Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, November 9
East Lansing, Mich.
All Day
Eastern Michigan University
at
MSU Open
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Wrestling Kicks Off 2013-14 Season at MSU Open
11/7/2013 11:46:00 AM | Wrestling
Eagles ready for first match of the season
Weekly Notes
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team kicks off its 2013-14 regular season as it travels to East Lansing, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 9, to compete in the MSU Open for the ninth consecutive year.
The open will consist of a freshman/sophomore division and an open division which will run simultaneously, starting at 9 a.m. The tournament will be a double elimination event with no team scores.
After compiling a 7-13 overall record and a 1-4 record in the Mid-American Conference, which placed them in a tie for fourth, the Eastern Michigan University wrestling squad will look to improve in the 2013-14 season, returning two NCAA Championship qualifiers and bringing some youth into the starting lineup.
This season, eighth year Head Coach Derek DelPorto's team looks to build upon the success of three placewinners from the 2013 MAC Championships and a duo of wrestlers that competed in the 2013 NCAA Championships.
The Eagles open up their 2013 campaign when they travel to Michigan State for the MSU Open, Nov. 9 before hosting the 22nd-annual EMU Open on Nov. 16. The EMU Open marks the first-of-five home meets as the dual meet season gets underway when they Eagles travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State, Nov. 21.
With a record of 72-68-2 at EMU, DelPorto is second all-time in wins (72) at EMU passing Russell Bush's 66 wins in the 2012-13 season. He is just eight wins behind John Eisley's 80 victories from 1979-91. Additionally, his all-time winning percentage of .537 is good for the highest mark among the eight head coaches in the history of EMU.
Eastern Michigan senior wrestlers earned top-four seeds in three weight classes in the MAC preseason poll as Nick Whitenburg (Temperance, Mich.-Bedford) was selected second at 197 lbs., Phillip Joseph (Lapeer, Mich.-Lapeer East) was ranked third at 184 lbs. and Jared Germaine (Saginaw, Mich.-Saginaw Valley) tied for fourth at 125 lbs.
125 lbs.
The Eagles return Germaine for one final season in the 125 lb. weight class, compiling a 17-10 overall record after suffering an injury that sidelined him for half of the 2012-13 season. The redshirt-senior posted an 8-6 record in dual meets and a 1-0 mark in the MAC before making his way back to the MAC Championships for the second time, where he went 1-3.
133 lbs.
The 133 lb. weight class starting position will be shared between Vincent Pizzuto (North Jackson, Ohio-Jackson Milton) and Jake Byers (Cedar Springs, Mich.-Rockford). Pizzuto returns to the mats after having a breakout season at 133 lbs. for the Eagles, being named to the Academic All-MAC Honorable Mention list. Pizzuto posted a 12-13 overall record and was able to recover from a mid-season injury to participate in the MAC Championships for the first time, where he went 1-3 with a victory over Buffalo and tied for fifth place. Byers posted a 16-13 overall record just a season ago, going 1-1 in MAC competiton and earning a seventh-place finish at the EMU Open.
141 lbs.
Redshirt-freshman Nicholas Barber (Cleveland, Ohio-St. Edward) will look to get the start in the 141 lbs. weight class after having a breakout season last year. The Cleveland, Ohio native posted a 20-6 overall record, recording the highest win percentage on the team.
149 lbs.
Freshman Matthew VanCuren (Chargin Falls, Ohio-St. Edward) will headline the 149 lb. weight class for the Green and White in the 2013-14 season. The freshman notched a second-place finish in the EMU Open in the 2012 season before being sidelined with a hip injury for the remainder of the season.
157 lbs.
The Eagles look to replace Aaron Sulzer who finished fourth at the MAC Championships and posted an 18-12 overall record in his senior campaign, while going on a three-match win streak against MAC opponents late in the season. Transfer Brandon Zeerip (Fremont, Mich.-Hesperia) will look to get the start at the 157 lbs. weight class after having a successful two-year career at the University of Michigan. The redshirt-senior earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors once and was a two year starter for the Wolverines.
165 lbs.
In his first season as an Eagle, Jacob Davis (North Ridgeville, Ohio-St. Edward) posted an 18-13 overall record with a 5-9 ledger in dual meets. The sophomore kicked off his freshman season with a first-place finish at the EMU Open and represented the Green and White at the MAC Championships.
174 lbs.
After dropping one weight class, junior Mike Curby (Osseo, Mich.-Hillsdale) posted a 4-12 overall record and a 1-6 record in dual meets in the 174 lb. weight class. The Osseo, Mich. native won two matches by fall and two by decision, while also wrestling in one MAC match.
