McNally shines, Kent State wrestling flounders versus Central Michigan

Nick Pedone Sports reporter

It was another brutal weekend for Kent State’s wrestling team, who suffered yet another conference loss on the road.

Junior Kade Byland earned a pin for the Flashes against Central Michigan, but Kent was inevitably defeated 27-12.

Byland has emerged as a bright spot in Kent State’s lineup, joining senior Tim Rooney and junior Andrew McNally who have been consistent all season.

McNally got things rolling on the mat for the Flashes, earning a 12-6 victory by decision. With the victory, he improved to a team-best 28-7 on the season. Sunday’s victory was McNally’s 14th straight win.

At 133 pounds, Rooney took on Central Michigan’s Drew Marten. In a back-and-forth match, Rooney was able to earn a takedown late in the third period to earn a 10-6 victory by decision.

In the heavyweight slot, Kent State sophomore Spencer Berthold drew some difficult competition. He wrestled the nation’s No. 4 ranked wrestler, Matt Stencel. Berthold nearly had a takedown early on in the match, but it was ruled that Stencel was out of bounds. Shortly after, Stencel was able to pin Berthold and secure the match in the first period.

The loss drops the Flashes to 6-11 in overall competition and 2-6 in the Mid-American Conference. Their road trip continues on Friday night for the regular season finale against Clarion in Pennsylvania.

Nick Pedone is a sports reporter. Contact him at [email protected].