Jan. 2, 2006
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Setting the Scene: The dual meet schedule kicks into full gear this week as the Vikings head to Kent State on Thursday (Jan. 5) for at 7:00 contest before hosting Ohio State at Woodling Gymnasium on Saturday (Jan. 7) at 7:00 p.m. The Ohio State meet will be preceded by a 5:00 high school match between St. Peter Chanel and Sandusky-St. Mary.
Previewing the Vikings: The 2005-06 edition of the CSU wrestling team features a young core of athletes as eight freshmen and sophomores are among the 10 starters. But the youth should not disguise the talent that the group exhibits. The Vikings feature four of the five NCAA qualifiers from a season ago, including sophomores Joe Dennis, Marcus Effner and Ryan Hurley and senior Ron Howard, with Hurley (149 - 6th) and Howard (184 - 19th) nationally ranked. An injury to Hurley at the Ashland Open (11/19) has hampered the the Viking of late, costing him a start against John Carroll (11/22) and forcing him to injury default at Michigan State (12/10). Howard wrestled his way to the 184 title at Ashland by winning four straight bouts and won six bouts at the Nittany Lion Open (12/4) to finish sixth. Dennis, last year's Eastern Wrestling League Freshman of the Year at heavyweight, has been one of the Vikings' top competitors this season down a weight class. After starting the season at a more competitive 197 pounds, he finished second at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic. A leg injury to returning NCAA qualifier Marcus Effner has sidelined the 157-pound starter for the last six weeks but should be back for the start of the new year. Sophomore co-captain Mike Hurley is healthy and could be one of the top 141-pounders in the EWL after fully recovering from a season-ending injury last year.
Nationally Ranked Vikings: Two CSU wrestlers find themselves listed among the top talent in the nation in the InterMat/NWCA Division I rankings. Sophomore Ryan Hurley (149) is in 6th after spending the past three weeks at No. 8, while senior Ron Howard (184) is ranked No. 19.
Last Week's Results:
The 43rd Midlands Wrestling Championships
Dec. 29-30, 2005 - Welsh-Ryan Arena - Evanston, Ill.
The Viking wrestling team saw their Midlands Championship competition come to an early end on Dec. 29 as the 10 CSU participants were eliminated from the two-day tournament. Sophomore David Armstrong and freshmen Victer Crenshaw and Rashard Goff provided the Vikings with their lone victories. Armstrong scored a 2-1 decision over Daniel Quintela of Northwestern at 133 pounds, while Crenshaw registered a 10-2 major decision over Jake Murphy of Purdue at 157. Goff opened up with an 8-2 win at heavyweight over Larry Langowski of Northwestern before bowing out.
The University at Buffalo Open
Dec. 30, 2005 - Alumni Arena - Buffalo, N.Y.
Sophomores Joe Wornoff (125) and JT Miller (174) put up their best showings of the season at the Buffalo Open on Dec. 30, placing second at their respective weight classes after recording three-straight wins before falling in the championship bout.
Coach Effner's Thoughts: "The Midlands was a very tough tournament. It was a good eye opener for our guys. We all wrestled hard and got exposure to some great competition and a great environment. We will be better for it in the long run, but it wasn't pleasant as far as wins and losses. At the same time, we can't dwell on the past. We have a couple of great intra-state matches with Kent State and Ohio State coming up and we have to be ready for them. We have some very good wrestlers; we just have to get it out of them."
Sophomore Success: The success of the Cleveland State wrestling team rests on the shoulders of its young starters, especially its sophomores. In fact, five of the 10 starters in the CSU lineup are sophomores, including returning NCAA qualifiers Ryan Hurley (149) and Joe Dennis (197) along with co-captain Mike Hurley (141). Additionally, Joe Wornoff (125) and David Armstrong (133) provide depth that is crucial to the success of the team. Marcus Effner has missed mat time in the last few competitions due to injury, but is expected to return to the lineup in the next few weeks.
