Rivalry against U-M Wolverines anticipated as wrestling schedule released
Last week, Central Michigan wrestling coach Tom Borrelli said the team's rival resides in Ann Arbor.
“We want to try to be the best team in the state, year in and year out,” Borrelli said “And, usually, Michigan is battling us for that.”
The schedule, released Sept. 11, highlights a season in which the University of Michigan will battle the Chippewas right out of the gate on Nov. 6 at McGuirk Arena.
Borrelli said the seats will most likely be filled with high school wrestlers and their parents, because the high school season will not be underway.
“I think it’s good for the sport and the state,” Borrelli said. “It also gives both teams the chance to see where they are at the beginning of the season.”
The Wolverines are one of the many teams that will test CMU on their road to Des Moines, Iowa for the NCAA Championships.
The Chippewas will compete in the Northeast Duals on Nov. 24, wrestling Cornell, Oklahoma and Hofstra – all teams that placed higher than CMU in the 2012 NCAA Championships. The teams finished fourth, 13th and 23rd, respectively.
“We have some very competitive dual meets (this season),” Borrelli said. “We put our guys into situations where they have the opportunities to prove themselves worthy of being in the national tournament.”
Closer to the end of the season, CMU can redeem themselves in the conference slate.
They challenge the defending regular-season conference champion Kent State on Jan. 27 at McGuirk Arena. The Chippewa Mid-American Conference title hopes were dashed in a flash last season as a result of sparing the Golden Flashes the first 13 points of their dual, which resulted in a 22-13 loss.
The team will begin its quest for a 12th-straight MAC championship on Oct. 30 when it holds its annual intrasquad meet at McGuirk Arena.