184 lbs.
Joseph will headline the 184 lbs. weight class in his senior campaign after going up a weight class and appearing in his second NCAA Championship just a year ago. The Lapeer, Mich. native boasted an 18-15 overall record as a junior and a team-best 15 wins in dual meets. Joseph posted a 3-1 mark in MAC matches, while claiming a fourth-place finish and an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships after going 2-2 at the MAC Championships. The senior captured one victory at the NCAA Championships, posting a 1-2 record.
194 lbs.
Whitenburg will earn the starting slot at 194 lbs. for the third straight season after coming back from an injury early in the 2012-13 season and making his first NCAA Championship appearance for the Eagles. Whitenburg finished second on the team with eight pins, earning an 18-12 overall record and a 9-6 record in dual meets. The Temperance, Mich. native boasted a perfect 3-0 record in MAC competition and went 3-1 at the MAC Championships to claim a third-place finish.
HWT.
A spot opens up in the heavyweight division as Eastern will look to replace Chris Eggert who had suffered through injuries in his career as an Eagle and posted a 4-11 record in his senior campaign. Senior Khodor Hoballah (Dearborn, Mich.-Dearborn) will get his first full year as a starter, headlining the heavyweights. The Dearborn, Mich.native participated in the MAC Championships a year ago, posting a 1-3 record and an 8-13 overall record.
The 2013-14 season marks the first season that Missouri University, University of Northern Iowa and Old Dominion University will be joining the MAC as affiliate members in a five-year agreement. Missouri and Northern Iowa competed in the MAC Championships last season, as Missouri claimed the crown with 136 points and Northern Iowa finished in third, just five points behind Central Michigan who garnered second with 88 points. Old Dominion will start participation in MAC competition in the 2013-14 season as they did not compete in the Championships last season.
Eastern will compete in the 2014 MAC Tournament, March 9 at Kent State University. The Eagles are looking for thier first individual MAC Champion since John McClure in 2009 and the first team title since the 1995-96 campaign. The Eagles wrestling squad ranked eighth overall among nine teams in the 2013-14 preseason polls with Ohio University taking the first-place ranking, compiling 19 points.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team kicks off its 2013-14 regular season as it travels to East Lansing, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 9, to compete in the MSU Open for the ninth consecutive year.
The open will consist of a freshman/sophomore division and an open division which will run simultaneously, starting at 9 a.m. The tournament will be a double elimination event with no team scores.
After compiling a 7-13 overall record and a 1-4 record in the Mid-American Conference, which placed them in a tie for fourth, the Eastern Michigan University wrestling squad will look to improve in the 2013-14 season, returning two NCAA Championship qualifiers and bringing some youth into the starting lineup.
This season, eighth year Head Coach Derek DelPorto's team looks to build upon the success of three placewinners from the 2013 MAC Championships and a duo of wrestlers that competed in the 2013 NCAA Championships.
The Eagles open up their 2013 campaign when they travel to Michigan State for the MSU Open, Nov. 9 before hosting the 22nd-annual EMU Open on Nov. 16. The EMU Open marks the first-of-five home meets as the dual meet season gets underway when they Eagles travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State, Nov. 21.
With a record of 72-68-2 at EMU, DelPorto is second all-time in wins (72) at EMU passing Russell Bush's 66 wins in the 2012-13 season. He is just eight wins behind John Eisley's 80 victories from 1979-91. Additionally, his all-time winning percentage of .537 is good for the highest mark among the eight head coaches in the history of EMU.
Eastern Michigan senior wrestlers earned top-four seeds in three weight classes in the MAC preseason poll as Nick Whitenburg (Temperance, Mich.-Bedford) was selected second at 197 lbs., Phillip Joseph (Lapeer, Mich.-Lapeer East) was ranked third at 184 lbs. and Jared Germaine (Saginaw, Mich.-Saginaw Valley) tied for fourth at 125 lbs.
125 lbs.
The Eagles return Germaine for one final season in the 125 lb. weight class, compiling a 17-10 overall record after suffering an injury that sidelined him for half of the 2012-13 season. The redshirt-senior posted an 8-6 record in dual meets and a 1-0 mark in the MAC before making his way back to the MAC Championships for the second time, where he went 1-3.
133 lbs.
