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Vikings Host CSU Open

Vikings Host CSU Open
Posted: Dec 09, 2010

Dec. 9, 2010

Contact: Dan Carr

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SETTING THE SCENE: The Cleveland State wrestling team will take a break from dual meet action to host the CSU Open on Saturday (Dec. 11) beginning at 9:00 a.m. in Woodling Gym. This will be the sixth consecutive year the Vikings have hosted an open and the ninth in the past 10 years.

LAST TIME ON THE MAT: Cleveland State went on the road for a pair of dual meets last weekend. Below are recaps of those contests:

Eastern Michigan 38, CSU 3 (Dec. 4=3, Ypsilanti, Mich.)
Josh Palivoda earned the Vikings' lone win, defeating EMU's Mike LeHolm in a 7-4 decision.

Northwestern 32, CSU 9 (Dec. 4, Evanston, Ill.)
Robbie Michaels (wrestling at 165), Aric Thurn (174) and Chris Weber (heavyweight) won matches for the Vikings. Nick Flannery was impressive in defeat, taking Levi Mele, the No. 23 grappler in the country at 133, to a 5-5 tie at the end of the third period before losing the tie-breaker on riding time.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: A good mixture of experienced returners and talented freshmen give Cleveland State reason to believe the Vikings will make noise in the Eastern Wrestling League this season. With two open crowns and 10 wins on the year, senior Robbie Michaels has emerged as one of the top wrestlers in the EWL. Juniors Josh Palivoda (grappling at 141) and Lawrence Cavello (149) each have earned dual meet victories this season. Sophomore Chris Weber (heavyweight) has become a consistent starter, going 2-1 in dual meets this season with his sole loss being a 2-1 decision against Eastern Michigan. A pair of freshmen, Ben Willeford (125) and Nick Flannery (133), have made an immediate impact this season. Willeford placed sixth at the Eastern Michigan Open while Flannery has won two of his three dual meet matches.

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.

...AND EWL RECOGNITION: Robbie Michaels was selected as the EWL Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 8 after winning the Eastern Michigan Open. Michaels is currently the top-ranked wrestler at 165 in the EWL according to the most recent conference rankings by WrestlingReport.com, released on Dec. 7.

ONE OF THE ATLANTIC'S BEST: Robbie Michaels has also broken into WrestlingReport.com's Atlantic Regional Division I rankings, coming in as the region's 19th best wrestler at 165 pounds. Michaels joins West Virginia's Donnie Jones (seventh), Clarion's Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (12th) and Edinboro's Matt Laird (21st) as ranked EWL wrestlers at 165.

EWL STANDINGS: The Vikings are represented well in the current EWL individual standings. Robbie Michaels (10-1 on the season) leads the conference in winning percentage (.909) in the 165 division and is second in wins, trailing only Clarion's Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (12-2). Brandon Sommers (10-6) has the fourht most victories in the 149 class. Chris Weber (three wins) ranks eighth in the heavyweight.

CSU AT THE CSU: Two current Vikings have placed in past CSU Opens. Aric Thurn finished second in the 165 class in 2008. Robbie Michaels, wrestling at 157, took second in 2007 and fifth in 2006.

DOUBLE DIGIT VICTORIES: The season is only a month old and Cleveland State already has two wrestlers with double digit wins in the 2010-11 season. Robbie Michaels is 10-1 on the year while Brandon Sommers is 10-6, wrestling mainly in tournament competition. Corey Carlo (157) is one win away from joining the 10-win club, owning a 9-5 mark.

PIN IT TO WIN IT: Last year the Vikings combined for only 11 pins all year. Through the first month of the season, this year's team is only four away from that mark, pinning opponents seven times. Brandon Sommers leads the team with two falls on the year.

FANTASTIC FRESHMEN: This year's incoming freshman class is looking like a good one, as true freshmen have already won 38 matches this season. Brandon Sommers leads the group with 10 of those victories, while Matt Donohoe and Nick Flannery are tied for second with six. Flannery, Ben Willeford and Ryan Crabtree got their first dual meet wins as Vikings against John Carroll on Nov. 23.

TOUGH TESTS AHEAD: CSU will face five of the teams currently ranked in the top 30 in the NCAA this season. The Vikings wrestled No. 14 Northwestern last Saturday and have upcoming meets against Rutgers (No. 12), Pittsburgh (No. 16), Kent State (No. 23) and Indiana (No. 26) later this year. The rankings are from the most recent national poll, released Dec. 6.

NEXT UP: The Vikings will close out the calendar year competing at the Midlands Invitational in Evanston, Ill. on Dec. 29 and 30.