Wrestling has pieces needed to win, just needs to put them together


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Wrestling is a team with individual prospects, but as a team, they have yet to come together to reach full strength.

The Chippewas are a team split down the middle, relying on the strength of their lower weight classes to counterbalance a less experienced top of the roster.

Starting with the back-to-back threat of freshman standout No. 12 Corey Keener and No. 16 senior Joe Roth, stretching from the 125 to 149-pound weight classes, Central Michigan is a tough team to beat.

"In a dual meet, momentum is such a big thing," said head coach Tom Borrelli. "There's a different psychology with tournaments, but in duals that momentum is very important."

Keener has an 8-1 dual meet record and is ranked third in the Mid-American Conference, establishing himself as a reliable wrestler capable of pulling off victories when needed.

"I've always been a fairly good dual meet wrestler," Keener said. "I want to go out and win for my team and give them as much as I have."

Roth occupied this space for much of his career at CMU, now in his final season wearing the maroon and gold singlet. His leadership has been key in swinging the momentum of close dual meets in favor of the Chippewas.

"I really like starting dual meets and getting the ball rolling," Keener said. "With Joe (Roth) after me, he's just a stud, and Zach (Horan) and even on up to 157, our lower weights can really put it on them."

With the additional 7-1 dual meet record of sophomore 141-pounder Zach Horan, the lower half has the opportunity to pull off a six-point scoring streak, the likes of which can spring life back into a dual meet. Such was the case against conference opponent Missouri on Jan. 19, when CMU faced a 10-0 start before snapping back with nine straight points.

No. 8 junior Mike Ottinger is another important element at the 174-pound weight-class. Ottinger was named MAC Wrestler of the Week after his pair of wins over ranked opponents last weekend.

He began the week by defeating defending MAC champion, No. 7 Cody Walters of Ohio by a 2-1 decision. Ottinger then showed his heart with a 4-3 decision over No. 17 Mikey England of Missouri in a match that went nine periods.

The pair of victories improved Ottinger to a perfect 5-0 MAC record and 16-2 overall, catapulting him into a No. 8 ranking.

The Chippewas will have their hands full Sunday against Kent State, who is undefeated in MAC play with dominating wins against Buffalo and Old Dominion.

"I think they have a good dual meet team," Borrelli said. "I think beating us is very important to them. They gauge their program on beating us."

CMU is effectively out of the regular season championship, but Borrelli said he remains focused on consistency. The Chippewas have gone 3-3 in the last six meets, alternating wins and losses.

The team will travel to Kent, Ohio on Sunday to take on the Golden Flashes.

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