Ohio (5-3, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) will travel to Cleveland in hopes of defeating Cleveland State (3-7, 1-2 Mid-American Conference). Ohio will be looking to build off the momentum gained in its 29-6 thrashing of George Mason while Cleveland State will hope to rebound after falling 28-15 to Northern Illinois.
The Bobcats, like the Vikings, struggled to contain the Huskies, as they would also fall 24-15.
Here is what you need to know for Ohio’s dual vs. Cleveland State:
Match Information
Time: Jan, 27th, 7 p.m
Location: The Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Where to Watch: FloWrestling
History
This will be the third meeting between the two teams all time with Ohio winning convincingly both times. Ohio won the last meeting in Athens 27-18.
Wrestlers to Watch
Ben Smith: Ben Smith will leading the charge for the Vikings on Friday. The redshirt senior from Canton has been dominating MAC action, starting 3-0 in MAC competitions. He is ranked 32nd in the first coaches' poll in the 197lb weight class and is a proven winner, winning the Edinboro and JCU opens last season along with winning the program’s first-ever MAC Championship in 2021-22. He can also end matches quickly, recording three falls on the season with his fastest being 39 seconds.
Daniel Bucknavich: Daniel Bucknavich is the 20th-ranked wrestler in the 285lb weight class. Bucknavich was ranked 20th in the first edition of the coaches' poll due in large part to a 15-2 overall record and 7-1 in duals. He has also been perfect in MAC play this season at 2-0. He has recorded four falls this year with the quickest being set at 2:02 minutes. He has also seen success in the MAC tournament finishing fourth as a redshirt sophomore last season. This could set up a potential matchup against Ohio’s Jordan Greer, who is 5-2 in duals this season.
