CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State University wrestling team returns home to open a stretch of seven consecutive Mid-American Conference duals this weekend.
CSU will welcome in-state foe Ohio this Saturday, Jan. 18, at 1:00 p.m. All children in attendance (age 12 and under) will receive a free slice of pizza.
Cleveland State will be returning home for its first competition of the New Year. The Vikings posted a 2-1 record at a quad dual at VMI this past weekend, earning wins over California Baptist and the host Keydets while falling to Clarion.
Redshirt senior Evan Cheek and redshirt freshman Riley Smucker both went 3-0 at the quad dual, with the former tallying two pins and a technical fall. Six other Vikings—redshirt sophomore Chase Archangelo, true freshman Logan Heil, true freshman DeAndre Nassar, redshirt junior Nico O'Dor, redshirt senior Justin Patrick and sophomore Ben Smith—all collected two wins at the event.
Cheek leads a 6-1 Viking team that is off to its best start in over 25 years. He has 26 wins, including 16 of the bonus-point variety. Smith is on the verge of joining Cheek in the 20-win club as he his 19 victories, 12 of which are of the bonus-point variety. Heil, Nassar and Smucker are tied for third on the squad with 16 wins each.
Ohio is 2-5 on the season entering the weekend and will compete at Kent State Friday night. The Bobcats are 0-2 in MAC action, dropping matchups at Edinboro and Missouri.
The dual is expected to feature a top-20 matchup at 141 pounds as Cheek and OU's Shakur Laney go head-to-head. Cheek's matchup with Laney and Heil's likely matchup against OU's Gio DiSabato at 125 pounds would both be rematches of bouts from the Navy Classic earlier this season, with both Bobcats earning two-point decisions. Ohio's likely starter at 149 pounds, Alec Hagan, would provide CSU true freshman Gus Sutton with a top-20 opponent for Sutton's fourth straight date of competition.
Cleveland State is 4-10-1 all-time against Ohio with the most recent meeting occurring in 2015-16. Cheek is the lone active Viking to have competed against the Bobcats in dual action, claiming a win by decision at 133 pounds.
Cleveland State will resume action next weekend as it hits the road for three consecutive duals against MAC West foes.
