The University of Michigan wrestling team, ranked 13th nationally, ended its dual-meet season with a 34-6 victory over Central Michigan at McGuirk Arena. The Wolverines won eight out of ten bouts and secured five bonus-point wins in their final regular-season contest.
Michigan’s Diego Sotelo opened the match with a major decision at 125 pounds, defeating Archer Anderson 14-4. Lachlan McNeil followed at 149 pounds, earning his first technical fall of the season by defeating Jimmy Nugent 22-6. “He scored seven takedowns using a mix of singles, doubles and go-behinds to end the bout at the 6:42 mark,” according to the team’s statement.
At 141 pounds, freshman Eren Sement returned to the lineup and secured a 4-0 decision over Nick Blackburn. Redshirt freshmen Cameron Catrabone and Justin Gates each earned close victories before and after the intermission. Catrabone defeated Mason Shrader in overtime with an 8-5 decision for Michigan’s only ranked win of the meet: “Catrabone scrambled to an escape at the buzzer to force sudden victory, then countered a deep Shrader leg attack to secure the winning takedown.” Gates clinched his match against Chandler Amaker with a last-second takedown for a 4-1 win.
The Mantanona brothers contributed consecutive wins in the middle weights. Beau Mantanona pinned Cody Brenner at 174 pounds for his fifth fall this season, while Brock Mantanona achieved a technical fall against Wyatt Ferguson at 184 pounds. Together, they have accumulated more than twenty bonus-point wins among thirty-two total victories this year.
Heavyweight Taye Ghadiali closed out Michigan’s performance with a technical fall over Aidan Fockler in just over two minutes: “Ghadiali scored three single-leg takedowns and two four-point tilts to end the match at 2:03 of the first period.”
Central Michigan managed individual wins from Andrew Austin at 133 pounds and Luke Cochran at 197 pounds.
Michigan now has a record of nine wins and six losses heading into postseason competition. The team will prepare for the Big Ten Championships on March 7–8 in State College, Pennsylvania.