CMU lands runner-up, finishes with 3 MAC champions
TRENTON, N.J. >> You could say Central Michigan’s showing in the Mid-american Conference Wrestling Championships this year was a classic example of it being not how you start that counts, but rather how you finish.
Overcoming a sluggish performance on Friday and a disappointing wrestle-back round Saturday morning, Central Michigan stormed back to come away with three individual champions and a second-place team finish when it pulled away to finish 8.5 points ahead of host Rider.
Winning MAC titles for the second year in a row were Drew Hildebrandt (125), Dresden Simon (141) and heavyweight Matt Stencel. Throw in a third place by Johnny Lovett at 157 pounds, and it means the Chippewas will send at least four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis.
“We did not wrestle well at the start of today, but I was happy with the way we rebounded,’’ said Central Michigan’s legendary coach Tom Borrelli. “I’m proud of all of them. I thought all three
of our champs looked very good in their finals. And we’re very happy Lovett is going to nationals as a freshman.’’
A senior, Hildebrandt opened the finals with a solid 6-1 win over Noah Surtin of Missouri, which easily won its ninth straight team title after placing eight in the finals.
Ranked as high as second in the country in one rating, Hildebrandt was in control throughout and scored twice on go-behind takedowns. He also was able to flatten and dominate Surtin from the top position for a third-period rideout.
“I would have liked to have been a little more aggressive (from neutral), but I do consider myself a pretty good counter wrestler,’’ said Hildebrandt. “I was able to use his shots to
my advantage.’’
In addition to repeating as a MAC champ, Hildebrandt is now a threetime qualifier for the NCAA Championships. He was named All-american last year after receiving the No. 5 seed for the nationals that were subsequently canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m going to go there and try to win it,’’ said Hildebrandt. “Everyone is tough at this point, but I feel good and like how I’m wrestling.’’
Ranked 11th in the nation coming in and named the Outstanding Wrestler at last year’s MACS, Simon was impressive in his final as he cruised past Rider’s Mckenzie Bell, 12-5.
Bell had shocked highlyranked Allan Hart in Friday’s semifinals, but could get nothing against Simon. This match was pretty much over in the first period after Simon took Bell down twice and also scored backpoints.
“A little bit,’’ replied Simon when asked if Bell’s semifinal win had gotten his attention. “I think I wrestled well today. I felt good.’’
Like his two other teammates who also won titles Saturday, Simon will go to nationals on a roll and full of confidence.
“I’m ready to win it,’’ said Simon of his second appearance at nationals. “I wrestled
some of those guys (other 141-pound national qualifiers) in high school and I think I’m a lot better than a lot of them.’’
Stencel was in fine form as well in his last match with an 8-2 victory over Rider’s formally undefeated Ethan Laird. Stencel is ranked fourth in the country and Laird came in eighth.
After a scoreless first period and no points for either wrestler off a wild scramble on the edge of the mat, Stencel used his physicality and superior size to dominate with three takedowns. As was the case with Hildebrandt, Stencel looked much sharper than he did in a 2-0 semifinal win.
“I just felt sluggish Friday, but today I felt a lot better,’’ said Stencel. “Going into this match I wanted to be
more offensive.’’
With his triumph, Stencel became Central Michigan’s first four-time MAC champion since current assistant coach Ben Bennett accomplished the feat in 2013. He will also attempt to earn All-american honors for the third year in a row in a weight class will all kinds of star power.
At the top of the loadedup heavyweight class are Minnesota’s Gable Steveson, Michigan’s Mason Parris and Iowa’s Anthony Cassioppi. Stencel was 30-4 last year with three of the losses coming against Steveson and the other against Cassioppi.
“It was early in the year and I wasn’t ready last year when I wrestled Parris,’’ said Stencel. “Hopefully I’m in a lot better shape now. I will be ready.’’