,
| Eastern Michigan Eagles | |
| University | Eastern Michigan University |
|---|---|
| Conference | MAC |
| Location | Ypsilanti, MI |
| Head Coach | Derek Delporto (4th year) |
| Arena | Bowen Field House (Capacity: 5,400) |
| Nickname | Eagles |
| Colors | Green and White
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| Conference Tournament Championships | |
| 1996 | |
Eastern Michigan Eagles wrestling team is a men's athletic program at Eastern Michigan University. Based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, the Eastern Michigan Eagles compete in NCAA Division I and are a member of Mid-American Conference .
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Eastern Michigan adopted the sport of wrestling in 1956. The wrestling program was part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Conference, otherwise known as the NAIA, from 1957 through 1962. In 1963-1966, EMU wrestling switched conferences to the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). Since the exit of the PAC conference, EMU has been apart of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), starting in 1973. In 1996, Eastern won its first Mid-American conference Championship under MAC Coach of the Year Willie Gadson. Eastern put six wrestlers in the finals and placed 8 of 10.
Home meets are held in 5,400 seat Bowen Field House located on Eastern Michigan's campus in Ypsilanti, Michigan.[1] There are several home dual meets a year and an annual host of the EMU Open. The EMU open is the an annual event started in 1991 that host over 500 wrestlers and NCAA schools across all three divisions.[2]
The current head coach of the EMU wrestling team is Derek Delporto. Derek Delporto wrestled at the college level at Slippery Rock University where he posted a 116-38 career record in his four years, third-best record in school history.[3] He also captured All-American honors. Derek Delporto moved right into coaching when he began his career as an assistant coach at Slippery Rock from 1999 to 2000. He then moved to the University of Oklahoma where he picked up an assistant coaching job for two years. From there, he became Cornell University's assistant wrestling coach two years before becoming the head coach. After his first two years of head coach Delporto become the new head wrestling coach in 2006. [4]
There are currently two assistant coaches on the wrestling team at EMU. One of two, David Bolyard, was assigned to the assistant coaching position when Derek Delporto was appointed head coach. David Bolyard attended Central Michigan University in 2000 and graduated from CMU. David Bolyard was an All-American his junior year, a four-time national qualifier, receive All-American honors, and broke a school record by winning 21 straight matches. David Bolyard was awarded the Chick Sherwood Award, which was presented to CMU's most valuable wrestler. David Bolyard ranked seventh all-time with 109 career wins and is tied for 10th with 22 falls in CMU history. David Bolyard was a 3x runner-up and a 2005 MAC champion at 165lbs.[5]
The second assistant coach, Joe Pflug, joined EMU in 2009. Joe Pflug graduated from Heidelberg University in 2009. Pflug is a 2x Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), 2x NCAA Division 3 All-American, a 2006 NCAA Division 3 National Champion, and a 3rd place finisher in 2007. Joe Pflug recorded a 60-5 career record and is currently tied for 16th with 29 single-season wins at Heidelberg University.[6]
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NAIA[7]
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NCAA Division II[8]
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NCAA Division I [9]
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1972-1990[10]
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1991-Current[11]
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