...And Senior Leadership: Senior Ron Howard has become one of the most reliable competitors in the Viking lineup during his four seasons on the squad. The Cincinnati native is a two-time NCAA qualifier at 184 pounds and currently ranked 19th nationally. A team co-captain, he owns a 65-57 career record, including a 15-3 mark this season that includes the 184-pound title at the Ashland University Harris Auto Center Open on Nov. 19. He picked up a decision in his first dual meet this year against John Carroll, 8-4 and added a 6-1 win over Joe Williams of Michigan State.
Howard Honored: After earning a sixth-place finish at the Nittany Lion Open and a payback victory against No. 17 Michigan State, Ron Howard was named the Eastern Wrestling League Wrestler of the Week on Dec. 12. He wrestled his way to a sixth-place finish at 184 pounds at the Nittany Lion Open on Dec. 4, scoring six wins including a pin before bowing out with a medical forfeit. On Saturday (Dec. 10) at Michigan State, he scored a convincing 6-1 victory over Joe Williams, avenging an 11-3 loss to the Spartan last season at Woodling Gymnasium. Howard, a CSU co-captain and two-time NCAA qualifier, has been one of the Vikings' top wrestlers this season, posting a team-best 15-3 record and finishing as the 184-pound champion at the Ashland Open (Nov. 19).
A Fresh Start: Nothing like starting out on the right foot. Freshmen Jayrl Hunt and Victer Crenshaw certainly did that against John Carroll on Nov. 22. The pair each notched strong wins in their first collegiate starts against the Blue Streaks in front of the home crowd at Woodling Gym. Hunt got the Vikings rolling in the match with a 14-6 major decision over Elie Naoum at 125 pounds. Crenshaw then recorded possibly the most impressive offensive display of the night at 157 pounds, running up a 15-0 technical fall in just 3:35 over Steven Bagnowski. The pair has continued their success since then, with Hunt holding an 8-6 overall record and Crenshaw touting a 13-7 mark.
Injury Bites: Injuries are commonplace on a wrestling team and this season's CSU squad has already proven to be no exception. Leg ailments have hampered two of the Vikings' four returning NCAA qualifiers. A strained patellar tendon suffered by sophomore Marcus Effner at the Slippery Rock Open has sidelined the 157-pound starter for the past six weeks, while a leg injury at the Ashland Open to sophomore Ryan Hurley cost the 149-pounder a start against John Carroll on Nov. 22. Hurley returned to the lineup against Michigan State and picked up tournament action at the Midlands Championships, while Effner will attempt to make a return in the next few weeks.
Head Coach Jack Effner: Head coach Jack Effner is in his eighth season at the helm of the Vikings and holds a 52-68-3 dual meet record. During his tenure, he has coached 27 NCAA qualifiers and four Eastern Wrestling League Champions. The Vikings sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships last season, the fourth-straight year that four or more CSU wrestlers have qualified for the national tournament. Additionally, Effner has instilled an emphasis on academic success in his teams. The Vikings have finished in the top 20 nationally in grade-point average in all seven of Effner's seasons, with the 2000 squad posting the highest ranking when it finished seventh out of nearly 100 teams.
Chittick Signs with CSU: High school senior Kyle Chittick, who won the Michigan state title at 171 pounds last season, has signed a national letter of intent to attend Cleveland State and wrestle beginning in the fall of 2006. A senior at Davison High School near Burton, Mich., he holds a 146-21 career record and enters his senior season ranked 12th or higher at 171 pounds in every high school ranking, including a No. 8 ranking in Wrestling USA Magazine. Chittick placed in the top eight at the state championships in his first three years, finishing sixth as a freshman, fourth as a sophomore and first last year. He was tabbed as a Freestyle Cadet All-American his sophomore season before being named to the Freestyle Junior National Team last year.
Next Up: The Vikings return home to Woodling Gymnasium on Jan. 14 when they host Eastern Michigan, Slippery Rock and West Liberty State in the Cleveland State Duals. The competition will feature action on two mats with matches beginning at 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