The 133 lb. weight class starting position will be shared between Vincent Pizzuto (North Jackson, Ohio-Jackson Milton) and Jake Byers (Cedar Springs, Mich.-Rockford). Pizzuto returns to the mats after having a breakout season at 133 lbs. for the Eagles, being named to the Academic All-MAC Honorable Mention list. Pizzuto posted a 12-13 overall record and was able to recover from a mid-season injury to participate in the MAC Championships for the first time, where he went 1-3 with a victory over Buffalo and tied for fifth place. Byers posted a 16-13 overall record just a season ago, going 1-1 in MAC competiton and earning a seventh-place finish at the EMU Open.
141 lbs.
Redshirt-freshman Nicholas Barber (Cleveland, Ohio-St. Edward) will look to get the start in the 141 lbs. weight class after having a breakout season last year. The Cleveland, Ohio native posted a 20-6 overall record, recording the highest win percentage on the team.
149 lbs.
Freshman Matthew VanCuren (Chargin Falls, Ohio-St. Edward) will headline the 149 lb. weight class for the Green and White in the 2013-14 season. The freshman notched a second-place finish in the EMU Open in the 2012 season before being sidelined with a hip injury for the remainder of the season.
157 lbs.
The Eagles look to replace Aaron Sulzer who finished fourth at the MAC Championships and posted an 18-12 overall record in his senior campaign, while going on a three-match win streak against MAC opponents late in the season. Transfer Brandon Zeerip (Fremont, Mich.-Hesperia) will look to get the start at the 157 lbs. weight class after having a successful two-year career at the University of Michigan. The redshirt-senior earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors once and was a two year starter for the Wolverines.
165 lbs.
In his first season as an Eagle, Jacob Davis (North Ridgeville, Ohio-St. Edward) posted an 18-13 overall record with a 5-9 ledger in dual meets. The sophomore kicked off his freshman season with a first-place finish at the EMU Open and represented the Green and White at the MAC Championships.
174 lbs.
After dropping one weight class, junior Mike Curby (Osseo, Mich.-Hillsdale) posted a 4-12 overall record and a 1-6 record in dual meets in the 174 lb. weight class. The Osseo, Mich. native won two matches by fall and two by decision, while also wrestling in one MAC match.
184 lbs.
Joseph will headline the 184 lbs. weight class in his senior campaign after going up a weight class and appearing in his second NCAA Championship just a year ago. The Lapeer, Mich. native boasted an 18-15 overall record as a junior and a team-best 15 wins in dual meets. Joseph posted a 3-1 mark in MAC matches, while claiming a fourth-place finish and an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships after going 2-2 at the MAC Championships. The senior captured one victory at the NCAA Championships, posting a 1-2 record.
194 lbs.
Whitenburg will earn the starting slot at 194 lbs. for the third straight season after coming back from an injury early in the 2012-13 season and making his first NCAA Championship appearance for the Eagles. Whitenburg finished second on the team with eight pins, earning an 18-12 overall record and a 9-6 record in dual meets. The Temperance, Mich. native boasted a perfect 3-0 record in MAC competition and went 3-1 at the MAC Championships to claim a third-place finish.
HWT.
A spot opens up in the heavyweight division as Eastern will look to replace Chris Eggert who had suffered through injuries in his career as an Eagle and posted a 4-11 record in his senior campaign. Senior Khodor Hoballah (Dearborn, Mich.-Dearborn) will get his first full year as a starter, headlining the heavyweights. The Dearborn, Mich.native participated in the MAC Championships a year ago, posting a 1-3 record and an 8-13 overall record.
The 2013-14 season marks the first season that Missouri University, University of Northern Iowa and Old Dominion University will be joining the MAC as affiliate members in a five-year agreement. Missouri and Northern Iowa competed in the MAC Championships last season, as Missouri claimed the crown with 136 points and Northern Iowa finished in third, just five points behind Central Michigan who garnered second with 88 points. Old Dominion will start participation in MAC competition in the 2013-14 season as they did not compete in the Championships last season.
Eastern will compete in the 2014 MAC Tournament, March 9 at Kent State University. The Eagles are looking for thier first individual MAC Champion since John McClure in 2009 and the first team title since the 1995-96 campaign. The Eagles wrestling squad ranked eighth overall among nine teams in the 2013-14 preseason polls with Ohio University taking the first-place ranking, compiling 19 points.
Eastern Michigan - 2018 MAC Wrestling Championships Preview
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2018 MAC Wrestling Championships 165-lb Match:
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2018 MAC Wrestling Championships 197-lb Match:
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2018 MAC Wrestling Championships 285-lb Match:
Monday, June 04