'We just got to seal the deal'
Chippewas outmatched by Wolverines on senior day, 34-6
Although senior days are usually filled with emotion and celebration, it was different for the Central Michigan University wrestling team. Its senior day was upended by the 13th-ranked University of Michigan Wolverines, 34-6.
The Chippewas were down just 4-3 after the 133 weight class match, thanks to a decision won by junior Andrew Austin. However, the Chippewas lost six straight matches before CMU sophomore Luke Cochran upset the 25th-ranked 197-pounder, Hayden Walters.
Of the six, head coach Ben Bennett said a few of the matches were just barely out of reach for the Chippewas.
“We just got to capitalize when we have those opportunities,” he said. “We just got to seal the deal.”
Bennett said that seniors Mason Shrader and Chandler Amaker were close to winning their matches.
“For Shrader, that was a top 15 kid in the country, and he was inches away from finishing that takedown and winning the match,” he said. “Chandler was right there. He gave himself a chance.”
Even with the losses, Bennett was proud of his seniors.
“What those guys go through every day, the training, the grind, what we put in through, our demands on these guys, it's not easy,” Bennett said. “They've committed themselves to this program. It means a lot, and I know we appreciate those guys a whole lot.”
The Chippewas head to the Mid-American Conference Championship next on March 6-7, in Buffalo, N.Y.
"We got to have ten guys show up together on the same weekend, and I think we've had some duels, we've had some guys wrestle really well, then some other guys not so well," Bennett said. "We get all ten guys on the same page on the same weekend, we can have a really good tournament.
"That's the key."
