Soccer Tabbed Preseason Favorite For Mac
CLEVELAND - Four Kent State wrestlers earned No. 1 rankings in the Mid-American Conference preseason coaches poll Wednesday. Based on the individual rankings, the Golden Flashes are projected to win the 2012 conference championship with 29 points, well ahead of second-place Central Michigan with 18.
Seniors Nic Bedelyon (Lewistown, Pa.), Brendan Barlow (Westerville, Ohio), and Ross Tice (Brookfield, Ohio), along with junior Keith Witt (Oak Harbor, Ohio), were all picked in the top spot by conference coaches. Senior Macel Clopton (Shaker Hts., Ohio) and sophomore Brandonn Johnson (Middletown, Md.) were chosen for the No. 2 spot in their respective weight classes, while sophomore Tyler Small (Littlestown, Pa.) and juniors Casey Newburg (Union, Ohio) and Stevie Mitcheff (Lorain, Ohio) each came in at No. Bedelyon (125) and Barlow (285) have each won individual MAC titles and are both ranked in the Top 10 in every preseason national poll. A 2009 All-American, Bedelyon is ranked No.
Soccer Tabbed Preseason Favorite For Mac
4 in three different national polls. Like Bedelyon, Barlow also came up one victory shy of All-American status at the 2011 NCAA Championships. Small (141), Tice (165), Johnson (174) and Witt (197) are all ranked in the Top 25 according to D1 College Wrestling. Tice is a two-time NCAA qualifier, while Small and Witt have each earned one trip to the NCAA Championships. Junior Mallie Shuster (Newville, Pa.) was ranked No. 4 by MAC coaches at 157, making Kent State the only conference school with all 10 of its wrestlers ranked.
The Golden Flashes’ season gets underway Saturday, Nov. 5 at the Eastern Michigan Open. Its first home dual meet will be Nov.
22 against Edinboro. Tickets for home duals are now available at the Kent State Ticket Office: 330-672-2244. Aaron Chimenti Assistant Director, Athletic Communications Kent State University Contact for: Kentstatesports.com, Softball, Wrestling, Football (Secondary) 330-672-8468.