Matt Stencel & Central Michigan Lead The 2019-20 All-MAC Team
Matt Stencel & Central Michigan Lead The 2019-20 All-MAC Team
The best wrestlers from each weight class in the MAC from the coronavirus-shortened 2019-20 NCAA wrestling season.
Unlock this article, live events, and more with a subscription!
Already a subscriber? Log In
With 50 NCAA qualifiers, including 34 who appear in the final national rankings, the expanded Mid-American Conference left its mark on an abbreviated collegiate wrestling season.
Following last season, the MAC absorbed Eastern Wrestling League teams Bloomsburg, Clarion, Edinboro, Lock Haven, Rider, George Mason, and Cleveland State, leaving the conference with 15 members. That's the second-most of any conference.
That also means there was a sizable talent pool to choose from when selecting the 2020 All-MAC team.
Here is a look at the conference's best wrestler in each weight class.
125 POUNDS: Drew Hildebrandt (Central Michigan)
The junior, No. 8 in the final rankings, continued his steady rise from 18-18 as a freshman to 21-10 last year and finally to 31-3 this season.
Hildebrandt, who qualified for the NCAA Championships for a second time, ended the season with a 12-match winning streak.
Hildebrandt decisioned No. 15 Killian Cardinale (Old Dominion), 2-0, for the MAC title. He escaped for a 1-0 lead after choosing down to begin the second period. He then rode Cardinale for the entire third period to notch a riding-time point.
Among Hildebrandt's noteworthy wins this season were 13th-ranked Trey Chalifoux (Army), No. 14 Gage Curry (American), No. 16 Jack Medley (Michigan), No. 21 Luke Werner (Lock Haven) and No. 23 Justin Cardani (Illinois). He owned a 9-2 record against fellow NCAA qualifiers.
Read more about Hildebrant and his sister in this recent FloWrestling feature story.
Second team: Killian Cardinale (Old Dominion)
Third team: Luke Werner (Lock Haven)
133 POUNDS: Tim Rooney (Kent State)
The senior finished with a career-high .742 winning percentage in his final season, going 26-9, up from 29-15 a year ago.
Rooney, 18th in the final rankings, edged No. 17 Allan Hart (3-1) for his first MAC title and second NCAA Championships berth. He went 12-2 in the conference.
Rooney also pinned Hart during the season and defeated No. 14 Devan Turner (Ohio State), No. 19 Jack Skudlerczyk (Northern Iowa), No. 22 Derek Spann (Buffalo), and No. 24 Louie Hayes (Virginia).
He finished with a 102-63 career record, including 85-38 the past three seasons.
Second team: Allan Hart (Missouri)
Third team: Derek Spann (Buffalo)
141 POUNDS: Dresden Simon (Central Michigan)
The junior made one of the more remarkable turnarounds among Division I wrestlers this season, finishing 29-8 after going just 26-32 the previous two years.
Perhaps even more impressive is that 17 of Simon's 29 wins (58 percent) came via major decision (12), pin (three), or technical fall (two). He was No. 12 in the final rankings.
Simon decisioned No. 15 Evan Cheek (6-1) for his first MAC title and secured his first NCAA Championships appearance. Overall, Simon went 15-2 against MAC foes and ended the season with a seven-match winning streak.
He also defeated No. 11 Michael Blockhus (Northern Iowa), No. 19 Dylan Duncan (Illinois), No. 21 Grant Leeth (Missouri), and 22. Sa'Derian Perry (Old Dominion).
Second team: Evan Cheek (Cleveland State)
Third team: Sa'Derian Perry (Old Dominion)
149 POUNDS: Brock Mauller (Missouri)
The sophomore, sixth at last year's NCAA Championships, appeared a lock to be an All-American again. Mauller also had an outside chance of becoming the MAC's first national champion since 2017.
Mauller finished 28-1 with six major decisions and two technical falls and was fifth in the final rankings. His career record stands at 61-6.
He edged No. 13 Brock Zacherl of Clarion (5-2) for a second straight MAC title. Mauller also beat No. 6 Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State), No. 11 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa), No. 22. Tyshawn Williams (SIUE), No. 23. Alex Hagan (Ohio), and No. 24 Colston DiBlasi (George Mason).
Mauller's only loss was a 6-5 decision to Wyoming's Jaron Jenson on Dec. 29.
Second team: Brock Zacherl (Clarion)
Third team: Alec Hagan (Ohio)
157 POUNDS: Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider)
After finishing with a 26-7 record and reaching the NCAA Championships Round of 16 last season, the senior was 30-2 and fourth in the final rankings.
Dellavecchia lost only to No. 2 Hayden Hidlay of North Carolina State and No. 7 Quincy Monday (Princeton), but he also decisioned Monday (4-2).
Other wins came against No. 8 Marcus Hartman (Army), No. 13 Larry Early (Old Dominion), No. 15 Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) and No. 24 Justin McCoy (Virginia).
He blanked Jacques (4-0) for the MAC title and finished with seven major decisions, two technical falls, and a pin. Dellavecchia was 11-0 in the MAC and ended the season with a 16-match winning streak.
Dellavecchia finished with a 91-22 career record, including 76-13 the past three seasons.
