010-11 season, the Vikings totaled 21 pins. Through the dual with Pittsburgh, CSU has racked up 15 pins as a team. Last year, Lawrence Cavello and Rob Michaels finished with a team-best four wins via fall. Nick Flannery (133) and Matt Donohoe (157), who has wrestled on the open circuit, both already have three pins.
MIDDLE SCHOOL TOURNAMENT: On Saturday (Dec. 17), the Vikings will be hosting a middle school tournament for students in sixth through eighth grade at Woodling Gymnasium. Wrestling begins at 9:00 a.m.
The head coach: Ben Stehura (Lock Haven '00)
At Cleveland State: 11-47 (four years) ... Overall: 37-97-1 (eight years)
THE STEHURA FILE: Ben Stehura is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Viking wrestling program, and has recruited a talented group of young wrestlers that expect to make noise in the Eastern Wrestling League this year. Stehura has a history of developing young talent, as he has coached seven NCAA qualifiers, three NCAA All-Americans and two Olympic alternates over the past seven years. Stehura joined CSU in 2008 after building a successful program at Limestone in Gaffney, S.C. The first head coach in Limestone's history, Stehura took the team from three wins his first year to 13 in 2007-2008. Stehura will use his experience with coaching a young program to lead the Vikings during the 2011-12 season, working to improve in EWL competition and continuing the history and tradition of CSU wrestling.
UP NEXT: The Vikings will compete again as a team a week from Wednesday (Dec. 21) when they compete in the Northern Illinois Quad. CSU will take on Cumberland before Mid-American Conference foes No. 21 Kent State and Northern Illinois in DeKalb, Ill. The Vikings will battle NAIA Cumberland (Tenn.) at 12:00 p.m., Kent State at 2:00 p.m. and Northern Illinois at 4:00 p.m.
