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Contact: Kevin Zeise

Jan. 1, 2004

CLEVELAND - The Cleveland State wrestling team makes the short trip to Kent, Ohio, to face neighborhood rival Kent State in a dual meet on Sunday, Jan. 4 at 1 p.m.

About the Vikings: The Vikings (4-1) are coming off a 15th-place finish at the prestigious Midlands Invitational in Evanston, Ill., earlier this week. Anthony Coleman (Bellevue, Ohio) and Russ Davie (Perrysburg, Ohio) posted 2-2 marks, falling just one match short of a placing finish. Matt DePolo (Bellevue, Ohio) also went 2-2 with both of his wins coming in the consolation bracket. Mike Hurley (Akron, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary) also had a pair of wins wrestling unattached. Before heading to Midlands, Cleveland State saw its season-opening four-match win streak snapped by Edinboro, 24-15, on Dec. 17 at Woodling Gym.

Scouting the Golden Flashes: Kent State (1-5) comes into Sunday's dual meet on a high note after finishing second at the Beast of the East Tournament in Newark, Del, on Dec. 19. Kent State finished second behind CSU's EWL rival, Pittsburgh. The Golden Flashes saw three wrestlers finish second and another two take third place in their respective divisions. Drew Opfer leads Kent State with a 14-3 mark on the season at 125 pounds, including a team-high three falls.

Series Notes: Kent State leads the all-time series, 9-7-1, but Cleveland State has taken the last two meetings, including a 18-15 decision last season at Woodling Gym. The two teams have met in each of the last seven seasons, with KSU holding a 4-2-1 edge in that span.

Head Coach Jack Effner: In his sixth season as head coach at Cleveland State, Jack Effner is well on his way to bringing the Viking wrestling program back to the being among the nation's elite. He has a record of 42-44-3 while at Cleveland State, and an overall mark of 129-86-8 including the nine seasons he spent at Army before coming to Cleveland State. Effner guided the Vikings to a 13-6 mark in 2002-03, the most wins since the 1978-79 season, and took a school-record-tying six wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Effner is assisted by Brian Keck, Gerald Harris and Phil Mansueto.

Probable Lineup vs. Kent State (Jan. 4)

EWL Rankings: The Eastern Wrestling League released its updated rankings on Dec. 30, and, with the team sporting a 4-1 mark, it's no surprise to see numerous Vikings among the league's best. Russ Davie holds down top honors in the heavyweight division, while Anthony Coleman is ranked second at 141 and Kevin Linich (Lyndhurst, Ohio/University School) third at 133. DeAngelo Penn (Solon, Ohio) at 125, Matt DePolo (Bellevue, Ohio) at 149, Jason Effner (Garfield Heights, Ohio) at 157 and Joe Phillips (Maple Heights, Ohio) at 197 all rank fifth in the league at their respective weights.

Blast From The Past: Sunday's match at Kent State will be a homecoming of sorts for junior Kevin Linich. The Lyndhurst, Ohio, native spent the first three years of his collegiate career as a Golden Flash, posting a 9-4 mark as a redshirt freshman in 2000-01. In all, Linich concluded his career last spring at Kent State with a 12-6 mark in two official seasons. He currently stands at 4-5 on the season at CSU.

Wrestler Of The Week: Moving down a weight class didn't seem to negatively affect Anthony Coleman, as the senior won the 141 weight class at the Oklahoma Classic on Nov. 8, earning him Eastern Wrestling League Wrestler of the Week honors. Coleman recorded a technical fall and a major decision in the first two rounds. Coleman currently sports a 12-3 record.

National Duals Come To Cleveland: Cleveland State University will be the site of the NWCA National Dual Meet Championships on Jan. 16-18. The championships will bring 56 men's collegiate teams, 10 boy's high school teams, and two women's collegiate teams to the shores of Lake Erie for three days of wrestling action. Tickets for the National Duals can be purchased by calling the Cleveland State ticket office at 216-687-4848, or through Ticketmaster.

Up Next: The Vikings will head to Norfolk, Va., for the Virginia Duals on Jan. 9 and 10. Cleveland State will be joined in Virginia by EWL rivals Edinboro and Lock Haven.