Roth leads wrestling team to victory over NIU
Sophomore Joe Roth did what he has done for most of the season.
He was the catalyst for another Central Michigan wrestling victory by earning the squad a 4-0 lead early over Northern Illinois the Chippewas won 24-9 in Mount Pleasant Friday night.
Roth posted eight takedowns en route to a 17-8 major decision against sophomore Nick Smith.
Redshirt freshman Tyler Keselring followed with 12-1 major decision of his own extending the Chippewas lead to 8-0.
“I really just executed on my feet really well and was able to get to my shots and take him down,” Keselring said.
The Chippewas improved to 12-2 overall and 4-0 in the Mid-American Conference.
“I thought we were real competitive in every match,” said head coach Tom Borrelli. “Even the three matches we lost, they were competitive matches. It takes a lot to beat us.”
CMU junior Ben Bennett also had a 14-4 major decision over sophomore Shane Rosenberry which improved his record to 20-2 on the season. He is ranked fifth in the country at 184 pounds.
Senior Peter Sturgeon capped the victory for CMU with a 2-1 decision in overtime against sophomore Jared Torrence.
“He’s had a lot of real big wins for us,” Borrelli said. “The last couple of matches, Peter hasn’t really been himself. But with what we have going on with Jarod Trice, he has been a kind of a Godsend almost.”
The Chippewas will travel to Ann Arbor on Sunday to face the University of Michigan at 2 p.m.
