Borrelli to face son Jason at Rose
Wrestling coach Tom Borrelli will get to match wits with his son this season.
Jason Borrelli, a former CMU assistant in his second year as coach at Stanford, will come to Mount Pleasant when the two teams face each other Jan. 17.
“(Jason) has a lot of allegiance to this program and I am excited he can bring his team here,” Borrelli said. “Being a head coach, and all the way across the country from me, it is going to be a real neat experience.”
The wrestling team also will face four opponents who finished in the national Top 25 last season in dual matches.
The 2009-10 schedule will have the Chippewas open Nov. 15 in Rose Arena against Tennessee-Chattanooga, a defending conference champion. Michigan State also will make the trip to Mount Pleasant on Dec. 12.
“Anytime you can have an in-state rivalry in your own gym, it is going to be exciting,” Borrelli said. “I am sure we will be able to pack the gym.”
National Duals
The team also was invited to compete at the National Duals tournament.
“It is pretty prestigious event,” Borrelli said. “We are very honored to be back and we are looking forward to seeing that level of competition again.”
CMU will send its team to the Midlands tournament Dec. 29-30. Junior 174-pounder Mike Miller finished second at Midlands last season.
“Anytime I can wrestle the best kids in the nation, I am excited,” Miller said. “Win or lose, I am going to learn and get better. If I am just wrestling kids I can beat the snot out of, what is the point?”
In conference
The Chippewas will look to reclaim the Mid-American Conference Championship after a disappointing second-place finish to Kent State last season. The first MAC match is against Eastern Michigan on Jan. 21 in Ypsilanti.
Central will travel to Kent State in its last regular season dual Feb. 21. “I think the regular season championship will come down to that dual meet,” Borrelli said.
CMU hosts the MAC Championships this year, March 6-7. The NCAA tournament is March 18-20 in Omaha, Neb.
“We have a really great opportunity this year to go in front of our home fans and have them watch us win the MAC,” Miller said. “I am sure it is going to be really exciting.”
The team had two All-Americans last season in Miller and freshman Scotti Sentes.
