Wrestling hosts Old Dominion
Old Dominion University, one of the Central Michigan University wrestling team’s biggest tests of the year will come to Mount Pleasant at 2 p.m. Sunday at McGuirk Arena,
ODU is 10-4 overall, and 3-1 in Mid-American Conference play this season.
The Big Blue is ranked 20th in the NCAA and sits directly behind the Chippewas in the MAC Standings heading into the weekend.
The MAC’s top team, Missouri, has cemented its position as the conference’s No. 1 team.
Both CMU and Old Dominion’s only conference losses came at the hands of the Tigers.
Head Coach Tom Borrelli is trying to keep things simple for his team and the conference standings out of his players’ minds.
“We’re trying to keep it normal,” Borrelli said. “We haven’t made a big deal out of it.”
Sunday’s matchup will be the first time CMU has faced a Top 20 team this year. They lost to Missouri, ranked No. 4 in the country at the time.
Early season nonconference matches against elite schools like the University of Michigan and Iowa State University have given the Chippewas valuable experience and kept their minds on a “one match at a time,” track.
“I haven’t really been thinking about (the matchup with ODU),” said 165-pound sophomore Jordan Wohlfert. “As a team we’re pretty motivated right now.”
Wohlfert was one of two CMU wrestlers who claimed a first-place spot at the Edinboro Open tournament last weekend. Wohlfert’s performance earned him MAC Wrestler of the Week honors.
A key match up against Old Dominion will be in the 141 pound weight class.
ODU’s Chris Mecate is set to showdown with CMU’s highest-ranked individual competitor: Zach Horan.
Horan comes into Sunday’s matchup ranked 11th overall. Mecate is ranked 10th.
