Nov. 28, 2005

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Setting the Scene: Cleveland State heads to State College, Pa. on Sunday (Dec. 4) to take part in the Nittany Lion Open. Competition begins at 8:30 a.m. and runs all day at Recreation Hall on the campus of Penn State.

Previewing the Vikings: The 2005-06 edition of the CSU wrestling team once again features a young core of athletes as eight freshmen and sophomores are among the 10 starters. But the youth should not disguise the talent that the group exhibits. The Vikings feature four of the five NCAA qualifiers from a season ago, including sophomores Joe Dennis, Marcus Effner and Ryan Hurley and senior Ron Howard, with Hurley (149 - 8th) and Howard (184 - 19th) nationally ranked. An injury to Hurley at the Ashland Open kept the 149-pounder from starting against John Carroll on Nov. 22, but he should be healthy for competition before the new year. Howard wrestled his way to the 184 title at Ashland by winning four straight bouts. Dennis, last year's Eastern Wrestling League Freshman of the Year at heavyweight, has been one of the Vikings top competitors this season down a weight class. After starting the season at a more competitive 197 pounds, he finished second at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic. A leg injury to returning NCAA qualifier Marcus Effner has sidelined the 157-pound starter for the last two weeks but should be back before the end of the year. Sophomore co-captain Mike Hurley is healthy and could be one of the top 141-pounders in the EWL after fully recovering from a season-ending injury last year.

Last Week's Results:
Nov. 22, 2005 - Woodling Gymnasium - Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland State 31, John Carroll 6
The Cleveland State wrestling team opened its 2005-06 dual meet campaign with a strong showing at Woodling Gym, topping John Carroll, 31-6. CSU claimed victories in eight of the 10 bouts to move to 1-0 on the season. Freshman Jayrl Hunt got the Vikings off to a strong start at 125 pounds, controlling the offense for nearly the entire match with three takedowns and a pair of near-falls to build up nearly two minutes of riding time for a 14-6 major decision. John Carroll's Adam Pizzurro started off the 133-pound match with an aggressive move on sophomore David Armstrong, but the Viking countered and rolled Pizzurro for a takedown and near-fall for a quick 5-0 lead. Sophomore Mike Hurley battled Dominic Spitalieri to a 7-3 score through the first two periods of the 141 bout before pinning him in the third period with 27 seconds left. Freshman Victer Crenshaw put up one of the best offensive showings of the night at 157, scoring four near-falls in the first period en route to a 15-0 tech fall at 3:35. Junior Josh Ging (165), freshman Chuck Koz (174), senior Ron Howard (184) and sophomore Joe Dennis (197) all added decisions to close out the scoring.

Coach Effner's Thoughts: "I think that this was as good as we have looked all year. We showed a lot of good technique and that we were in shape. John Carroll has a quality program, and we were able to shut them down. We're still battling youth, but we have good reason to be excited about this year."

Nationally Ranked Vikings: Three CSU wrestlers find themselves listed among the top talent in the nation in the InterMat/NWCA Division I rankings. Sophomore Ryan Hurley (149) and senior Ron Howard (184) are both ranked in the poll, with Hurley listed at No. 8 and Howard at No. 19.

Chittick Signs with CSU: High school senior Kyle Chittick, who won the Michigan state title at 171 pounds last season, has signed a national letter of intent to attend Cleveland State and wrestle beginning in the fall of 2006. A senior at Davison High School near Burton, Mich., he holds a 146-21 career record and enters his senior season ranked 12th or higher at 171 pounds in every high school ranking, including a No. 8 ranking in Wrestling USA Magazine. Chittick placed in the top eight at the state championships in his first three years, finishing sixth as a freshman, fourth as a sophomore and first last year. He was tabbed as a Freestyle Cadet All-American his sophomore season before being named to the Freestyle Junior National Team last year.

A Fresh Start: Nothing like starting out on the right foot. Freshmen Jayrl Hunt and Victer Crenshaw certainly did that against John Carroll on Nov. 22. The pair each notched strong wins in their first collegiate starts against the Blue Streaks in front of the home crowd at Woodling Gym. Hunt got the Vikings rolling in the match with a strong, 14-6, major decision over Elie Naoum at 125 pounds. Crenshaw then recorded possibly the most impressive offensive display of the night at 157 pounds, running up a 15-0 technical fall in just 3:35 over Steven Bagnowski.

Sophomore Success: The success of the Cleveland State wrestling team will once again be on the shoulders of its young starters, especially its sophomores. In fact, five of the 10 starters in the CSU lineup are sophomores, including returning NCAA qualifiers Ryan Hurley (149) and Joe Dennis (197) along with co-captain Mike Hurley (141). Additionally, Joe Wornoff (125) and David Armstrong (133) will be expected to contribute to the accomplishments of the team. Ryan Hurley and Marcus Effner have both missed mat time in the last few competitions due to injury but are expected to return to the lineup in the next few weeks.

...And Senior Leadership: Senior Ron Howard has become one of the most reliable competitors in the Viking lineup during his four seasons on the squad. The Cincinnati native is a two-time NCAA qualifier at 184 pounds and currently ranked 19th nationally. A team co-captain, he owns a 57-56 career record, including a 7-2 mark this season that include the 184-pound title at the Ashland University Harris Auto Center Open on Nov. 19. He picked up a decision in his first dual meet this year against John Carroll, 8-4.

Injury Bites: Injuries are commonplace on a wrestling team and this season's CSU squad has already proven to be no exception. Leg ailments have hampered two of the Vikings four returning NCAA qualifiers. A strained patellar tendon to sophomore Marcus Effner at the Slippery Rock Open has sidelined the 157-pound starter indefinitely, while a leg injury at the Ashland Open to sophomore Ryan Hurley cost the 149-pounder a start against John Carroll on Nov. 22. The prognosis for the pair is good, however, with both wrestlers expected to return to the lineup before the end of the year.

Head Coach Jack Effner: Head coach Jack Effner begins his eighth season at the helm of the Vikings and holds a 52-67-3 dual meet record. During his tenure, he has coached 27 NCAA qualifiers and four Eastern Wrestling League Champions. The Vikings sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships last season, the fourth-straight year that four or more CSU wrestlers have qualified for the national tournament. Additionally, Effner has instilled an emphasis academic success in his teams. The Vikings have finished in the top 20 nationally in grade-point average in all seven of Effner's seasons, with the 2000 squad posting the highest ranking when it finished seventh out of nearly 100 teams.

Next Up: The Vikings continue dual meet competition on Saturday, Dec. 10 when they head to East Lansing, Mich for a 7:00 p.m. meet with Michigan State.