A Look at the Week Ahead in Cleveland State Athletics

A LOOK AT WHAT’S HAPPENING

MEN’S BASKETBALL
•    CSU closed its season with a 65-53 loss to Green Bay in the first round of the League Championship on Saturday.
•    Rob Edwards was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman team. He led the team in scoring (12.4 ppg), while his 994 minutes played were the most by a CSU freshman in a season in program history.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
•    Eighth-seeded Cleveland State (9-19, 6-12) begins play League tournament with a first round game vs. No. 5 Northern Kentucky on Thursday, March 10, with the winner advancing to a second sound game on Friday, March 11.
•    Under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad the Vikings are 11-10 in Horizon League Tournament play, and have captured two Horizon League Tournament titles (2008 & 2010).
•    The Vikings split their final roadswing season, falling at Wright State (81-64) and defeating Northern Kentucky (64-62) with an Ashanti Abshaw game-winning buzzer beater. CSU has won four of its last five games.

MEN’S & WOMEN’S FENCING
•    A total of nine Vikings will compete at the NCAA Regionals on Saturday (March 12) in Columbus, Ohio.
•    Qualifying on the men’s side are Alex Hoirup and Adam Mack in the foil, Paul Duchow, Logan Shoemaker and Griffin Winterman in the epee and Matt Gebbett in the saber.
•    Sarah Mok and Caitlin Thompson qualified in the women’s foil and will be joined by Simiola Babayode (epee).

MEN’S GOLF
•    CSU returns to action at the Villanova Wildcat Invitational from March 28-29.
•    The Vikings finished as the runner-up at the Davidson Invitational last week as Joey Krecic placed third and Blake Prince finished eighth. CSU’s second round 299 was tied for the low round of the tournament.

WOMEN’S GOLF
•    CSU is out of action until the Butler Spring Invitational from March 21-22.
•    The Vikings finished 40th at the Kiawah Island Spring Classic last week.

SOFTBALL
•    CSU (4-9) returns to action for four games at the Oklahoma State Mizuno Classic this weekend (March 11-13).
•    The Vikings play Miami (Ohio) at 4:00 pm on Friday and will play Miami (Ohio) and Oklahoma State on Saturday at 1:00 pm and 3:30 pm. The tournament concludes with a game vs. Oklahoma State on Sunday at 1:00 pm.

MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING
•    Qualifiers for the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championship will be announced on Wednesday, March 9. Philip Sikatzki, Szymon Golczyk, and Tommi Wolst have all recorded NCAA “B” cuts, along with the 200 Medley Relay.

MEN’S TENNIS
•    The Vikings return to action with their annual Spring Break Trip this weekend, traveling to Florida for three matches. Cleveland State will face Army (March 12), UCF (March 13), and Florida Tech (March 15) throughout the trip.
•    CSU split a doubleheader against Western Michigan (L, 6-1) and Marietta (W, 7-0) on Saturday, improving to 9-5 on the season. Benjamin Slade went 2-0 in singles play on the weekend – extending his win streak to six straight matches – and now has a team-best 16-9 singles record this season.

WOMEN’S TENNIS
•    After a week off from competition, the Vikings will return to action on Wednesday, March 9. With the warmer weather slated for this week, the match will take place at the Akron Outdoor Tennis Facility at 3:00 p.m.
•    The Vikings enter Wednesday’s contest with a 3-5 record on the season, and have been led by freshman Isabella Spindler (5-3 singles record) and sophomore Aleksandra Golawska (4-4) this spring.

WRESTLING
•    The Vikings had six placewinners at the EWL Championship on Saturday, including heavyweight champion Riley Shaw and 174-pounder Gabe Stark and 197-pounder Sam Wheeler who both finished as runner-ups.
•    Shaw qualified for the NCAA Championship for the third time in his career, while Wheeler will be making his second apperance at nationals. The Championship runs from March 17-19 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
•    Evan Cheek (133) and Xavier Dye (184) finished third at EWL’s, while Mike Carlone placed fourth at 141 pounds.

VIKING OF THE WEEK

Riley Shaw, Wrestling, Senior, Washington, Ohio

Shaw captured his second straight EWL heavyweight title over the weekend at the EWL Championship, earning a berth at the NCAA Championship for the third time in his career. Shaw had a 4-0 decision and a pin to advance to the finals where he won a 5-4 tiebreaker to claim the EWL title. He moved to 28-6 this year and also won his 100th career match with his win the finals.

OTHER TOP PERFORMERS

Ashanti Abshaw: The women’s basketball freshman had 32 points and 14 rebounds and hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer to lead CSU past Northern Kentucky.

Sarah Mok: The women’s fencing sophomore was named to the All-Midwest Fencing second team in the foil after qualifying for the NCAA Regionals.

Sam Wheeler: The senior wrestler qualified for the NCAA Championships for the second time in his career after a runner-up finish at 197 pounds at the EWL Championship.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9
Women’s Tennis at Akron, 3:00 pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 10
Women’s Basketball vs. Northern Kentucky, 3:30 pm
Horizon League Championship 1st Round

FRIDAY, MARCH 11
Softball vs. Miami (OH), 4:00 pm (at Oklahoma St.)
Women’s Basketball at HL Second Round, 6:00 pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 12
Men’s Tennis vs. Army, 10:00 am (at Orlando, Fla.)
Softball vs. Miami (OH),1:00 pm (at Oklahoma St.)
Women’s Basketball at HL Semifinals, 4:00 pm
Softball at Oklahoma State, 3:30 pm
Fencing at NCAA Regionals, All Day

SUNDAY, MARCH 13
Men’s Tennis vs. UCF, 10:00 am (at Orlando, Fla.)
Softball at Oklahoma State, 1:00 pm
Women’s Basketball at HL Championship, 1:00 pm