Dec. 5, 2005

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Setting the Scene: The Vikings resume dual meet competition on Saturday (Dec. 10) when they head to East Lansing, Mich. for a 7:00 p.m. battle with No. 17 Michigan 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 (11/19) kept the 149-pounder from starting against John Carroll on Nov. 22, but will attempt to return to the lineup against Michigan State. Howard wrestled his way to the 184 title at Ashland by winning four straight bouts and won six bouts at the Nittany Lion Open (12/4) to finish sixth. 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 three 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.

Previewing the Spartans: Michigan State heads into this weekend's contest ranked No. 17 in the Intermat/NWCA Division I Rankings. The Spartans are coming off a strong performance at the Penn State Nittany Lion Open on Sunday (Dec. 4) where junior Andy Simmons (141) and senior R.J. Boudro (174) claimed titles in their respective weight classes. MSU is 0-1 in dual meet competition after dropping a 21-15 match to No. 1 Oklahoma State in East Lansing, Mich. on Nov. 27. The Spartans and Vikings have met only once in their programs' history, with Michigan State claiming a 26-15 triumph last season at Woodling Gym. Head coach Tom Minkel is 115-117-3 in 14 seasons with the Spartans.

Last Week's Results:
Penn State Nittany Lion Open
Dec. 4, 2005 - Recreation Hall - University Park, Pa.
Senior Ron Howard reeled off six wins in the 184-pound bracket of the Penn State Nittany Lion Open on Sunday (Dec. 4) to finish sixth overall. Junior David Gilkey added three strong wins of his own, while sophomore Mike Hurley and freshman Chuck Koz tallied two each. After opening up with a pair of decisions in the championship bracket, Howard dropped a close 2-1 decision to Justin Dobies of North Carolina. The Viking captain rallied in the consolation bracket, however, scoring four-straight wins - including a fall of Kutztown's Brett Wade in 1:30 - to advance to the fifth-place match where he bowed out via medical forfeit. Gilkey went on a dominant run in the 174-pound championship bracket of the tournament, registering an 18-3 technical fall in the opening round over Nick Fastuca of Pitt-Johnstown, recording a fall of the Marines' Sean Smith at 1:22 and scoring a 16-15 decision over North Carolina's Maciag before bowing out in the consolation bracket. Hurley tallied a pair of strong wins at 141 pounds to advance to the quarters as well, earning a 9-4 decision over Dominic Sabia of Kutztown before pinning Jochen Granja of VMI in 1:33. Koz added another respectable showing with a pair of wins at 174.

Coach Effner's Thoughts: "We're pulling everything together. This was an awesome tournament with a lot of excellent competition. It was great to put our wrestlers through that kind of environment and give them a taste of good Division I wrestling."

Nationally Ranked Vikings: Two 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. 18.

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: Cleveland State hosts the CSU Open on Sunday (Dec. 18) at Woodling Gym, with action beginning at 9:00 a.m.