2008 Woodie Awards
Central loses twice after beating OSU
By: Aaron Sides
Issue date: 1/14/08 Section: News
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Staff Reporter
A day full of close matches led to a 1-2 record Saturday for the wrestling team at the National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
No. 5 Central opened the day against No. 11 Ohio State. The two teams traded victories throughout the whole match, but Central was able to edge out the Buckeyes, 19-16, extending CMU's win streak to a school-record 18 matches.
Seniors Luke Smith, Wynn Michalak and Brandon Sinnott, junior Eric Kruger and sophomore Tyler Grayson picked up wins for the Chippewas. Coach Tom Borrelli pointed out Kruger and Michalak's wins as key parts of Central's victory. Kruger beat J Jaggers 3-1 in overtime and Michalak pinned John Weakley at 1:49.
"Eric (Kruger) beating All-American J Jaggers in the 141-pounder match was huge," Borrelli said. "Wynn's pinfall victory was also very big for us."
Central then squared off against defending national champion Minnesota in the second round. The No. 6 Golden Gophers outbattled CMU early on, taking six of the first seven matches. The Chippewas had a strong showing near the end, taking the last three matches, but it was not enough as Minnesota picked up the 20-16 win.
"We thought we had them where we wanted them," Borrelli said. "We let a real good opportunity slip through our hands."
Redshirt freshman Nathaniel Holt picked up Central's first win, scoring a pin in the 149-pounder match. It slowed down a bit of Minnesota's momentum and cut the deficit to four (10-6). Michalak, along with seniors Christian Sinnott and Bubba Gritter, had the victories in the final three matches.
In what turned out to be their final dual of the event, the Chippewas faced No. 4 Iowa State, last year's national runner-up. The Cyclones won eight of 10 matches to earn a 25-6 win against CMU, which eliminated the Chippewas from the tournament. Kruger and Michalak had Central's two wins.
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