Second team: Larry Early (Old Dominion)
Third team: Jarrett Jacques (Missouri)
165 POUNDS: Troy Keller (Buffalo)
The senior shook off a shaky start this season to repeat as MAC champion and again qualify for the NCAA Championships.
Keller, No. 22 in the final rankings, went 20-1 after winning just one of his first three matches. His only loss was a 5-3 decision to No. 23 Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois). Keller avenged that loss at the perfect time with a 10-5 win over Olejnik in the MAC title match.
He finished 21-4, up from 19-8 last season, and 13-1 in the MAC with four technical falls, three major decisions, and two pins.
Keller won a national junior college championship and was a two-time All-American at Niagara County Community College prior to joining the Bulls.
Second team: Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois)
Third team: Peyton Mocco (Missouri)
174 POUNDS: Andrew McNally (Kent State)
The junior's season did not end as he envisioned, but McNally still finished 31-7 (15-2 in the MAC) and was No. 18 in the final rankings.
McNally extended his winning streak to 17 matches by knocking off No. 19 Dean Sherry (Rider) and Kenny Moore (Northern Illinois) to reach the MAC title match against surprising Jared Siegrist (Lock Haven).
In one of the conference's most entertaining matches of the season, McNally dropped a heart-wrenching, 10-9 decision in the final seconds.
Down 7-4 in the third period, McNally used an escape and takedown to draw even at 7-7 only to see Siegrist go up 8-7 with an escape. McNally responded with another takedown for a 9-8 lead with just eight seconds left, but that was still enough time for Siegrist notch another escape for the win.
Still, McNally had earned his second straight NCAA Championships berth only to have it snatched away by the coronavirus pandemic.
He also pinned No. 17 Daniel Bullard (NC State) and beat No. 22 Layne Malczewski (Michigan State). McNally recorded six major decisions, four pins, and two technical falls. His career mark is 83-32.
Second team: Dean Sherry (Rider)
Third team: Jared Siegrist (Lock Haven)
184 POUNDS: Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois)
After falling in the 174-pound MAC title match a year ago, the sophomore captured the 184-pound championship this season and clinched his second NCAA Championships berth.
Wilson faced defending champion Dylan Wisman (Missouri) in the MAC final. The match was tied 4-4 entering the final period before Wilson used a pair of takedowns to secure an 8-5 win. Wisman had dominated him, 11-3, just six weeks earlier.
Wilson finished 21-3 (11-2 in the MAC) with more than half of his wins have via major decision (five), technical fall (three), or pin (four). He has gone 46-10 the past two seasons.
Wilson did not appear in the final rankings, but defeated No. 15 Zach Braunagel (Illinois) and No. 21 Max Lyon (Purdue) and finished the season with a nine-match winning streak.
Second team: Dylan Wisman (Missouri)
Third team: Trevor Allard (Bloomsburg)
197 POUNDS: Greg Bulsak (Clarion)
The junior won his first conference title and earned a third NCAA Championships berth while finishing 27-5, including a 16-1 MAC mark.
He ended the season riding a 19-match winning steak.
Bulsak lost only to Northern Illinois' Gage Braun (11-4) in MAC competition, but avenged that defeat with an 8-2 decision in the conference tournament semifinals.
No. 11 in the final rankings, Bulsak was to face No. 16 Ethan Laird (Rider) in the title match, but Laird withdrew with an injury. Bulsak decisioned him, 8-1, earlier in the season.
Bulsak put together an impressive resume of wins outside the MAC, defeating No. 4 Jay Aiello (Virginia), No. 12 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State), No. 20 Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming), and No. 24 Tanner Orndorff (Utah Valley).
Bulsak improved from 17-8 a year ago and 59 percent of his wins this season came via pin (nine), major decision (six), or technical fall (one). Bulsak's career mark is 65-22.
Second team: Ethan Laird (Rider)
Third team: Gage Braun (Northern Illinois)
285 POUNDS: Matt Stencel (Central Michigan)
The junior rolled to a third MAC title, blanking Edinboro's Jon Spaulding (11-0) in the final.
The stage is now set for Stencel to become just the ninth four-time champion in the MAC's 60-year history. He can also become a four-time NCAA qualifier.
Stencel, No. 4 in the final rankings, finished 30-4, winning his final 13 matches of the season. He was unbeaten against MAC wrestlers for the second straight season. In fact, Stencel has lost a MAC match since Feb. 11, 2018.
He tied for second in the nation with 14 pins and added three major decisions. Stencel's only losses were to No. 2 Mason Parris (Michigan) three times, and No. 3 Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa).
He racked up wins over No. 5 Trent Hillger (Wisconsin), No. 8 Yaraslau Slavikouski (Harvard), No. 22 Cary Miller (Appalachian State) and No. 24 Ben Sullivan (Army).
Stencel boasts an 89-25 career record and 33 of his last 61 wins have come via pin.
Second team: Jon Spaulding (Edinboro)
Third team: Jordan Earnest (Ohio)
Mark Spezia is a freelance writer based in Lapeer, Michigan. He has written for ESPNW, Flohockey, Flint, Michigan-based My City Magazine, the Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit Magazine and Troy, Michigan-based Oakland Press. He previously worked for the Flint Journal, Lapeer (Michigan) County Press and Daily Mining Gazette in Houghton, Michigan.