AWP 50 in 50: #36 Central Michigan

HORAN, SMITH, OTTINGER SEROUS AA THREATS FOR CHIPS

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#36 Central Michigan
Head Coach: Tom Borrelli
Assistant Coaches: Ryan Cunningham, Ben Bennett
'14 Dual Record: 10-11
'14 NCAA Finish: 33rd

Projected Lineup ('14 Dual Record)
125: Brent Fleetwood (FR)
133: Tyler Keselring (14-7)
141: #12 Zach Horan (32-6)
149: Colin Heffernan (21-5)
157: #8 Luke Smith (22-12)
165: Jordan Wohlfert (14-12)
174: #9 Mike Ottinger (26-6)/Jordan Ellingwood (18-6)
184: Austin Severn (7-11)/Jackson Lewis
197: Jackson Lewis (12-20)/Jimmy Szep (6-9)
285: Newton Smerchek (9-9)

Team Outlook
Key Retuners:  You have to go all the way back to 2002 to find the last year that CMU did not have an All-American.  This year, they have three guys with legitimate AA aspirations.  Zach Horan at 141 made the Round of 12 as a true freshman, and then the Round of 16 last season.  He'll be a serious threat at 141 again this season.  Luke Smith put together an impressive national tournament last year in his second trip to the big show.  He fell just a match shy of making the podium, and enters the year ranked 8th.  Currently it is unsure if Mike Ottinger will be in the lineup at 174 since he has yet to redshirt, but he will also vie for All-American honors.  A 2x MAC Champ, he's a tough matchup for anyone in the country and could definitely end his career on a high note, either this year or next.

Key Additions:  There will be plenty of new faces in the Chippewa lineup this year, and all of them are quality additions.  Tyler Keselring at 133 is a hammer who has had the misfortune of being behind Zach Horan and Joe Roth the past three seasons.  Look for him to have a big year for Coach Borrelli.  At 165, they'll fill a hole with transfer Jordan Wohlfert who spent the past two years at MSU.  A product of national powerhouse St. Johns, Wohlfert is a tough kid who is still looking to breakout on the college scene.  Another guy who hails from a high school powerhouse is Colin Heffernan, a redshirt freshman 149 pounder from St. Eds.  Heffernan was really impressive last season as a redshirt and has the potential to be a force in the MAC this year.

X-Factors:  I think the upperweights will dictate how the dual meet season will go for Central this year.  Jackson Lewis is a quality guy who really improved from his first season in the lineup with some nice wins last year.  He'll either be back at 197 or down at 184.  The heavyweight, Newton Smerchek, is also on the brink of a big season.  He was pretty solid last year as a redshirt, and also turned in an FILA Junior All-American performance in the offseason.

Key Dates
Nov. 15- at EMU Duals
Nov. 20- vs. Iowa State
Nov. 25- vs. Michigan
Jan. 1- at Southern Scuffle
Jan. 10- at Ohio
Jan. 17- at Missouri
Jan. 25- vs. Northern Iowa
Feb. 1- vs. Kent State
Feb. 15- vs. Old Dominion
Feb. 20- at Eastern Michigan
Feb. 21- at Michigan State
Mar. 7- at MAC Championships

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