The chapters are all starting to look the same in the wrestling team’s story this season.
From Friday until Sunday, Kent State took on three teams in head-to-head style matchups. The opponents were Lock Haven, Long Island University and Clarion.
The worst of it came early for the Flashes, as Lock Haven thoroughly handled KSU in a 42-6 final.
Kent State only had one win in the matchup, which came in the 125-pounder matchup. Freshman Tyeler Hagensen claimed the win on a fall – the match lasted four minutes and 52 seconds.
KSU lost all nine other matchups, including one tech fall, three falls, one forfeit, one major decision and one decision.
The 42 points allowed to Lock Haven is tied for the most surrendered this season by the team.
Sunday, KSU took on LIU, and this was the closest game of the weekend.
Kent State racked up some wins in the middle weights with victories in the 133-pound, 141-pound and 165-pound classes.
Sophomore Adan Benavidez took home the win in a 4-1 decision in the 133-pounder match. In the next match, graduate student Jordan Decatur put some big points on the board with a 14-5 major decision victory, giving the Flashes four points
Redshirt freshman Carson Miller had an 8-0 shutout major decision for the win in the 165-pounder match.
Junior Blake Schaffer also shut out his opponent in a 7-0 major decision victory, but after the 141-pounder match, KSU went 2-5 in matchups that featured higher weight wrestlers. This pushed LIU past Kent State 24-12.
Against Clarion, KSU only had four winners out of 10 matches. The same four wrestlers who won against LIU also won their matches against Clarion.
Benavidez earned a 4-1 decision victory, Decatur also had a decision in an 8-5 match, Miller won with the same score as Benavidez and Schaffer won 8-3 with a decision victory. With all victories coming via decision, KSU accumulated 12 points, but it was not enough, as Clarion won the majority of the matches and had 23 points.
The winless weekend pushes the Flashes to a 1-12 record this season. Kent State is one of three teams in the Mid-American Conference without a conference win (0-5), but KSU is the only team in the West Division without such a win, placing them in the cellar of the division.
No one has more losses in the MAC than the Flashes.
KSU will gear up for the “Grudge Match” against Ohio University, which will take place Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. on the road in Athens.
OU has an average 6-7 overall record, but are one of the MAC’s most efficient teams in conference play. With a 4-1 MAC record, OU finds itself in second in the West Division of the MAC.
Last season, KSU fell to OU on the home mats 34-15. Since 2013, KSU is 5-7 against the Bobcats, and the Flashes have dropped five of the last six meetings.
Kent State has not won a game on the road this season and is on a 10-game slide, but the team will look to turn around its season pitfalls against the in-state rival.
John Hilber is sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].