Eastern Michigan Athletics
Wrestling Weekly Release: 12/18/08
12/18/2008 2:26:49 PM | Wrestling
Eagles set for battle at F.I.T.E. Duals
YPSILANTI, Mich.- The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team will face-off against Harper College, No. 18 Indiana University and the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater at the F.I.T.E. Duals Sunday, Dec. 21, at Oak Lawn High School in Oak Lawn, Ill. Head coach Derek DelPorto will send 15 grapplers to the mat as his team tries to reverse a three match losing skid.
EAGLES FACE THREE: The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team will head to the F.I.T.E. Duals in Park Forrest, Ill. Saturday, Dec. 21. The Eagles will be met by Harper College, No. 18 Indiana University (7-0; 0-0 Big Ten) and the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater (4-1; 2-1 WIAC), who hold the No. 9 ranking in Division III.
LAST TIME AT THE F.I.T.E. DUALS: The Eagles’ last trip to the Duals was Dec. 17, 2006, when they split two matches against Indiana University (lost, 3-33) and Harper College (won).
ROUND TWO: The Eagles will face their second ranked opponent of the season Sunday, when they take on Indiana. The 20th-ranked Wildcats of Northwestern University downed the Eagles earlier this season, 13-23, at the Boilermaker Challenge, Nov. 15.
PROOF POSITIVE: Eighteen grapplers took a trip down to Cleveland, Ohio to compete in the Cleveland State Open Sunday, Dec. 14, half of which placed in the top five in their respective weight classes. Redshirt junior Justin Brandel and sophomore Andrew Novak both notched undefeated performances (4-0) in the 165 lb. and 133 lb. weight classes, respectively, en route to first place finishes.
PIENAAR PINS THREE: Redshirt junior David Pienaar made the most of his trip to Cleveland Sunday by winning seven straight matches dropping his first match. His tear through the 149 lb. division, Pienaar recorded three pins, two major decisions, one decision, as well as a medical forfeit. Pienaar took a well-deserved third place.
CAUTIOUS SATISFACTION: The Eagles have spent the last two weeks preparing for the Duals, which will undoubtedly provide them with fierce competition from all around the Midwest. Commenting on his team’s preparedness for the event, head coach Derek DelPorto remarked, "We are coming off a very positive stretch of practice and competition, which we hope to use as motivation to compete at the highest level against these three teams."
CLAIR AND FUNK GET THE NOD: Redshirt junior Sean Clair senior Don Funk will see their first non-open compeition of the season on Sunday. They will represent the Eagles at 141 and 184, respectively, and will be among the 15 wrestlers coach DelPorto will be calling upon to do battle at the event. Clair will look to improve his personal record of 3-3 while Funk will get a chance to tally his first victory of the season (0-5).
READY TO RUMBLE: Three Eagles will crack the starting lineup for the first time since the Boilermaker Challenge. Redshirt junior Zack Donofrio will compete in the 141 division while David Pienaar will answer the call at 149 and redshirt freshman Wes Schroeder will anchor the heavyweight division. Donofrio currently has a team-high 12 wins on the year (12-6). Pienaar is not far behind his fellow teammate at 8-4. Schroeder holds a 6-5 record on the year.
HALFWAY HOME: The Eagles are halfway point of the regular season. They have nine events remaining on their schedule which concludes with a Mid-American Conference showdown against Ohio University, Feb. 20, in Athens Ohio. There will then be a two week break before the MAC Championship, March 7-8, at the Convocation Center.
PRAIRIE STATE: The F.I.T.E Duals will be the first of three events on the Eagles’ schedule which will be held in the state of Illinois. Monday-Tuesday, Dec. 29-30, the Eagles will travel to Evanston to compete in The Midlands. They will then make one final trip Friday, Feb. 6, for a Mid-American Conference bout against Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.
