The Chippewas sit atop the team standings after the tournament's first day with 62.5 points. Kent State is second with 49.5 points, while Northern Illinois is third with 30.5.
Six of Sunday's 10 championship bouts will feature matchups between Central Michigan and Kent State competitors.
Advancing to the finals for CMU were Scotti Sentes (125), Conor Beebe (133), Tony D'Alie (141), Steve Brown (149), Trevor Stewart (165), Mike Miller (174), Vince DiDona (184) and Jarod Trice (285). Five of the eight are seeking their first conference championship, while Brown, Stewart and Miller are looking to capture their second career MAC title.
Still alive in the consolation bracket are Tyler Grayson (157) and Eric Simaz (197). Both will wrestle for third place on Sunday.
CMU began the tournament with first-round byes in six of the 10 weight classes, and another three individuals—Beebe, DiDona and Trice—all won first-round matches to give the Chippewas nine semifinalists.
Scotti Sentes was the first Chippewa to advance to the finals, dispatching of Eastern Michigan's Chris Jenkins in just 1:53. Sentes scored a takedown 30 seconds into the match and cradled Jenkins before sticking the pin just more than halfway into the opening period.
Conor Beebe advanced to the finals via a 5-2 decision over Buffalo's Kevin Smith. Beebe scored takedowns in both of the first two periods for the victory.
An 8-3 decision by Tony D'Alie in the 141-pound semis was upheld after a protest. Tied 3-3 with Northern Illinois' Pat McLemore, D'Alie scored a takedown on the edge of the mat that gave him the lead for good. NIU's protest of the tie-breaking takedown was denied.
Steve Brown followed with a convincing 9-0 major decision over Northern Illinois' Steve Zimmerman in the 149-pound semis. Brown led 5-0 after a first period in which he scored a takedown and three-point nearfall and built a riding time advantage of 2:44. Brown finished with a riding time edge of 4:27.
Trevor Stewart advanced to the 165-pound finals with a 9-1 major decision over Buffalo's Ron Majerus. Stewart tallied three takedowns, a reversal and a 4:38 riding time advantage in the win.
At 174, Mike Miller scored six back points in a 14-1 major decision over NIU's Derrick Yant. Miller broke the match open with two takedowns a two back points in the second period. He added a pair of two-point nearfalls in the third while building a riding time edge of 4:06.
Vince DiDona advanced to the 184-pound finals thanks to a late flurry in his semifinal matchup with Ohio's Erik Schuth. Schuth rode out DiDona in the second period, then took a 1-0 lead with an escape in the third. A stalling penalty on Schuth midway through the period evened the score at 1-1.
DiDona shot with 20 seconds remaining and scored a double-leg takedown and two back points to take a 5-1 lead. Schuth tacked on an escape in the closing seconds and riding time, but DiDona's four-point move put the match out of reach.
Jarod Trice was the eighth Chippewa to advance to the finals, posting an 8-3 decision over Eastern Michigan's David Wade. Trice scored three takedowns in the win.
Eric Simaz (197 pounds) was CMU's lone semifinalist not to advance to the finals. He dropped a 3-1 sudden victory decision to Buffalo's James Hamel in the semis. Both Simaz and Hamel scored escapes in regulation, and Hamel scored a takedown 51 seconds into the sudden victory period.
Simaz advanced in the consolation bracket with a pin of Northern Illinois' Scott Penny in 2:41.
Earlier Saturday, CMU was 3-1 in its four first-round matches.
Beebe opened the tournament for CMU with a 6-2 decision over Tristen DeShazer (Northern Illinios) in the first round at 133 pounds. Beebe led 3-0 entering the third period, during which he and DeShazer traded reversals. Beebe added riding time for the final margin.
DiDona and Trice also were victorious in the first round. DiDona scored a first-period takedown and built a riding time advantage of 4:12 in his 4-0 decision over Eastern Michigan's Derek Foore, while Trice took down Buffalo's Brett Correll five times in a 12-3 major decision.
Tyler Grayson was the lone Chippewa not to advance in the championship bracket. He was pinned by Northern Illinois' Bryan Deutsch in the first round at 157 pounds, but rebounded to post a 14-6 major decision over Eastern Michigan's Josh Moulton in the wrestleback semis.
Competition at the MAC Wrestling Championships resumes at 11 a.m. Sunday with the fifth-place matches. The championship finals are scheduled to begin at noon.
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