Lineup changes pay off in win
The Central Michigan wrestling team has built up a 5-4 record since the beginning of the calendar year.
Though the team is strong in the 133- and 174-pound and heavyweight weight classes with its nationally ranked wrestlers, the Chippewas have been shaky everywhere else.
Christian Cullinan, at 125 pounds, picked up an overtime win Sunday, ending his four-match losing streak. His teammate Scott Mattingly also picked up a win at 141 pounds, but lost seven of eight matches coming into the day.
Ryan and Eric Cubberly have a combined 5-11 record since Midlands, but haven’t been able to click at the same time, only picking up wins in the same match once in nine duals.
“Anytime we can win right now, not just as team standpoint, any time we’re competing well as individuals is real important at this point in the year,” said head coach Tom Borrelli.
Borrelli made a shift towards helping two individuals Sunday, which proved important in the team’s second conference win of the season.
“We noticed Chad (Friend) having a hard time not competing with the same intensity that he was practicing with, and I think making the weight was taking a lot out of him,” Borrelli said.
Borrelli made the swap at 184- and 197-pounds, moving redshirt freshman Craig Kelliher down a weight class and Friend up one closer to his normal weight.
“I walk around about 205,” Friend said. “Since I moved up, I’ve got a lot more energy and I feel a lot stronger. I feel good.”
Friend started the season 1-13 but has picked up back-to-back wins, including a match-changing 7-3 decision to knock off Buffalo on Sunday. Borrelli said Friend’s record isn’t “indicative” of his talent as a wrestler, looking at this toughness of schedule this season.
Low turnout
If the 6-8 record isn’t good enough proof that the CMU wrestling team is having an off year, Sunday’s attendance at the McGuirk Arena says it all.
The team knocked off Buffalo 19-14 in front of a whopping 307 fans.
“This is the lowest turnout for wrestling I’ve ever seen,” said Assistant Director of Sports Information Scott Rex in his sixth season working with the team. To put that number into perspective, the Chippewas brought in an average 1,136 fans per home meet during the 2009-10 season.
When the team held opened McGuirk Arena on Jan. 16 against Michigan, 3,047 seats were filled – a number higher than any home match last season. That total was cut to 1,773 fans when CMU hosted Old Dominion on January 30.
Such a decrease in following came after CMU lost a shocking dual-meet at Ohio a week ago. A team winning nine consecutive conference titles would secure the term “dominant” when describing it, but the loss came as a shock to many, losing to an OU that finished last in the MAC last season.
The team will close out the season at home this week, with matches Thursday against Eastern Michigan and Sunday against Kent State.
