CLEVELAND, Ohio - Kent State won nine of the 10 matches, with Aric Thurn picking up the lone win for Cleveland State, and the Golden Flashes defeated the Vikings, 33-3, on Tuesday night (Jan. 4)

Thurn's victory came in the 174 division. He built a 5-0 lead in the second period en route to a 7-2 decision. It was his third dual meet win of the season.

"We let a few of those matches get away from us," head coach Ben Stehura said. "We've just gotta get back to work on the fundamentals."

CSU fell into a 9-0 early hole after Nick Flannery (133 pounds) had to forfeit due to injury and Ben Willeford (125) fell to Kent State's Steve Mitcheff in an 8-2 decision. Josh Palivoda earned the first takedown of the night for the Vikings in the 141 bout, but was edged out by Chase Skonieczny, 6-5.

Lawrence Cavello gave the Vikings their first lead of the night with an escape in the second round of his 149 match, breaking a 0-0 tie. KSU's Marcel Clopton took the lead back with an escape and a takedown, and eventually won the match in a 6-2 decision.

Robbie Michaels wrestled in one of the closest matches of the night at 165. After earning points on takedowns in the first and second rounds, Michaels led KSU's Ross Tice, 5-3, with 20 seconds remaining. Tice managed to tie the match with a takedown of his own, and then ended up winning with a three-point near fall as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

"We can't let those close matches get away from us," Stehura said. "We'll continue working. We'll get there."
Also competing for Cleveland State were Matt Donohoe (157), Corbin Boone (184), Nick Anthony (197), and Chris Weber (heavyweight).

Kent State 33, Cleveland State 3
125 - Steve Mitcheff (KSU) 8-2 dec. Ben Willeford (CSU)
133 - Tyler Small (KSU) forf. Nick Flannery (CSU)
141 - Chase Skonieczny (KSU) 6-5 dec. Josh Palivoda (CSU)
149 - Marcel Clopton (KSU) 6-2 dec. Lawrence Cavello
157 - Mallie Shuster 8-3 (KSU) dec. Matt Donohoe (CSU)
165 - Ross Tice (KSU) 8-5 dec. Robbie Michaels (CSU)
174 - Aric Thurn (CSU) 7-2 dec. Ethan Taylor (KSU)
184 - Casey Newburg (KSU) 15-3 maj. dec. Corbin Boone (CSU)
197 - Keith Witt (KSU) 12-0 maj. dec. Nick Anthony (CSU)
HWT - Joe Tymoszczuk (KSU) 10-2 maj. dec. Chris Weber (CSU)