Chippewas seek first win against No. 7 Minnesota
Central Michigan wrestling will have a chance to knock off a top 10 team this weekend when they head to Rochester, Minn., to take part in the Northern Quad.
The other teams competing include host Minnesota, North Dakota State and Appalachian State. The meet begins at noon Saturday and runs all day.
“Minnesota is one of the top teams (in the country), which is another big challenge for us and also a big opportunity for our guys,” said head coach Tom Borrelli. “We also have to be ready for all three dual meets because the two other teams are going to be measuring themselves against us.”
All time, CMU is 0-10 against Minnesota, which enters the weekend ranked seventh.
The Gophers were victorious the last time the two teams met in January, posting a 25-9 victory at National Duals.
Trice was the only CMU wrestler currently on the roster to win their match, getting the 5-3 decision.
“It would mean a lot to our program to beat Minnesota,” Trice said. “Our team is young and we’re improving everyday. We’re ready to take the next step to get to where we need to be.”
The team has had better luck against North Dakota State and Appalachian State, recording 1-0 and 3-0 records respectively against the two opponents.
Wrestling in three straight dual meets gives a couple more wrestlers opportunities to compete in an attempt to avoid fatigue.
“We’ll probably switch it up, I think we’re going to take 15 or 16 guys and change our lineup,” Borrelli said. “We’ll probably take the same guys that went to the Body Bar Tournament.”
CMU brought 12 wrestlers to the tournament, excluding senior Mike Miller and junior heavyweight Jarod Trice. Miller is still recovering from a shoulder injury and Trice was on his way to Fresno, Calif., to participate in the NWCA All-Star Classic.
The team brought three wrestlers to compete in the 125-pound class, and two wrestlers in both the 157- and 197-pound classes and will likely rotate guys again to keep them from being physically drained.
“We try not to let fatigue play a roll,” Trice said. “This isn’t our first time doing this, we just need to know what we have to do: we have to have mental toughness.”
