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    Central Michigan dominates Eastern Michigan

    YPSILANTI, Mich. -- The Central Michigan wrestling team won nine of 10 matches for the second consecutive Mid-American Conference dual meet on Friday in defeating Eastern Michigan, 29-3, at the Eagles' Bowen Field House.

    It was CMU's fifth consecutive dual victory as it improved to 8-2 overall, 5-2 MAC. The Chippewas entertain Kent State (2-13, 0-6) in their home and MAC-dual finale on Sunday (2 p.m.) at McGuirk Arena.

    The Chippewas trounced Buffalo, 35-3, last Sunday, also winning nine of 10 matches.

    CMU wasn't as dominant against the Eagles as it was against Buffalo, but it was plenty good enough as it won two overtime matches and three others that were decided by three points or less.

    "Again we were trying to score points for the most part the whole time," CMU coach Tom Borrelli said. "Eastern slowed us down and made some of the matches close. I thought we were pretty aggressive.

    "I'm happy with where we are. They're improving and I think they know we can continue going forward."

    CMU got major decision victories from Corey Keener (133 pounds) and Justin Oliver (149), and overtime wins from Colin Heffernan (157) and Newton Smerchek (HWT).

    Three other matches were decided by one point, two of which were won by CMU's Mason Smith (141) and Austin Severn (197).

    Smerchek, a junior, opened the meet with a 4-3 tie-breaker-2 win over Gage Hutchison, who came into the meet 23-10 and ranked 19th in the NCAA coaches rankings. Smerchek got an escape in the second tie-breaker and then rode out the match.

    "He's been gaining a lot of confidence the last few weeks," Borrelli said of Smerchek, who has won four consecutive matches, that last two of which have come against solid opponents in overtime. "He's been very, very good at staying focused on the things that he can do and executing. It's not pretty, but he figures out how to win."

    Heffernan took down Zachary Carson in overtime for a 3-1 SV-1 win. Heffernan leads the Chippewas in victories, 24, along with Oliver and CJ Brucki.

    Smith, a redshirt freshman, scored a third-period escape for a 1-0 win over junior Kyle Springer, who is ranked 31st in the coaches poll.

    "Very big win for Mason," Borrelli said. "(Springer's) had a good year. Mason's starting to wrestle better in the positions he really good in."

    Oliver scored a 10-1 victory and Keener posted a 12-6 win.

    "I really felt like Oliver wrestled a good match tonight," Borrelli said. "He really dominated a kid who's been pretty good."

    Results:
    125: Brent Fleetwood (CMU) dec. Blake Caudill, 7-0
    133: Corey Keener (CMU) major dec. Armando Torres, 12-4
    141: Mason Smith (CMU) dec. Kyle Springer, 1-0
    149: Justin Oliver (CMU) major dec. Nick Barber, 10-1
    157: Colin Heffernan (CMU) dec. Zachary Carson, 3-1, SV-1
    165: Devan Marry (EMU) dec. Logan Parks, 7-6
    174: CJ Brucki (CMU) dec. Jacob Davis, 13-6
    184: Jordan Ellingwood (CMU) dec. Kayne MacCallum, 7-4
    197: Austin Severn (CMU) dec. Derek Hillman, 6-5
    HWT: Newton Smerchek (CMU) dec. Gage Hutchison, 4-3, TB-2

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