2008 MAC Wrestling Championships: Tournament Preview/Results/Discussion

**Schlottke** · 03-06-2008 02:26 PM

MAC Wrestling Championships
Mid-American Conference
03/06/2008

The 2008 Mid-American Conference wrestling championships will take place this weekend and hosted by Kent State University on Friday and Saturday, March 7 and 8.

Defending champion Central Michigan will be seeking its seventh consecutive league title. The Chippewas are 16-2 overall and completed a perfect 5-0 conference record. CMU 197-pounder Wynn Michalak will be going for his fourth consecutive MAC title. Only Kent State’s Brent Thompson and Ohio’s Russ Johnson (197-73) have won four consecutive individual MAC titles.

CMU is ranked No. 2 nationally and Kent State is listed No. 21 in the latest rankings by USA TODAY/Intermat /NCWA Division I Coaches poll.

Six weight classes feature at least two wrestlers ranked nationally in the Intermat Division I Wrestling Rankings.
At 133, Pat Castillo of Northern Illinois is No. 11, Sean Clair of Eastern Michigan is No. 15 and Dan Mitcheff of Kent State is No. 19.

No. 13 Eric Kruger of Central Michigan and No. 17 Drew Lashaway of Kent State will compete at 141.

13th-ranked Kurt Gross of Kent State and 14th-ranked Trevor Stewart of Central Michigan could battle for the title at 165.

Brandon Sinnott of Central Michigan is fourth in the nation at 174. Also ranked in the weight class is No. 13 Duke Burk of Northern Illinois.

At 184, Christian Sinnott of Central Michigan is fourth and Eric Cine of Kent State is 20th.

In the heavyweight division No. 8 Bubba Gritter of Central Michigan and No. 10 Jermail Porter of Kent State will compete.

Two other individuals stand alone as nationally-ranked wrestlers in their respective weight classes. At 197, Wynn Michalak of Central Michigan is fourth in the nation. Luke Smith, also of Central Michigan, is ranked 18th at 125.

The complete schedule of events follows.

2008 Mid-American Conference Wrestling Championships
March 7-8 -- Kent State University
M.A.C. Center

Friday March 7, 2008
Weigh-In – 10 AM
Session I: First Round – 12-2 PM
Doors open to the public at 10:30 AM
Session II: Semi-Finals & Wrestle-Backs- 7 PM
Doors open to the public at 5:30 PM

Saturday March 8, 2008
Weigh-In – 11 AM
Session III: Finals & Consolation Finals – 12-2 PM
Doors open to the public at 10:30 AM
Final Round for True Second Place (If Necessary) – 2 PM

Tickets
Single Session: $5.00 Adults/$3 Senior Citizens & Students
All-Session: $10.00 Adults/$5 Senior Citizens & Students

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**Gantry** · 03-06-2008 05:33 PM

Pretty sure Jake Percival won 4 MAC titles as well...

**Wiltz** · 03-07-2008 02:56 PM

http://www.kentstatesports.com/pdf4/...00&SPSID=47594

**goferphan** · 03-07-2008 03:08 PM

Alright, Castillo gets me 6 and Lashaway gets me 3 in the pigtails.

I get three more tonight with Castillo, Lashaway and Michalek. If I can get forty from these three that would be a nice start. Three conference championships would be worth 15 points and hoping eight matches can get me 25 more. Let's see.

**Wiltz** · 03-07-2008 03:16 PM

You can listen Live tonight at 6:30 pm

http://www.kentstatesports.com/liveE..._ID=11400&KEY=

**goferphan** · 03-07-2008 08:05 PM

Any more updates. I have heard that CMU has lost three wrestlers already but that the last seven made it into the finals.

Specifically, how did Castillo at 133, Lashaway at 141 and Michalek at 184.

I know that Castillo pinned in pigtail and Lashaway got a decision in the pigtail.

**Wiltz** · 03-07-2008 08:27 PM

Castillo beat Beebe 8-4

**goferphan** · 03-07-2008 08:31 PM

Nice. Not exactly a domination but Castillo got me 9 today and maybe eight to 11 more tomorrow.

**Wiltz** · 03-07-2008 09:14 PM

Michalek with the tech fall 19-4

**Schlottke** · 03-07-2008 10:00 PM

Saw that Luke Smith got beat, little surprising.

**Wiltz** · 03-07-2008 10:12 PM

I saw that as well. Only 19 qualifiers out of the MAC. 10 champs and 9 at large. He can't afford another loss.

**RYou** · 03-08-2008 04:52 AM

Originally Posted by Wiltz

I saw that as well. Only 19 qualifiers out of the MAC. 10 champs and 9 at large. He can't afford another loss.

As a coach I'd be had pressed to vote a wild card to a 3rd placer over a 2nd.

**eazee** · 03-08-2008 07:32 AM

They can wrestle for a true second place at MAC's.....although the guy that beat Smith will likely get 2nd thus not having to wrestle the 2nd place match

**goferphan** · 03-08-2008 07:48 AM

Smith's out then and so is Connor Beebe I would think. You never know. There records are decent enough that they are going to get some consideration for Wild Cards. You just hate to see your chance to go to Nationals hinge on a Wild Card.