Jarod Trice beat at top meet in California
Junior heavyweight Jarod Trice fell to No. 8 ranked Ryan Flores Sunday at the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic in Fresno, Calif.
The scoreboard was knotted at 0-0 after the first period, and Trice’s decision to take the bottom position paid off as he scored on an escape to take a 1-0 lead. Flores scored on an escape in the third, and then got a takedown to get the win on a 3-1 decision.
“(Trice) wasn’t himself today,” said Central Michigan head coach Tom Borrelli. “I felt he could have wrestled a lot better. I don’t want to make excuses for him, but for one reason or another, he just wasn’t himself.”
Borrelli made the trip to Fresno with Trice after the dual meet against No. 1 Cornell on Friday in Ithaca, N.Y. Though CMU lost the match 24-10, Trice won his matchup with a 4-0 decision.
“I don’t know if it was wrestling on Friday (that played a role Sunday),” Trice said. “The whole traveling played a role though. I don’t want to use that as an excuse, but I wasn’t feeling as good as I usually feel when I wrestle.”
Trice was the fourth different wrestler to compete in the event for CMU, dating back to 1981. Casey Cunningham was the only wrestler to win his weight division, which he did in 1999, his second trip to the event.
“It’s a great honor to wrestle in this meet,” Trice said. “I was really excited to represent CMU and I was disappointed with not winning the match.”
Said Borrelli: “There’s only 20 wrestlers in this event every year and to be one of those guys is pretty special and to have our school represented is pretty special."
The match is a fundraising event that does not affect the wrestlers’ records or rankings.
The heavyweight will meet back up with his team this week before heading to Rochester, Minn., Saturday to compete in the Minnesota Quad against Appalachian State, No. 5 Minnesota and North Dakota State.
