Michigan
Central Michigan
Wolverines Stumble in Loss to No. 16 Central Michigan
12/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Score: #16 Central Michigan 19, #10 Michigan 12
Records: U-M (1-2), CMU (4-1)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Jan. 2 -- vs. Oregon State (Bozeman, Mont.), 7 p.m. MST
Complete Results | Photo Gallery
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team could not overcome an early deficit against intrastate rival Central Michigan, falling to the 16th-ranked Chippewas 19-12 on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 14) in front of 1,248 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines won four individual matches and pulled within one team point late in the dual, but CMU claimed the final two bouts to secure the non-conference dual.
Central Michigan took the early lead, one it never relinquished, with back-to-back wins at the opening two weights. The Chippewas' Scotti Sentes, ranked ninth in the latest NWCA/InterMat poll, scored early and late en route to a 12-0 major decision over 11th-ranked senior Michael Watts(Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) at 125 pounds, using the Michigan wrestler's offense to earn big points in the third period. With the wrestlers locked up on the mat and Watts looking for a cement mixer late in the match, Sentes countered to put the Wolverine on his back twice for five points in the closing seconds to seal up the major decision. It was the only bonus victory of the contest.
Sophomore Kellen Russell(High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy), ranked fourth in the latest NWCA/InterMat poll, put the Wolverines on the board with a 5-3 decision over Eric Kruger at 141 pounds. Russell took the initial advantage out of a mad scramble in the first period, in which both wrestlers nearly converted on takedowns before Russell finished with a double on the edge of the mat. He added another takedown a minute later, exploding through a blast double to pad his advantage and wrap up the match's offensive scoring.
After a CMU win at 149 pounds, junior/sophomore Aaron Hynes(Mt. Morris, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS) cut the gap to four team points entering the halftime intermission, picking up his first collegiate dual win at 157 pounds against Eric Cubberly, 6-4. Hynes held the early lead after scoring off a single leg midway through the first period, but Cubberly stole away the lead in the second frame, earning a quick two-point near fall early in the frame and, after a Michigan escape, added a takedown just seconds later. With the score knotted at four apiece after Hynes earned his escape point in the third, the Wolverine wrestler shot in on Cubberly's legs in the waning moments of the match and, after an extended scramble on the mat, came out on top to score the deciding points with just 16 seconds remaining on the clock.
Michigan earned back-to-back wins at 174 and 184 pounds as fifth-year senior Steve Luke(Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) and junior/sophomore Anthony Biondo(Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS) earned decision victories to pull the Wolverines within a point on the scoreboard. Top-ranked Luke claimed the marquee match of the afternoon in decisive fashion at 174 pounds, cruising to a 10-4 victory over 10th-ranked Mike Miller with takedowns in all three periods, including two in the opening frame. With the major decision within reach in the third period, the Wolverine captain cut Miller loose but could not convert on a pair of shots late in the bout.
Biondo, ranked 12th by NWCA/InterMat at 184 pounds, overcame an early deficit to defeat Vince DiDona, 7-3. The Chippewa wrestler held the early lead on a first-period single leg, but Biondo responded with a pair of takedowns of his own and 1:23 in riding-time advantage to ice the decision.
Central Michigan claimed the final two bouts to pull away from the Wolverines and seal the team victory. Sophomore/freshman Erich Smith(Ishpeming, Mich./Westwood HS), making his varsity debut in place of No. 2-ranked fifth-year senior captain Tyrel Todd(Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) at 197 pounds, dictated the early pace against Eric Simaz but came out on the wrong end of a scramble in the second period as the Chippewa wrestler converted a four-point move and added a late takedown en route to a 7-1 decision. The second period proved the difference in the subsequent bout at heavyweight as Central Michigan's Jarod Trice finished on a single leg to claim a 3-2 decision over junior/sophomore Eddie Phillips(Woodland, Mich./Lakewood HS).
The Wolverines will take a three-week hiatus before heading out to Bozeman, Mont., to face Oregon State on Friday, Jan. 2. Hosted by Montana State, the dual is slated for a 7 p.m. start at the Bobcats' Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.
#16 Central Michigan 19, #10 Michigan 12
Individual rankings from NWCA/InterMat
| 125 -- #9 Scotti Sentes (CMY) major dec. Michael Watts, 12-0 | CMU, 4-0 |
| 133 -- #15 Conor Beebe (CMU) dec. Zac Stevens, 9-6 | CMU, 7-0 |
| 141 -- #4 Kellen Russell (U-M) dec. Eric Kruger, 7-3 | CMU, 7-3 |
| 149 -- #8 Steve Brown (CMU) dec. Mark Weber, 6-1 | CMU, 10-3 |
| 157 -- Aaron Hynes (U-M) dec. Eric Cubberly, 6-4 | CMU, 10-6 |
| 165 -- #10 Trevor Stewart (CMU) dec. Justin Zeerip, 6-1 | CMU, 13-6 |
| 174 -- #1 Steve Luke (U-M) dec. #10 Mike Miller, 10-4 | CMU, 13-9 |
| 184 -- #12 Anthony Biondo (U-M) dec. Vince DiDona, 7-3 | CMU, 13-12 |
| 197 -- Eric Simaz (CMU) dec. Erich Smith, 7-1 | CMU, 16-12 |
| Hwt -- Jarod Trice (CMU) dec. Eddie Phillips, 3-2 | CMU, 19-12 |
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
