Michigan
Central Michigan
Wolverines to Host Central Michigan for Dual Finale at Keen Arena
2/19/2025 2:04:00 PM | Wrestling
Promotions
• Senior Day
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 19-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team (6-5) will close out its 2024-25 dual-meet slate at home this Sunday (Feb. 23) when it hosts in-state foe Central Michigan (8-9) at 5 p.m. at Cliff Keen Arena. The dual will be streamed live on B1G+.
Notes
• Michigan will honor 10 graduating seniors prior to its dual finale against CMU -- graduate students Jacob Cardenas, Josh Heindselman, Chase Saldate and seniors Joaquin Consuelos, Austin Jordan, Dzhabrail Khurshidov, Josh Knudten, Zack Mattin, Matt McKenna and Nolan Wertanen.
• The Wolverines currently have eight wrestlers ranked nationally at their respective weight classes, including five in the top 15 according to InterMat: No. 12 Sergio Lemley (141 pounds), No. 24 Dylan Gilcher (149), No. 16 Saldate (157), No. 10 Beau Mantanona (165), No. 30 Joseph Walker (174), No. 26 Jaden Bullock (184), No. 3 Cardenas (197) and No. 8 Heindselman (Hwt).
• Heindselman at heavyweight earned his 100th career win last Sunday (Feb. 16) with his 21-5 technical fall against Michigan State's Luke Vanadia. He scored seven takedowns to end the bout at 5:13 and improve to 100-47 in his career, including an 18-2 mark at Michigan this season. He ranks eighth nationally with nine tech falls on the season.
• Heindselman earned his biggest win of the season to date against Ohio State on Feb. 1, using a third-period takedown to secure a 4-2 decision against No. 7 Nick Feldman and avenge his blood round loss to the Buckeye at the 2024 NCAA Championships. Heindselman's only losses came against Minnesota's No. 1 Gable Steveson and Penn State's No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet.
• Saldate is also within single digits of the milestone with a 96-39 mark. He is 9-6 on the season with five bonus wins at 157 pounds and also recently picked up a ranked win against the Buckeyes, earning two takedowns and 2:45 advantage time to beat No. 17 Sammy Sasso, 8-0, at 157 pounds. Saldate has faced a gauntlet with ranked opponents in seven of his last eight matches, including three straight top 10 opponents last month.
• Cardenas is 15-1 on the season at 197 pounds, including a 10-1 mark in dual meets and 12 bonus wins with seven technical falls. Cardenas also owns nine ranked wins on the season. He earned a win by injury default against Michigan State's No. 26 Remy Cotton to bounce back from his lone defeat of the season -- a 3-2 tiebreaker decision to Penn State's fourth-ranked Josh Barr in which Cardenas had riding time locked up before allowing a last-second reversal.
• Lemley earned his first pin of the season against Michigan State's Jaden Crumpler, using a feet-to-back takedown and crusher to secure the fall at 6:14. Lemley is 15-7 this season with nine bonus wins, including five tech falls. He narrowly fell a week earlier to Penn State's third-ranked Beau Bartlett, 3-2, on riding time.
• Sophomore/freshman Beau Mantanona is 10-3 this season since returning from injury this semester and went 6-2 in Big Ten duals at 165 pounds. He earned three ranked wins in dual action, most notably a 7-4 decision against Minnesota's No. 9 Andrew Sparks on Jan. 19. Mantanona suffered what was thought to be a season-ending knee injury a week before the season started in November but on closer inspection, it did not require surgery, and he has rehabbed it back to health. His brother, freshman Brock Mantanona, held down the 165-pound spot last semester, posting an 11-3 record with two ranked wins and a seventh-place finish at the CKLV. Brock has one date remaining to maintain his redshirt this season.
• Eleven wrestlers have made their debuts in the Michigan starting lineup so far this season, including six who have earned their first varsity win in a U-M singlet: grad transfers Cardenas, Saldate and Heindselman, senior/junior Dzhabrail Khurshidov, junior/sophomore Codei Khawaja and freshmen Brock Mantanona and Catrabone. Senior/junior Christian Tanefeu has also earned a pair of bonus wins -- his first, though not in his debut -- in duals against Columbia and Maryland.
• Fifth-year senior Dylan Ragusin will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season after suffering a knee injury at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 6-7). Ragusin, who has already had surgery to repair the injured knee, is a 2024 All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier. He was ranked No. 4 at 133 pounds to start the season after coming out of redshirt midseason to go 28-4 last year and claim a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. He is 82-30 in his career and will have one more year of eligibility after medical hardship.
• Central Michigan is 8-9 on the season and has won each of its last four duals, including home victories over Kent State (36-0, Feb. 13) and SIUE (26-6, Feb. 16) last weekend. Four Chippewa wrestlers are ranked nationally at their respective weight classes, most notably No. 7 Alex Cramer (174 pounds) and No. 17 Johnny Lovett (157). Michigan owns a 29-7 advantage in the all-time series against Central Michigan, dating back to 1982, and claimed each of the last five, including a 39-0 shutout win in Mount Pleasant last season.
Players Mentioned
