Team looks ahead to Conference and NCAA Championships later this month
Over winter break, the Cleveland State University wrestling team went 5-2 with losses to West Virginia and Buffalo and victories against Chattanooga, SIU-Edwardsville, Clarion, Rider, and Edinboro. After the team won four consecutive meets, they would lose two straight against Navy and Kent State to end the month of January. The season is rapidly coming to a close as the team has four meets in February.
In match one, the Vikings claimed victory by a score of 22-15, Vikings match one winners include: freshman Daniel Patte, sophomores Logan Heil, Marcus Robison, DeAndre Nassar, junior Ben Smith, and senior Riley Smucker.
Despite going down 10-3 early, the team was able to bounce back and secure the victory in the first match. The second match against Edinboro was more of the same, but this time the Vikings never trailed, jumping out to a 4-0 lead, never looking back. Winners for the Vikings were Heil, freshman Jake Manley, Robinson, Patten, Smucker, sophomore Anthony Rice, Smith, and freshman Daniel Bucknavich. The Vikings cruised to victory by a final score of 25-10.
On Feb. 5, the Vikings hosted the Ohio Bobcats for senior night. The team could not come through for their seniors as they fell 27-12 while honoring seniors John Kelbly and Smucker. Manley helped the Vikings out to an early lead going up 6-0 before the team crumbled, losing the lead and never regaining it. The final match win for the Vikings came from Smith where he had three takedowns in the third period.
The Vikings will go on the road for three consecutive meets against Lock Haven, Bloomsburg, and ending the month of February against George Mason. These matches will mark the end of their season before the MAC Championships, quickly followed by the NCAA Championships.