Wrestling takes down Buffalo for first home MAC win

Written by Rachel Jones Sunday, 07 February 2010 23:22

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“You’re in for a world of pain, Buffalo!” someone in the stands yelled as Danny Mitcheff (26-2) stepped onto the mat. He was right.

At 133 pounds, Mitcheff won his match, 11-2, leading the No. 17 Kent State wrestling team (13-3, 2-0 Mid- American Conference) to a 31-6 victory over Buffalo (8-6-1, 1-2 MAC) yesterday at the M.A.C. Center.

The senior, who is currently ranked 10th in the nation, said he felt the Flashes wrestled well. Many wrestlers, including Mitcheff, had to face off against opponents they have wrestled earlier in the season.

“It’s always tough wrestling guys in your conference because they can scout you,” Mitcheff said. “Everyone has the same opportunity, though, so you just have to go out there and wrestle as hard as you can.”

Kent State coach Jim Andrassy said he was happy with the team’s performance after a weeklong break.

“(In) pretty much every match, we were the aggressor,” he said. “It was a good team effort.”

Andrassy said the individual who stood out the most to him was freshman Adam Cogar (17-6). At 197 pounds, Cogar defeated Buffalo junior Jimmy Hamel (23-7), 3-1, after previously battling injuries and two weeks of pneumonia.

“For him to come out and beat one of the best kids in the MAC just shows his real potential,” Andrassy said.

Another high point in the match was when sophomore Marcel Clopton (6-4) defeated Buffalo freshman Chris Conti 7-5 in overtime.

“When I was tied up, we were both on our feet, and I’m thinking in my head, ‘there’s no way he can take me down,’” Clopton said. “I felt him getting weaker and weaker. I knew it was eventually going to come.”

Ranked fifth in the nation, sophomore Dustin Kilgore (27-1) pinned freshman Josh Peters in the opening minute of the third period. The pin was Kilgore’s 12th of the season.

“I really wanted to beat the kid,” he said. “I haven’t had a pin in a while. That definitely turned it around for me.”

At 184 pounds, Kilgore felt his aggressive wrestling style was the key to his victory.

“Everyone goes out with a little bit of fear in mind because it’s wrestling, and you don’t know what’s going to happen,” Kilgore said. “Just go out there and try to intimidate the guy, maybe break his spirit. I just kept doing that, and I was able to get the pin.”

Sophomore heavyweight Brendan Barlow (28-6) also pinned his opponent. Currently ranked second in the MAC, Barlow pinned Bulls senior Jason Weber in the third period.

The team is now preparing for its meet against Ohio on Friday. Andrassy said the upcoming contest is the Flashes’ biggest rivalry on their schedule.

“We don’t get along with each other very well,” Andrassy said. “I want to go out there wrestling our best and take care of business.”

Contact sports reporter Rachel Jones at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .