Ohio entered Friday night with the hopes of winning its fourth straight dual. It had multiple chances to do just that, yet it lost to Central Michigan 25-15 in an up-and-down dual.
Ohio (5-6, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) lost its first two bouts, but because of No. 17 Shakur Laney, it had a chance to earn a victory.
In the most thrilling match of the night, Laney defeated No. 19 Dresden Simon 8-7 in overtime. The match featured multiple takedowns and escapes as well as an unsuccessful challenge by coach Joel Greenlee at the end of regulation. The win put the Bobcats on the board and provided a spark after two early tough matches.
“He (Laney) stayed after it,” Greenlee said. “Laney went out there and did a great job. It started a nice run by our team.”
After the needed win from Laney, Alec Hagan followed suit with a 5-3 victory over Corbyn Munson. Zac Carson added to the Bobcats’ momentum when he defeated Logan Parks 4-3 with a late takedown in the final period. The momentum shift was in full effect, and Laney’s bout was the culprit of that.
Logan Stanley was a standout for the Bobcats on Friday as he defeated Jake Lowell 10-7 to give Ohio the 15-10 lead. It was also Ohio’s fifth straight match victory. Stanley kept his energy the entire bout as he had multiple two-point takedowns and escapes.
The Bobcats lost their lead when Hunter Yeargan fell to Ben Cushman and gave Central Michigan the 16-15 lead with two bouts remaining. The momentum was lost, and Ohio lost the next two bouts. Its three dual win streak was snapped.
Overall, the Bobcats performed well against a tough opponent. Even though their win streak was snapped, they got valuable experience and proved that they can keep up with some of the best in the MAC.
Ohio has a chance to bounce back with a win on Sunday when they face Bloomsburg at The Convo. The match starts at 1 p.m.
