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Wrestling Begins Weekend Two-Meet Road Trip at Eastern Michigan

Wrestling Begins Weekend Two-Meet Road Trip at Eastern Michigan
Posted: Dec 02, 2010

Dec. 2, 2010

Contact: Dan Carr

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SETTING THE SCENE: The Cleveland State wrestling team continues its 2010-11 campaign this weekend with a pair of road meets, grappling against Eastern Michigan on Friday (Dec. 3) at 7:00 p.m. before traveling to Northwestern on Saturday (Dec. 4) at 4:00 p.m. The Vikings are 1-0 on the season after opening with a 30-7 win at John Carroll last Tuesday (Nov. 23).

LAST TIME ON THE MAT: Cleveland State scored first in all 10 matches and eight Vikings picked up victories as CSU defeated John Carroll, 30-7, in the team's first dual meet of the season on Nov. 23. Robbie Michaels, wrestling at 165 pinned his opponent in 2:40 and Josh Palivoda earned a technical fall in an 18-3 win at 141. Ben Willeford, Nick Flannery, Lawrence Cavello, Aric Thurn, Ryan Crabtree and Chris Weber also won matches for the Vikings.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: The Viking wrestling program begins its 2010-11 dual meet schedule with a group of young and talented wrestlers ready to make a move up the Eastern Wrestling League standings. Cleveland State will be relying heavily on its underclassmen this year, as the team returns only one senior (Robbie Michaels) and three juniors (Lawrence Cavello, Corey Carlo and Josh Palivoda). Michaels is already 9-0 on the season, having won the 165 crown at both the Eastern Michigan and Michigan State Opens. Cavello won 12 matches last season wrestling at 149 while Carlo earned nine victories competing at 157. Sophomore Mike Mencini entered the starting lineup late last season and gave Cleveland State a consistent performer at 141 pounds. Mencini won eight matches and led the Vikings with a sixth place finish at the EWL Championship. CSU is also welcoming a very talented group of freshmen, led by Nick Flannery, Tyler Green and Ben Willeford. Flannery, a three-time state champion, was inducted into the Massachusetts Wrestling Hall of Fame after finishing his high school career with a 153-23 record. Green is a two-time state champion from West Virginia who was ranked in the top-30 in the country by Wrestling USA during all four of his high school seasons. Willeford owns the Louisiana state record for pins (147) and, after placing sixth at the Eastern Michigan Open, is the likely starter at 125.

CSU ALL-TIME VS. EASTERN MICHIGAN: The Vikings own a 9-6 alltime advantage against Eastern Michigan, but the Eagles have won the last three meetings. Only four current CSU wrestlers have grappled against EMU. Josh Palivoda is 0-2 and Chris Weber is 0-1 against the Eagles, while Robbie Michaels (4-2 dec., 2008-09) and Nick Anthony (1-0 dec., 2009-10) won their lone bouts.

CSU ALL-TIME VS. NORTHWESTERN: Cleveland State has wrestled Northwestern three times, owning a 1-2 record in the series. The Vikings won the first meeting, 20-15, in the 1982-83 season, but lost the following contests in 1994-95 (30-12) and last year (42-6). Robbie Michaels won at 165 in last season's meeting, beating Robert Kellogg in a 12-5 decision.

EWL STANDINGS: The Vikings are represented well in the current EWL individual standings. Robbie Michaels is 11th overall in wins with nine. Michaels, a perfect 9-0 on the year, has the second best record in the conference behind Lock Haven's Matthew Bonson, who is 11-0. He also has the best winning percentage at 165 and trails only Clarion's Nick Milano (10-5) for wins in the weight class. Other Vikings in the top 10 of their divisions include Ben Willeford (fourth at 125), Nick Flannery (eighth in 133), Garry Yarborogh (fifth in 197) and Chris Weber (eighth in the heavyweight class.)

BACK-TO-BACK OPEN CROWNS: Robbie Michaels began the season winning the 165 division at both the Eastern Michigan Open and the Michigan State Open, becoming the first Viking wrestler in the 2000s to win multiple open titles in the same season. Michaels went 4-0 at both tournaments.

TOUGH TESTS AHEAD: CSU will face five of the teams currently ranked in the top 30 in the NCAA this season. The Vikings face No. 16 Northwestern Saturday and will wrestle Pittsburgh (No. 12), Rutgers (No. 13), Kent State (No. 15) and Indiana (No. 28) later this year.

NEXT UP: CSU will take a break from dual meet competition to host the Cleveland State Open in Woodling Gym next Saturday (Dec. 11) at 9:00 a.m.