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Contact: Chris Urban

Dec. 28, 2004

Setting the Scene: Following two weeks of practice and well-deserved break from competition, the Vikings head west to Evanston, Ill. for the two-day Midlands Championship. Competition will be held at the Welsh-Ryan Arena on the campus of Northwestern beginning on Wednesday, Dec. 29 at 9:00 a.m. and concluding at 12:00 noon on Thursday, Dec. 30. Last season, the Vikings finished 15th out of 61 teams with 15.5 points. NCAA qualifiers Anthony Coleman (141) and Russ Davie (285) advanced to the quarterfinals before falling in the consolation brackets. Matt DePolo (149), Jason Effner (157) and Matt Klinger (175) also scored points for the Vikings.

Cleveland State in Tournament Competition: In their last open competition, CSU wrestlers claimed three individual championships and three second-place finishes at the Kent State Open (Dec. 4). Freshman Marcus Effner picked up four straight decisions en route to the 157 title, junior Ron Howard recorded two pins in claiming the 184 championship and freshman Joe Dennis finished as heavyweight champion after taking four wins. Freshman Joe Wornoff (125), sophomore Ryan Hurley (149) and senior Joe Phillips (197) finished as runners-up. The Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic served as the only scoring tournament for the Vikings so far this season, with CSU claiming a ninth-place finish. Dennis was Cleveland State's top finisher, posting a third-place showing.

Previewing the Vikings: CSU holds a 1-2 mark in dual meets, with their lone victory coming on a 32-6 triumph over John Carroll on Nov. 23 in University Heights. Nationally-ranked Michigan and Michigan State served CSU their defeats, with the Wolverines claiming a 40-9 win in Ann Arbor (Dec. 10) and the Spartans rallying for a 26-15 victory the following night at Woodling Gym (Dec. 11). The starting lineup features a relatively even mix of experienced wrestlers with talented newcomers. Junior Ron Howard (184) and senior Joe Phillips (197), NCAA qualifiers a year ago, anchor the veteran portion of the team. The tandem has been steady all season long, combining for 11 wins and three pins. Senior Matt Klinger (174) and junior Matt Shultz (133) also contribute leadership both on and off the mat, adding 11 wins between them. Additionally, the newest members of the squad have stepped up big. Freshman Joe Dennis, last year's national high school champion at 215, boasts a team-best 13-2 record at heavyweight, while true freshman Marcus Effner and sophomore Josh Ging have combined for 20 wins at 157. Redshirt freshmen Joe Wornoff (125) and Mike Hurley (141) as well as sophomores Ryan Hurley (149) and David Gilkey (165) have shown signs of becoming some of the top talent in the league.

Vikings Fall to Nationally Ranked Opponents: CSU dropped a pair of matches to Michigan (40-6) and Michigan State (26-15) in a disappointing final weekend of the fall semester. The Wolverines showed why they were ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation heading into the match, scoring five pins in taking down the Vikings, 40-9, in Ann Arbor, Mich on Dec. 10. Senior Joe Phillips posted Cleveland State's lone victory on the mat at 197. The following night saw CSU jump out to a 12-0 lead against Michigan State in Woodling Gym, but the Vikings could not hold on for the victory over the nationally-ranked opponent as the Spartans rallied for a 26-15 victory.

CSU Claims Three Titles at Kent State Open: Cleveland State took three championships and three second-place finishes at the Kent State Open on Dec. 4. Junior Ron Howard and freshmen Marcus Effner and Joe Dennis took titles for the Vikings. Howard defeated Casey Daget of West Virginia, 7-5, in the championship match at 184. Effner earned a 4-2 decision over Jacob Frerichs of Ohio at 157, while Dennis topped Edinboro's Joe Hennis 2-1 at heavyweight. Freshman Joe Wornoff dropped a 6-2 decision in the 125 championship match to Andrew Perez of Edinboro to finish second. Sophomore Ryan Hurley added a second-place showing, falling to Brent Metcalf of Michigan in the 149 title match, and senior Joe Phillips took runner up at 197 after being edged by Michigan's Casey White, 11-9. Freshman Mike Hurley and senior Matt Klinger picked up third place showings at 141 and 174 respectively, while sophomore Josh Ging finished fourth at 157.

NCAA Qualifiers Wrestling for Return: After finishing third in their respective weight classes at last season's Eastern Wrestling League Championships to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament, senior Joe Phillips (197) and junior Ron Howard (184) have their eyes set on a return trip to St. Louis and a chance to compete for a national championship. The pair has helped to provide the youthful Vikings with veteran experience on the mat, totalling 11 wins between the. Phillips tallied the team's only win on the mat against a tough Michigan team (Dec. 10), earning a 9-5 decision over Steve Heleniak, and finished second at the Kent State Open (Dec. 4). Howard scored a pair of pins en route to the 184 championship at the Kent State Open, defeating Casey Daget of West Virginia by a 7-5 count.

Dennis Lives Up to the Hype: Joe Dennis has been superb for the Vikings at heavyweight, leading the team with a 13-2 record (.867) with two pins and a major decision. The Urbana, Ohio native wrestled his way to the heavyweight championship at the Kent State Open on Dec. 4 and a third-place finish at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic on Nov. 13. The 2004 high school national champion at 215 put together a perfect 44-0 record as a senior at St. Paris Graham High School and was one of the most highly-regarded recruits last season.

Here's to Four More Years of Effner: The Effner name has been found in the CSU starting lineup for the last five seasons, and that is not likely to change anytime soon. Freshman Marcus Effner has picked up right where his older brother, Jason, left off, opening his first collegiate campaign with a 10-4 record and two pins at 157. The Garfield Heights, Ohio native picked up the championship at the Kent State Open on Dec. 4 and tallied a pair of wins at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic on Nov. 13, earning a pin over Brandon Benson of Army to advance to the semi-finals. For the previous four years, Jason Effner saw time as the starter at 157 and 165, compiling 64 wins over his Viking career before graduating last spring.

National Duals Back at CSU: Fifty-eight college teams representing some of the top wrestling talent from Division I, II, III, NAIA, JUCO and women's teams will converge on the Cleveland State University Convocation Center on Jan. 22-23 for the Cliff Keen National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals. CSU will play host to the event for the second time in two years. Last year, the duals attracted more than 5,500 spectators for the three-day event. For ticket information, call the Cleveland State University ticket office at (216) 687-4848.

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 seventh-year mentor has compiled a 48-52-3 dual meet record at Cleveland State and a 140-96-8 mark during his 16 years as a head coach at both CSU and Army. Effner has coached 39 NCAA qualifiers during his career, including 22 in just six 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 host Kent State at Woodling Gym on Jan. 5 in a locally televised match beginning at 7:30 p.m. The competition will be broadcast on Western Reserve Cable Channel 9.