MOUNT PLEASANT - The Central Michigan wrestling program will hit the road for a pair of duals this weekend when it travels to Northern Illinois Friday and No. 7 Missouri Sunday.
The Chippewas (8-3) currently sit atop the Mid-American Conference with a 2-0 record and will look to keep that mark unblemished when they take on the Huskies (7-4, 0-2 MAC) in the Convocation Center at 7 p.m. Friday.
The Maroon and Gold will then travel to Columbia, Mo., to take on the newest member of the MAC. The dual will not count towards conference standings however, as the Tigers (7-0-1) first conference competition will take place at the MAC Championships in Buffalo, N.Y., March 10.
Follow the Action: Live stats will be available for both matches through TrackWrestling.com. Live video streams will also be available by both NIUHuskies.com and MUTigers.com with a subscription fee. Fans can also follow the Chippewas' official Twitter account @CMUWrestling and Facebook Page for in-meet updates.
CMU vs. NIU: The Chippewas are 30-22-2 all time versus the Huskies and have won 16 of the last 17 meetings. CMU claimed a 24-9 victory last season in McGuirk Arena. NIU's last win in the series came in 2003, 16-15.
CMU vs. Missouri: Sunday's meeting will be the seventh in program history versus Missouri, with the Tigers holding a slim 3-2-1 advantage. Missouri defeated CMU at the 2011 National Duals, 29-12. CMU defeated No. 5 Mizzou on Feb. 13, 2009 in Columbia, 22-14.
Preseason Favorites: Though Sunday's dual will not count towards regular-season standings, the Chippewas and Tigers were picked to finish first and second at the MAC Championships March 10. Missouri was picked to win the championships by the conference coaches, which would end an 11-year run by the Chippewas.
CMU vs. The MAC: The Chippewas have won 72 of their last 76 MAC duals dating back to the 1997-98 season. Their current 11-year winning streak at the MAC Championships is the longest streak in conference history and their streak of 10-straight regular season titles from 1999-2008 was the second longest in any sport in MAC history.
100-Win Club: With senior Ben Bennett becoming the 16th wrestler in program history to record 100 career wins, senior Scotti Sentes is not far behind, needing just four more victories. Sentes holds a career record of 96-29 and is 15-1 all time in MAC duals.
In the Rankings: The Chippewas dropped three spots to No. 12 in both the NWCA/USA Today coaches' poll and InterMat Tournament Strength Rankings despite finishing third at the Virginia Duals last weekend. Missouri is currently ranked No. 7 in both polls. Individuals in the rankings for this weekend's duals:
Central Michigan: No. 9 Christian Cullinan (125), No. 7 Scotti Sentes (133), No. 20 Craig Kelliher (174), No. 2 Ben Bennett (184), No. 6 Jarod Trice (285).
Missouri: No. 3 Alan Waters (125), No. 8 Nathan McCormick (133), No. 16 Drake Houdashelt (149), No. 20 Kyle Bradley (157), No. 10 Zach Toal (165), No. 9 Mike Larson (184), No. 12 Brent Haynes (197), No. 1 Dom Bradley (285)
