Wrestling team opens season with intrasquad meet on Saturday in McGuirk
The CMU wrestling team moved to 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play with a 21-12 win over Northern Illinois University on Saturday at McGuirk Arena. (Central Michigan Life | File Photo)
There are many new faces on the wrestling team this year, and they'll hit the mats inside McGuirk Arena for the first time at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The team had their first round of wrestle offs and work outs to make weight on Thursday afternoon to determine who will make the cut to compete on Saturday night.
With a good mix of younger and older athletes, head coach Tom Borrelli is looking forward to the meet on Saturday, which will put his wrestlers in a different environment.
"I think practice has been good,” Borrelli said. “Our guys have been working really hard. I think they’re ready. A lot of our younger guys are still trying to improve and learn what it takes to be successful at this level. The upperclassmen have been real good about trying to mentor the younger guys. I’m excited to see how they compete. “
Junior Mike Ottinger is coming off a great season in which he was 20-13 overall, finished ranked second in the Mid-American Conference at 165 pounds and won his second-straight MAC title.
Another wrestler looking to make an impact once again is senior Scott Mattingly. Last season, he went 20-13 overall at 141 pounds and finished fourth in the MAC championships.
A key wrestler for the Chippewas this season will be senior Joe Roth. He is coming off a season in which he finished with a 16-3 record and was 12-3 in the MAC tournament.
Borrelli said each one of these guys will be important in order for the team to be successful this season.
“Mike and Joe are quieter guys,” Borrelli said. “They try to lead by example. Scott is the more outgoing guy and had stepped up as one of the more vocal leaders. The other guy that I see filling that role as vocal leader is Craig Kelliher.”
The team has been practicing in preparation for the upcoming season, but Borrelli said the advantage to having this intrasquad meet every season is to measure where guys are at and observe how they will perform in a different environment.
“I think from a coaches perspective and from a preparation stand point it’s good to put them in a different environment,” Borrelli said. “They haven’t been in that environment yet this season and some since last March as far as wrestling an opponent, being out in the gym with crowds and officials. It adds a whole different psychological element to it.”
