Wrestling Opens Dual Season At Olivet - Eastern Michigan University Athletics

Wrestling at Olivet
Date	Friday, Nov. 11 \| 7 p.m.
Location	Olivet, Mich.
Game Notes	PDF Notes
Twitter	@EMUWrestling
Live Results	N/A
Live Stream	OlivetComets.com

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team opens its 2016-17 dual schedule when it travels up the road to Olivet to take on the Olivet College Comets, Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m.

The dual can be followed live on Twitter by following @EMUWrestling. A live stream will also be avauilable at olivetcomets.com. Full results will be posted to EMUEagles.com following the match.

2016-17 OUTLOOK: The Eagles enter the third year under Head Coach David Bolyard in 2016-17. They had their second winning season in three season last year, finishing 8-7 overall. Eastern sent four wrestlers to the 2016 NCAA Championships, and return two of them this season in redshirt senior Nick Barber and redshirt junior Gage Hutchison. Overall, EMU returns eight of ten primary starters from last year and have 10 with starting experience.

CLASHING WITH THE COMETS: The Eagles and Comets have faced off seven times since 2005-06, with EMU coming out on top all seven times. The two squads last faced off in 2013 when EMU rolled to a 23-9 win at Bowen Field House.

SCOUTING OLIVET: Olivet College competes as a Division III Independent. The Comets went 14-10 last season and enter the eighth season under the guidance of Head Coach Brandon Brissette. They sent one grappler to the 2016 NCAA DIII National Championships.

FACING TOP COMPETITION: The Eagles once again face one of the toughest schedules in the country competing in the Mid-American Conference. EMU faces three opponents ranked in the top-25 of the preseason National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, including Missouri (5), Central Michigan (19), and Northern Iowa (22). Two other opponents also received votes in the form of Old Dominion and Ohio. Eastern will also host a pair of Big Ten opponents this season, Indiana and Michigan State.

EAGLES OPEN SEASON AT EMU OPEN: The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team officially opened the 2016-17 season when it hosted the EMU Open inside the Convocation Center, Saturday, Nov. 5. The Eagles sent ten wrestlers onto the mats, and were led by freshman Andrew McNally, who wrestled unattached and placed fifth in the 174 lbs. bracket.

Up against a stacked field of wrestlers that included potential starters from Big Ten schools Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern, and Ohio State, as well as MAC foes Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, and Ohio, Eastern finished with 12 wins among the 10 wrestlers.

RETURNING NATIONAL QUALIFIERS: The Eagles sent four wrestlers to the 2016 NCAA Championships in NYC, marking the third time in the last five seasons Eastern has done so. EMU returns two of those grapplers in redshirt senior Nick Barber and redshirt junior Gage Hutchison. While Hutchison went two-and-out, Barber won a match over No. 15 Daniel Neff of Lock Haven in the consolation round.

MOVING UP THE RECORD BOOK: Entering the season, redshirt senior Nick Barber has 65 career victories in his EMU career, which ranks tied for 17th on the all-time list. Recent EMU Hall of Fame inductee Steve Brown holds the all-time record with 117 wins.

MAC PRESEASON RANKINGS: The Mid-American Conference wrestling coaches announced the 2016-17 preseason weight class individual rankings and team rankings in conjunction with the league office, Oct. 7.

The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team was selected to finish tied for fourth in the Conference, receiving nine points in the poll. Missouri was selected to repeat as champions, garnering 32 points, followed by Northern Iowa (16.5), Central Michigan (11), EMU and Northern Illinois (9), Buffalo and Old Dominion (6), Ohio (5.5), and Kent State (5).

2016-17 MAC Preseason Poll
1. Missouri (32.0)
2. Northern Iowa (16.5)
3. Central Michigan (11.0)
t-4. Eastern Michigan (9.0)
t-4. Northern Illinois (9.0)
t-6. Buffalo (6.0)
t-6. Old Dominion (6.0)
8. Ohio (5.5)
9. Kent State (5.0)

FOUR EAGLES SELECTED IN PRESEASON MAC POLL: Individually, EMU had four of its wrestlers selected in the preseason top-4 of their weight classes. Redshirt junior Kyle Springer was picked in a tie for second at 141 lbs.; redshirt senior Nick Barber is fourth at 149 lbs, redshirt senior Jacob Davis was picked tied for third at 174 lbs, and finally redshirt junior Gage Hutchison was selected third at the heavyweight.

EAGLES SIGN EIGHT NEWCOMERS FOR 2016-17 SEASON: Wrestling announced its incoming recruiting class for the upcoming season, Aug.17. Joining the Eagles this upcoming winter are Zach Blevins, Tomas Gutierrez, Wyatt Harden, Jared Leidich, Andrew McNally, Ameer Munassar, Jake Spiess, and Chance Veller.

The class received honorable mention honors in FloWrestling's Top-20 recruiting class rankings. The eight recruits hail from three states, including three from Michigan, four from Ohio, and one from Colorado. They are projected to represent seven different weight classes at EMU.

EAGLES FINISH TOP-10 IN NWCA ALL-ACADEMIC STANDINGS: For the second straight season, the Eastern Michigan University wrestling team found itself among the top academic teams in the nation. After finishing with top-honors last year, the Eagles finished with the 10th-highest grade point average throughout the country this season, which was announced, May 9, by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

Specifically, the Green and White finished the 2015-16 season with a team GPA of 3.242, which was the second-highest within the Mid-American Conference. After finishing second last season, Harvard regained the top spot after notching a team GPA of 3.412.

UP NEXT ON THE MATS: Following the dual against Olivet, the Eagles have the week off before heading east for a dual at Clarion University in Clarion, Penn. The dual versus the Golden Eagles is set for 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 18. Later that weekend, EMU will remain in Pennsylvania and head to Philadelphia to wrestle in the Keystone Classic. The tournament will run all day, Sunday, Nov. 20.

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Players Mentioned

Nick Barber

Zach Blevins

Jacob Davis

Tomas Gutierrez

Wyatt Harden

Gage Hutchison

Jared Leidich

Andrew McNally

Ameer Munassar

Jake Spiess

Kyle Springer

Chance Veller

Eastern Michigan Athletics