A fitting end to a grueling 2013-14 schedule has Kent State taking on a pair of Top 15 teams Friday night
at the M.A.C. Center. The Golden Flashes (11-11, 4-3 MAC) open with new conference foe Missouri at 6:30, immediately followed by a dual with Edinboro.
Live Audio & Video
Live streaming video of both duals can be seen with a subscription on Flowrestling. Live audio can be heard free on Golden Flashes Radio on iHeartRadio.
The Competition
All 10 wrestlers in Missouri’s projected lineup are ranked in WrestlingReport’s Top 30, including junior Drake Houdashelt, who is No. 1 at 149 pounds. The Tigers (9-2, 6-1) are No. 9 in this week’s coaches poll, coming off a 21-9 victory
over Old Dominion and career victory number 200 for Head Coach Brian Smith. Since Smith’s fourth season, the Tigers have gone 176-57-2 in duals. Missouri’s only losses have come against No. 5 Northern Iowa and No. 6 Oklahoma State.
The Fighting Scots (9-3) are No. 13 in this week’s NWCA Coaches Poll and No. 8 according to InterMat. Seven Edinboro starters are ranked in the Top 20, including junior Mitchell Port, who is No. 1 at 141 pounds. The Scots earned a 17-16
road win at No. 10 Pitt this past Friday. Edinboro also has notable victories over No. 16 Virginia Tech and Bloomsburg. The Scots also had an impressive second place finish at this year’s Midlands Championships.
Peaking at the Right Time
Junior 174-pounder Caleb Marsh was named Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week Wednesday after going 3-0 at the NWCA National Duals. In the Golden Flashes’ 19-16 upset of No. 17 Iowa State, Marsh defeated No. 8 Tanner Weatherman
8-7. Marsh earned a 12-1 major decision over Ohio State’s Jacob Bresciani and defeated No. 25 Tony Dallago (Illinois) 9-6.
Ian Miller’s Return
After sitting out the previous three duals with an elbow injury, sophomore Ian Miller returned to action at the National Duals, going 2-0. Miller claimed a comfortable
10-4 victory over Iowa State’s John Nicholson and a 15-5 major decision over Illinois’ Zac Brunson.
Last Chance to Make an Impression
With only Friday’s duals remaining prior to the 2014 MAC Championships, the Golden Flashes have one last shot to up their status among the NCAA’s best. Several
Kent State wrestlers are on the border line of bringing an NCAA automatic qualifying spot to the conference tournament.
Dual Success & MAC Duals
Since Head Coach Jim Andrassy's third season (2005-06), the Golden Flashes have gone 120-48-1 in dual meets. Kent State has also been impressive in conference action since the 05-06 season,
going 37-10-1 in MAC duals.
The Tigers are the third of three new opponents on Kent State’s 2013-14 conference schedule. The Flashes defeated Old Dominion 25-7 in December and dropped a 19-18 tiebreaker against
No. 5 Northern Iowa on Feb. 9.
History vs. Opponents
Edinboro leads the all-time series with Kent State 5-4. Last season, the Fighting Scots won a pair of overtime matches in a 20-19 win at Edinboro’s McComb Fieldhouse. Each team won five matches. The last time the teams met in Kent, the Golden Flashes
earned a 22-15 victory during the 2011-12 season.
Missouri leads the all-time series with Kent State 5-1, but the Golden Flashes won the most recent meeting at the 2012 Virginia Duals. In the championship round, Kent State took
six matches on the way to an 18-14 victory, despite losing to the Tigers earlier in the season (34-12).
Tyler Small and Ian Miller each claimed victories in the win.
In The Rankings
This week, Kent State is No. 19 in the Media Dual Impact Index, No. 22 according to WrestlingReport.com, and No. 38 in W.I.N.’s Tournament Power Index. The Flashes are one of four teams in the in the “receiving votes” category of the NWCA
(Top 25) Coaches’ Poll. Four Golden Flashes are ranked in this week’s Top 20 according to WrestlingReport and six are in the Top 30. Six Flashes were in the Top 4 spots of the latest MAC rankings, putting Kent State in a tie for fourth in the MAC team rankings.
