Cunningham defines wrestling for Central Michigan

By CHRIS ANTONACCI
Collegian Staff Writer

Casey Cunningham stood in the middle of the elevated mat in The Bryce Jordan Center raising his hands triumphantly toward the heavens.

His index finger pointed up as he walked toward his coach, Tom Borrelli.

The two hugged and basked in each other's success.

From the upper corner of the Jordan Center a small pack of diehard Central Michigan fans stood and cheered the wrestler who had turned the program around, while Penn State fans seated across the bottom section sat in silence. They watched stunned as Nittany Lions co-captain Clint Musser agonized in defeat at the NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships.

Four years ago, a totally different story was written. Central Michigan was nothing more than a twinkling star in the massive collegiate wrestling universe. But Cunningham changed all that.

The Middleton, Mich., native had a plethora of options. Coaches from wrestling powerhouses around the nation called and wrote, hoping to woo him into their programs.

He did not bite.

"I wanted to come to a program that wasn't made," Cunningham said after he removed the red, white and green mouthpiece he wore in his decision against Musser. "I wanted to make a program."

This season, the once-little-known Chippewas qualified eight wrestlers for NCAAs, held this past weekend in Happy Valley for the first time in 31 years. And they fared well -- Central Michigan finished seventh and boasted five All-American wrestlers.

Two of those were Cunninghams -- Casey and his brother, Ryan, seventh-place finisher at 174 pounds.

"They've really been an integral part of our program," Borrelli said. "Those guys work really hard and provide great leadership for our team. The big thing was getting Casey, but Ryan was real happy to come here, too."

And if you build it, they will come.

Perhaps no other move shows the Chippewas growth better than the addition of Chris Marshall to the squad.

Marshall transferred from Clarion to Central Michigan in between semesters. He had been the understudy to No. 1 Bald Eagle Mark Angle, who had notched a flawless 35-0 record prior to the NCAA Championships. Marshall chose Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant, Mich., over marquis schools such as Iowa State, which tied for fourth with the Nittany Lions at the tournament.

But Marshall came into the tournament with a No. 2 seed and lost in a semifinal match.

Penn State and other schools may have difficulty keeping up with the Chippewas in the future. After all, next season the Lions will be without the services of their captains, both national champion finalists, as well as several other members of the starting lineup.

"Next year's going to be a tough year for us," Penn State coach Troy Sunderland said. "We lose a lot of great seniors and some guys that have junior eligibility who are graduating. So, it's going to be a new ballgame next year.

"We'll just have to get ready for it."

And Central Michigan.