The University of Michigan wrestling team, currently ranked No. 13, will conclude its dual-meet season this Sunday when it faces Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant. The match is scheduled for 2 p.m. at McGuirk Arena.
Michigan enters the contest with an 8-6 record and features eight nationally ranked wrestlers across various weight classes. Among them are Beau Mantanona (No. 10 at 174 pounds), Brock Mantanona (No. 7 at 184 pounds), and Taye Ghadiali (No. 4 at heavyweight). Central Michigan holds a 9-6 record and recently split its last two matches, defeating Kent State before losing to George Mason. Two Chippewa wrestlers are nationally ranked: Mason Shrader (No. 21 at 157 pounds) and Bryan Caves (No. 29 at heavyweight). Historically, Michigan leads the series against Central Michigan with a record of 30-7 since their first meeting in 1982 and has won the last six encounters.
Graduate student Taye Ghadiali has been a key performer for the Wolverines, finishing Big Ten Conference duals undefeated with an 8-0 record and five wins over ranked opponents, including three top-10 victories in his last four matches. Over the past weekend, he defeated Iowa’s Ben Kueter (ranked No. 8) by a score of 10-0 and Wisconsin’s Braxton Amos (ranked No. 9) by a score of 2-1 in sudden victory, which contributed to his rise to No. 4 in national rankings. Ghadiali leads the team with a season record of 19-2 and has achieved bonus points in twelve matches.
Redshirt freshman Beau Mantanona earned his highest-ranked win so far with a come-from-behind overtime victory against Iowa’s Patrick Kennedy (then ranked No.3) at the 174-pound class, bringing his season total to sixteen wins with ten bonus-point victories.
Brock Mantanona also moved up in rankings after securing his sixth win over a ranked opponent this season by defeating Ohio State’s Dylan Fishback (then No.7). He now stands at No.7 nationally with fourteen wins this year.
Together, the Mantanona brothers have combined for thirty wins this season while competing back-to-back in the lineup.
Graduate student Dylan Ragusin returned from injury to secure two bonus-point victories during Michigan’s recent road trip and now holds ninety-three career collegiate wins.
Lachlan McNeil is nearing one hundred career victories as well; he currently sits at ninety-four wins overall.
At the same time, redshirt freshman Cameron Catrabone leads Michigan with six pins on the year at the157-pound weight class—matching some family history as his father Jeff Catrabone was once U-M’s all-time leader in pins.
Three Wolverines—Teddy Flores, Sergio Lemley, and Codei Khawaja—recently won their respective weight classes at the JCU Open tournament; Lemley notched his fourth title of this redshirt season while compiling twenty-two wins so far.
This year saw eight new faces make their debut appearances for Michigan’s starting lineup due to injuries or roster changes throughout the campaign.