CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State wrestling team will compete in the EWL Championship on Saturday at Lock Haven in the Thomas Fieldhouse.
The quarterfinals are scheduled to begin at 10:00 am with the finals slated for 6:00 pm. There will be live video of the championship finals at each weight class.
The EWL Championship will send 17 wrestlers to the NCAA National Championship, which will be contested from March 17-19 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The 149 and 197 weight classes have three spots allocated, while the 157, 165 and 285 weight classes will have two EWL wrestlers qualify. The remaining five weight classes have one slot allocated for the NCAA Championship.
At last year's EWL Championship, the Vikings scored 94 points to finish fourth, while 125-pounder Ben Willeford and heavyweight Riley Shaw both qualified for nationals. It was the second appearance at nationals for both wrestlers.
This year, the Vikings finished the season with an 8-8 overall record in duals and went 4-2 in the EWL, including a 35-6 win at Bloomsburg in the final dual of the season on Feb. 21.
Shaw, ranked 19th in the nation, will once again lead the Vikings into the EWL Championship. A two-time NCAA qualifier (2103, 2015), he went 25-6 this year, including 14-1 in duals and 5-1 in EWL matches. He leads the team with five tech falls and has posted four major decisions and one fall.
He enters the EWL Championship with 97 career wins, including 31 last year as a junior.
Senior 197-pounder Sam Wheeler leads the Vikings with 26 wins this year, posting a 26-8 overall record in his first season at CSU. Like Shaw, he went 5-1 in EWL contests this year and is tops on the team with five major decisions.
Junior John Martin will represent the Vikings at 125 pounds after going 8-14 this year (3-2 EWL) with two major decisions, while freshman Evan Cheek will wrestle at 133 pounds. He tallied a 6-9 mark this year.
Senior Mike Carlone went 9-10 this year, including 2-3 in EWL duals, and will wrestler at 141 pounds, while junior Nick Montgomery will make his third straight appearance at the EWL Championship at 149 pounds. Montgomery went 15-11 this year (3-3 EWL) and leads the team with six falls. He also posted four major decisions.
Carlone placed fourth at the 2013 EWL Championships and fifth last year, while Montgomery has finished fourth at each of his first two appearances at the league championship.
Senior Chas Busz will represent CSU at 157 pounds after posting a 4-7 record this year.
Junior Nathan Wynkoop, who went 5-15 this year, will wrestler at 165 pounds for the Vikings, while junior Gabe Stark will attempt to improve upon last year's fourth place showing at 174 pounds. Stark is 15-13 this year and went 4-2 in EWL duals, while ranking second on the team with four falls.
At 184 pounds, senior Xavier Dye will compete for the fourth straight season and look to improve upon last year's fourth place finish. Dye, who missed the first part of the season with an injury, went 7-6 this year (3-2 EWL) with two falls and two major decisions.
CLEVELAND STATE LINEUP
125: John Martin, Jr. (Buckland, Ohio/Wapakoneta) 8-14
133: Evan Cheek, Fr. (Milan, Ohio/Milan Edison) 6-9
141: Mike Carlone, Sr. (Mayfield, Ohio/Mayfield) 9-10
149: Nick Montgomery, Jr. (Madison, Ohio/Madison) 15-11
157: Chas Busz, Sr. (South Whitey, IN/Whitko) 4-7
165: Nathan Wynkoop, Jr. (West Branch, MI/Ogemaw Heights) 5-15
174: Gabe Stark, Jr. (Warren, Ohio/Howland) 15-13
184: Xavier Dye, Sr. (McLure, Ohio/Patrick Henry) 7-6
197: Sam Wheeler, Sr. (Copley, Ohio/Copley) 26-8
285: #19 Riley Shaw, Sr. (Washington, Ohio/Washington) 25-6
