Starting Spots on the Line Sunday at Wrestle-Offs

KENT, Ohio - With a dual meet against perennial power Iowa State just two weeks away, the Kent State grapplers will determine its starting lineup Sunday with wrestle-offs at the M.A.C. Center.  Action begins at 9 a.m., followed by the Golden Flash Classic youth tournament.

A number of weights will have multiple Golden Flashes competing for a starting nod, including five wrestlers at both 149 and 157. 

149 Junior Marcel Clopton, who went 3-1 in dual meets last season, will await the winner of true freshman Andrew Candiello versus sophomore Drew Leonard.  In the other half of the 149-pound bracket, sophomore Tommy Sasfy will take on redshirt freshman T.J. Keklak.     

157 Redshirt freshman Drew Howard will battle true freshman Andrew Hollern for the right to wrestle 2009 NCAA qualifier Matt Cathell.  The opposite half of 157 will feature senior Sli Bostelman (43 career wins) against sophomore Mallie Shuster, who went 24-13 last season.

165 Redshirt freshman Ethan Taylor will challenge incumbent Ross Tice for a starting spot.  Tice, a junior, went 28-14 last season with a runner-up finish at the MAC Championships.

174 Fifth-year senior Chris Estep looks to reclaim his starting spot from the 2008-09 season, but will have to get past redshirt freshman Brandonn Johnson, who went 21-6 at open tournaments last year.

184 Sophomore Keith Witt moves up a weight to start the season, following a runer-up finish at the MAC Tournament and an appearance in the NCAA Championships.  Witt will be tested by classmate Casey Newburg, who went 18-12 last season. 

197 Like Witt, junior Dustin Kilgore moves up a weight to start the year.  The 2010 All-American will take on the winner of senior Joe Tymoszczuk versus junior Ryan Buckner.  Tymoszczuk was 4-0 at heavyweight in duals last season, while Buckner finished 12-11.

285 True freshman Tyler Obringer will challenge 2010 MAC champion Brendan Barlow.  Obringer brings a size advantage against the incumbent junior, who owns 62 career wins.

125 Sophomore Stevie Mitcheff was slated to challenge 2009 All-American Nic Bedelyon, but a minor injury may postpone the matchup.

133 A pair of true freshmen, Tyler Small and Jake McCombs will square off for the right to face sophomore Sean Collins.  Small, a 2010 Pennsylvania state champion, could the surprise of the freshman class, while Collins has continued to improve entering his third season with the program.

141 Incumbent Chase Skonieczny went 21-17 as a redshirt freshman last season.  He will take on true freshman Jacob Mellinger.

The Golden Flashes’ first official competition will take place in Salem, Va. on Nov. 6, with dual meets against Chattanooga and Iowa State.  The Cyclones were ranked No. 2 in the final 2009-10 NWCA Coaches Poll, while Kent State was No. 16.