CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State University wrestling team is set to compete for the third consecutive weekend, but the Vikings will be hitting the road for the first time this season.
CSU will travel to nationally ranked Navy this Saturday, Jan. 30, with matches set to get underway at 5:00 p.m. The two squads are set to contest a traditional dual along with approximately 20 'extra matches' as action will take place on two mats simultaneously across two rounds. Video coverage will be available on ESPN+, with the broadcast primarily focusing on the dual bouts.
In its first official dual of the season this past weekend, Cleveland State dropped an 18-15 heartbreaker to Big XII foe West Virginia.
Four Vikings won bouts against the Mountaineers, with true freshman Daniel Patten registering a second-period pin at 157 pounds. Redshirt sophomore Marcus Robinson claimed a comfortable win via decision at 149 pounds to tally his first dual win as a Viking after transferring in during the offseason.
Sophomores Logan Heil (133) and DeAndre Nassar (184) both won extremely tight bouts against WVU, with Nassar prevailing in the first tiebreaker period. The win was Heil's first at 133 after he spent his entire rookie season at 125 pounds. Patten and Nassar are both off to 3-0 starts in the early going to lead the Vikings.
Despite having last week off, Navy entered the National Wrestling Coaches Association Top 25 this week, slotting in at No. 24. It's their first ranking in the poll since December 2017. The Mids began their season with a 22-14 setback to Pittsburgh, currently ranked No. 12, but have since rebounded with two convincing wins. Navy easily dispatched of fellow MAC foe Clarion before upsetting nationally ranked Lehigh in their last time on the mat (Jan. 16).
Navy has a strong and balanced team up and down its lineup as five Mids are ranked among the top 25 in their weight class. Seniors Cody Trybus (141) and Tanner Skidgel (165) lead the way as both own top-15 rankings and are tied for the team lead with five wins. Both Trybus and projected 149-pound starter Casey Cobb are 5-0 on the season.
Cleveland State owns a 3-1 lead in the all-time series with Navy, but this will be the first meeting between the schools on the mat since 1996. The Vikings will be heading to Navy for a dual for the first time since the 1977-78 season, when CSU left Maryland with a 19-17 win. However, Cleveland State has traveled to Navy in each of the past two seasons for the Navy Classic, a tournament held in the season's opening month.
Additional dates of competition for the Vikings for the month of February will be added once confirmed. The schedule page on CSUVikings.com will be continually updated with additional matches as they are finalized.