Sophomore Ian Miller is No. 4 in multiple polls, while sophomore
Sam Wheeler is No. 9 according to Flowrestling.
Tyler Small is No. 11 according to W.I.N.
Quick Shots
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Sophomore transfer Mike DePalma will be facing his former teammates for the first time after spending two seasons at Edinboro.
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Assistant Coach Matt Hill won 105 career matches, while competing at Edinboro.
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Tyler Small earned his 96th career victory against Illinois Monday
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T.J. Keklak is the lone senior on Kent State’s roster
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The Golden Flashes have finished in one of the top two spots in the MAC regular season standings in each of the previous eight seasons.
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Ian Miller is tied for fourth place among Kent State's career pin leaders with 29.
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Six of Kent State’s dual wins are by 15 points or more.
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Seven of the Flashes’ losses have come against teams ranked in the Top 16 of the latest coaches poll. Two of those losses have come on tiebreakers.
On the Horizon-
The Golden Flashes will take two weeks off from competition, before hosting the 2014 Mid-American Conference Championships March 8-9 at the M.A.C. Center. A record number of automatic NCAA qualifying spots are expected to be on the line in
the two-day, nine-team tournament. The number of automatic qualifying spots and seedings in each weight class are expected to be known by March 5.
Projected Lineup vs. Missouri
125 – No. 30 Barlow McGhee (19-8) vs. Del Vinas (17-14) or Alfredo Gray (11-20)
133 – No. 29 Matt Manley (21-10) vs. No. 20 Mack McGuire (23-11, 14-8 duals)
141 – No. 21 Lavion Mayes (24-10) vs. No. 23 Tyler Small (21-13, 13-9 duals)
149 – No.1 Drake Houdashelt (30-1) vs. No. 30 Mike DePalma (21-15, 11-10 duals)
157 – No. 19 Joey Lavallee (24-7) vs. No. 5 Ian Miller (22-4, 13-3 duals) or T.J. Keklak (9-16)
165 – No. 6 Zach Toal (21-4) vs. Clay Wenger (4-10)
174 – No. 25 Mikey England (16-11) vs. No. 20 Caleb Marsh (15-8, 14-6 duals)
184 – No. 15 Johnny Eblen (19-7) vs. Mike Vollant () or Cory Campbell (9-8)
197 – No.1 J’den Cox (29-2) vs. Cole Baxter (21-14, 14-8 duals)
285 – No. 26 Devin Mellon (21-9) vs. Mimmo Lytle (14-20, 7-15 duals) or Jordan Marrero (11-12)
Rankings from WrestlingReport.com
Projected Lineup vs. Edinboro
125 – No. 17 Kory Mines (19-7) or Bijan Banks (1-7) vs. Del Vinas (17-14) or Alfredo Gray (11-20)
133 – No. 2 A.J. Schopp (26-1) vs. No. 20 Mack McGuire (23-11, 14-8 duals)
141 – No. 1 Mitchell Port (22-0) vs. No. 23 Tyler Small (21-13, 13-9 duals)
149 – No.16 David Habat (22-4) vs. No. 30 Mike DePalma (21-15, 11-10 duals)
157 – No. 14 Johnny Greisheimer (21-7) vs. No. 5 Ian Miller (22-4, 13-3 duals) or T.J. Keklak (9-16)
165 – Kasey Burnette-Davis (15-9) vs. Clay Wenger (4-10)
174 – Patrick Jennings (9-10) or Andrew Church (4-4) vs. No. 20 Caleb Marsh (15-8, 14-6 duals) or Mike Vollant (10-12)
184 – No. 17 Vic Avery (18-4) vs. Mike Vollant (10-12)o r Cory Campbell (9-8)
197 – No. 28 Vince Pickett (17-10) vs. Cole Baxter (21-14, 14-8 duals)
285 – No. 14 Ernest James (21-9) vs. Mimmo Lytle (14-20, 7-15 duals) or Jordan Marrero (11-12)
Rankings from WrestlingReport.com
Aaron Chimenti
Assistant Director, Athletic Communications
Contact for Football & Wrestling
Kent State University
