Weekly Release #4
12/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Dec. 8 -- vs. Central Michigan (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
Fri.-Sat., Dec. 29-30 -- at Midlands (Evanston, Ill.)
Saturday, Jan. 6 -- vs. Hofstra (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
This Week: U-M Hosts Chippewas in Home Opener
The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team will open the home portion of its 2006-07 schedule Friday (Dec. 8) with a non-conference dual against intrastate rival No. 11 Central Michigan. The contest is slated to begin at 7 p.m. at Cliff Keen Arena.
U-M Wrestling Live on the Internet
Live video of Wolverine wrestling home duals will be webcast through Michigan's All-Access subscription service, available via MGoBlue.com, and CSTV's All-Access XXL wrestling service. Friday's home opener vs. Central Michigan will be offered as a free trial. For more information, please visit Michigan's All-Access page.
The Meet Before the Meet
The Wolverines will host a pre-match "U-Meet the Athlete" clinic from 4-6 p.m., prior to Friday's dual meet against Central Michigan at Cliff Keen Arena. The cost of the clinic is $15 and includes free admission to the meet. All proceeds go to the Jeff Reese KidSport Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for disadvantaged kids to attend the University of Michigan's KidSport Summer Camp. For more information, visit the U-Meet the Athlete site.
Scouting the Chippewas
Michigan leads the all-time series against CMU by a 18-2 margin, dating back to the 1981-82 season. In last season's meeting between the two programs, the Wolverines rallied from an early deficit, claiming four of the last five matches to post a 22-14 victory in Mount Pleasant. Michigan's Churella brothers set the pace with bonus wins -- Josh registered a dominant 15-3 major decision at 141 pounds, while Ryan earned a quick, first-period fall at 165. Michigan head coach Joe McFarland owns a 6-1 record against the Chippewas while Central Michigan head coach Tom Borrelli, in his 16th season with the CMU program, is 2-9 against Michigan. The Chippewas enter this weekend's dual meet with a 3-1 record on the season after a strong showing at the Journey/Brute Northeast Duals on Nov. 25. Central Michigan on the Internet: www.cmuchippewas.com.
Marquee Matches
174 Pounds: #7 Steve Luke (U-M) vs. #6 Brandon Sinnott (CMU)
Junior/sophomore Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) will sqaure off against Central Michigan's sixth-ranked Brandon Sinnott for the first time in his career since his move up from 157 pounds. Luke has posted a 14-1 record to start his sophomore season, capturing individual titles at the Eastern Michigan Open (Nov. 4) and Body Bar Invitational (Dec. 18) while taking sixth in Primm last weekend. Sinnott was recently named the MAC Wrestler of the Week after leading CMU at the Northeast Duals with a perfect 4-0 mark, which included a fall against Penn's second-ranked Matt Herrington. In last season's dual meet between U-M and Central Michigan, Nick Roy defeated Sinnott 7-6.
184 Pound: #5 Tyrel Todd (U-M) vs. #6 Christian Sinnott (CMU)
Friday evening will feature the third career meeting between junior/sophomore Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) and the Chippewas' sixth-ranked Christian Sinnott. The pair split meetings last season with Todd claiming the regular-season dual contest 3-2 and Sinnott winning 6-4 in overtime in the first round of the NCAA championships. Todd is 11-2 this season and recently claimed second place at the Cliff Keen Invitational in his most recent outing. Sinnott owns a 2-1 mark with his lone defeat coming 3-2 against Minnesota's Roger Kish.
Last Time Out: Wolverines Claim Second, Two Champs at Cliff Keen Invite
Behind the performances of two champions and six placewinners, the Wolverines took runner-up status (109 points) at the 25th annual Cliff Keen Invitational last weekend (Dec. 1-2) in Las Vegas, Nev., marking the fourth straight year that U-M placed among the top two at the annual tournament. Senior/junior captains Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS) boasted perfect 5-0 records to capture individual titles at 149 and 165 pounds, respectively. Both wrestlers registered 5-3 decisions in the championship round, as Churella defeated Harvard's J.P. O'Conner and Tannenbaum beat top-seeded Matt Pell of Missouri. Also placing for the Wolverines were junior/sophomore Tyrel Todd, who took second at 184, fifth-year senior Mark Moos (Lorain, Ohio/St. Edward HS), fifth at 125, fifth-year senior Nick Roy (Wall, N.J./Wall HS), sixth at 197, and junior/sophomore Steve Luke, eighth at 174.
