Feb. 14, 2007

ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio wrestling team will battle fifth-ranked Central Michigan Thursday, in the Bobcats' final dual meet of the regular season at 7:00 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

Ohio (16-7, 2-2) enters competition Thursday tied for third place in the Mid-American Conference standings with Northern Illinois. Central Michigan (15-4-1, 3-0) is tied with Kent State atop the standings board. The Chippewas and Golden Flashes will meet Sunday to determine the conference's regular season champion.

The Bobcats were last in action Sunday against Kent State and had the Flashes on the ropes before losing the final three matches in a 19-16 loss. Ohio held a 16-9 lead after junior Antione Love's (Gahanna, Ohio) pin, but could not hold on for the win. The Bobcats still held a one-point advantage heading into the final match, but senior heavyweight Marcus Adelman (Alliance, Ohio) was unable to go because of injury. Adelman has won 10 of his last 11 matches.

Prior to the loss to Kent State, the Bobcats had reeled off four dual meet wins in a row against Buffalo (25-9), Ashland (24-14), Virginia (18-12), and West Virginia (22-16). The Mountaineers had been receiving votes in the NWCA coaches' poll but fell out after the loss to the Bobcats.

Ohio will face one of the best teams in collegiate wrestling Thursday in the Chippewas. Central Michigan has been ranked fifth in the last two NWCA coaches' polls and has eight wrestlers appearing in the national rankings, including four in the top nine of their respective weight classes.

The Chippewas have won eight straight dual meets, a streak that includes wins over nationally-ranked Northwestern and UT-Chattanooga. Central Michigan's last three meets have come against MAC opponents Eastern Michigan, Buffalo and Northern Illinois. All three have resulted in easy victories for the Chippewas.

The meeting between the Bobcats and Chippewas last season resulted in a 34-0 win for Central Michigan.

Previewing the Weight Classes
125: Ohio freshman Seth Morton (Canal Winchester, Ohio) has cracked the list of MAC wrestlers ranked within the conference and is currently fourth at 125. Morton is 10-13 on the season with two pins. He will face junior Luke Smith, ranked 18th in the country at 125 pounds. Smith is 17-12 on the season with three pins.

133: Sophomore Terry Jackson (Uhrichsville, Ohio), ranked third in the MAC at 133, is coming off a loss on Sunday and looks to get back in the win column. Jackson is 12-7 on the season, including a 2-0 mark wrestling at 141. He will go against freshman Conor Beebe, who carries a 15-11 record into action. Beebe is ranked fourth in the MAC at 133.

141: Sophomore Albert Madsen (Strongsville, Ohio) has moved up in the MAC rankings and is now second in the MAC. He is the only Bobcat with a perfect 4-0 record in MAC dual meets. Madsen is 9-7 on the season with a pair of pins. He will battle the MAC's top ranked wrestler in Eric Kruger, who is also ranked 17th in the country. Kruger is 18-11 on the season.

149: Redshirt freshman Clay Tucker (Martins Ferry, Ohio) is coming off back-to-back losses and looks to change that Thursday. Tucker is 8-18 on the season and will likely face CMU's Brandon Carter, ranked 20th in the country at 149. Carter is 14-9 on the year. Freshman Tyler Grayson is another possibility for the Chippewas.

157: Sophomore Jake Frerichs (Uniontown, Ohio) has won four of his last five matches and has earned himself the title of top-ranked wrestler in the conference at 157. Frerichs is 15-7 on the season with four pins. The probable for Central Michigan is senior Andy Keller, who is ranked second in the MAC. Keller is 12-7 on the year. The Chippewas may also go with freshman Steve Brown at 157.

165: Redshirt freshman Jacob Ison (Batavia, Ohio) has reeled off six straight victories on his way to a 29-9 overall record. Ison is ranked second in the MAC at 165 and is a perfect 10-0 in matches decided by a pin. He will likely face CMU sophomore Trevor Steward, who is ranked 19th in the country with a 12-6 record. Freshman Mike Miller is another possibility for the Chippewas.

174: The Bobcats will likely look to Love at 174 after a pin of Kent State's Aaron Miller last Sunday. Love had not started the previous two matches but took down Miller in the first period on his way to a 21-6 record and eight pins on the year. He will face a tall task in junior Brandon Sinnott, ranked seventh in the country. Sinnott is 25-5 on the season.

184: Senior Nick Terbay (Dayton, Ohio) is the probable for the Bobcats at 184. He is 8-15 on the season and will face another tough opponent in junior Christian Sinnott. Sinnott is ranked ninth in the country at 184 and is 19-6 on the season.

197: Sophomore Larry Reichard (New Albany, Ohio) has dropped two in a row against very tough opponents and looks to improve on his 19-13 record Thursday. He will face another nationally-ranked adversary in Wynn Michalak. Michalak is the ninth-ranked wrestler in the country at 197 with a 23-6 record and seven pins.

HWT: Adelman missed the last match at Kent State with an injury but may be back for Thursday. Adelman has won 10 of his last 11 matches dating back to Dec. 29 and is 18-8 on the season. He could make a strong case for a national ranking Thursday against CMU's Bubba Gritter. Gritter is ranked second in the country as a heavyweight and is 24-5 on the season. If Adelman is unable to go, sophomore Joe Ellwood (New Philadelphia, Ohio) is the likely replacement. Ellwood took Adelman's place in a loss to Kent State last Sunday, his first action since Dec. 29. He is 1-5 on the season.

The Bobcats and Chippewas will hit the mat at 7:00 p.m. Thursday from the Convocation Center.