Nov. 19, 2004

Contact: Chris Urban

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Setting the Scene: The Vikings will head down Euclid Avenue to University Heights on Tueday (Nov. 23) when they battle John Carroll at 7:00 p.m. The match will serve as the first dual meet of the season for Cleveland State after opening the 2004-05 season at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Wrestling Classic on Nov. 13.

Previewing the Vikings: With four qualifiers returning and plenty of young talent around them, the Vikings are optimistic that season could be even better than last. Head coach Jack Effner will assume the challenge of blending the core of returning performers with the talented newcomers as the program continues to gain national attention.

In addition to the core of returning talent, Effner has put together a recruiting class that includes four wrestlers who earned state titles last year and nine who finished among the top five wrestlers in the state as a senior. One new wrestler earned a national high school title with three more ranked in the top 10 nationally in their respective weight classes. Wrestling USA magazine ranked Cleveland State's recruiting class 20th best nationally.

The Vikings posted a 9-9 record in dual meets last year, highlighted by a 4th place finish at the Eastern Wrestling League Championships. Cleveland State went 3-4 in the EWL regular season, including wins over Lock Haven, Virginia Tech, and Clarion.

Vikings Finish Ninth at Brockport/Oklahoma Classic: Cleveland State wrestlers won nine of their first 10 bouts for an early lead at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Wrestling Showcase Classic last Saturday (Nov.13), but faded in the later rounds to finish ninth. Freshman heavyweight Joe Dennis was a bright spot for the Vikings on the night, finishing third overall.

Dennis defeated John Cichon of Wagner in the first match of the night, but fell to the consolation bracket after dropping to Joe Forsman of Army. Dennis would proceed to record four wins in a row, including a rematch-win over Forsman for third place.

CSU opened the tournament strong, with junior Matt Shultz and freshmen Mike Hurley and Marcus Effner picking up wins in the first two matches. Shultz scored wins over Ryan Jablonski of Rutgers and Tony Severo of Army at 133, while Hurley defeated Mark Peirmattei of Bloomsburg and Dana Gingerich of Buffalo at 141. Effner tallied wins at 157 over Shaheim Bradshaw of Brockport and Brock Whitmeyer of Penn.

"We lost some heart-breakers in the second round," head coach Jack Effner said. "It was a result of youth and inexperience and not adjusting to the toughness of Division I wrestling. In the end, though, it will be a good experience for us in the long run."

Previewing John Carroll: Cleveland State holds an all-time 30-4-2 record against the Blue Streaks, with the Vikings tallying wins in the last meetings. Last season, CSU scored a 28-10 victory against JCU at Woodling Gym. Russ Davie scored a pin at 2:12 in the heavyweight match to seal the home opener. Joe Phillips added a 22-7 technical fall at 197, while Matt DePolo and Jason Effner posted 16-3 and 10-1 major decisions, respectively.

John Carroll opened up their season with a 39-4 victory over Case Western. The Blue Streaks won nine of 10 matches on the night, with Adam Pizzurro earning a 17-0 technical fall at 125.

JCU will compete at Slippery Rock on Saturday (Nov. 20) before returning home to welcome the Vikings on Tuesday (Nov. 23).

Head Coach Jack Effner: After sending six wrestlers to the NCAA Championships each of the last two seasons, head coach Jack Effner has the Vikings back in the national spotlight. The energetic coach has revived the passion for wrestling within the Cleveland State wrestling program.

Effner has brought a true love for the sport of wrestling to Cleveland State. His wrestlers share that same love and have truly responded, as the 2003-04 season saw a school-record-tying six Vikings advance to the NCAA Championships. Effner has coached 39 NCAA qualifiers in his 16-year coaching career, including 22 in just five years as mentor of the Viking wrestling program.

He has also helped bring CSU wrestling back to its prominent place in the Eastern Wrestling League. The Vikings recorded a 3-4 record in the regular season, finishing 4th at the EWL Championships.

Next Up: The Vikings head to Kent State on Dec. 4 for the Kent State Open at the KSU Fieldhouse beginning at 10:00 a.m.