Recapping the Open Tournaments
Penn State Open: Competing unattached, three U-M wrestlers claimed top-eight placings at the Penn State Open last Sunday (Dec. 4) as freshmen Aaron Hynes (Mt. Morris, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS), Scott Giffin (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional HS) and Eddie Phillips (Woodland, Mich./Lakewood HS) all took eighth place at their respective weights. Hynes and Giffin both advanced to the quarterfinals, at 157 and 174 pounds, respectively. Hynes posted a pair of bonus victories en route to a 5-2 total, while Giffin went 4-2 with an early-round major decision. Phillips was defeated in his second match but rallied in the wrestlebacks, earning four straight wins and a 5-2 overall mark. Freshman Matt Guhn (Clyde, Ohio/Clyde HS) also posted a winning record at the event, registering a 3-1 mark before withdrawing from the heavyweight consolation bracket.
Home Sweet Home
Since moving into Cliff Keen Arena in 1989, Michigan has posted a record of 81-24-4 (.761) in its primary home facility. Last season, the Wolverines suffered a narrow to Nebraska in their home opener but captured the remainder of their home duals to start up a new -- and current -- five-meet winning streak. Historically, in their first home dual meet of the season, the Wolverines are 66-15-3 overall and 14-3 in home openers at Cliff Keen Arena.
We're Going Streaking
After improving his season mark to 9-0 en route to the 165-pound title at last weekend's Cliff Keen Invitational (Dec. 1-2), senior/junior Eric Tannenbaum is the only remaining Wolverine with a flawless record in 2006-07. The nine-match stretch is his longest winning streak to open a season. Tannenbaum won eight straight to kick off the 2004-05 campaign, winning the Eastern Michigan Open and a dual match against Lehigh before taking third place at the Body Bar Invitational.
A Look at the Polls
For the second consecutive week, shakeups among the nation's top-10 ranked team resulted in the Wolverines losing a spot -- down to the No. 9 listing -- in the most recent National Wrestling Coaches Association's poll, released Tuesday (Dec. 5). Michigan also boasts six individuals ranked among the top 20 wrestlers in their respective weight classes in the three major wrestling polls -- InterMat, Amateur Wrestling News and W.I.N. Magazine.
NWCA/InterMat Division I Preseason Team Rankings (12/5/06)
RANK, TEAM POINTS PREV 1. Oklahoma State (9) 477 1 2. Missouri (3) 469 2 3. Minnesota 443 3 4. Iowa 440 6 5. Hofstra 420 5 6. Oklahoma 414 9 7. Iowa State 410 4 8. Penn State 403 7 9. MICHIGAN 401 8 10. Northwestern 376 10 11. Central Michigan 342 11 12. Edinboro 327 14 13. Cornell 325 12 14. Ohio State 320 13 Penn 320 15 16. Illinois 295 16 17. Indiana 293 17 18. Nebraska 284 18 19. Michigan State 230 19 20. Pittsburgh 223 21 21. Cal Poly 222 20 22. Harvard 204 23 23. Wisconsin 172 NR 24. Northen Iowa 170 25 25. West Virginia 159 22
Michigan Individual Rankings
| Wgt. | Wrestler | InterMat | AWN | W.I.N. |
| 125 | Mark Moos | -- | 16th | 17th |
| 149 | Josh Churella | 4th | 4th | 4th |
| 165 | Eric Tannenbaum | 5th | 6th | 5th |
| 174 | Steve Luke | 7th | 5th | 4th |
| 184 | Tyrel Todd | 5th | 4th | 6th |
| 197 | Nick Roy | 12th | 8th | 13th |
On the Horizon
After a quick break for the holidays, the Wolverines will return to the mats for the prestigious Midlands tournament, scheduled for Dec. 29-30, in Evanston, Ill. It will be Michigan's first trip to the Midlands since the 2002-03 season.
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
