The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 65 BY BOB MILLER T he decision to have four top indi- viduals — graduate student Ste- van Micic, fifth-year seniors Myles Amine and Logan Massa, and red- shirt junior Kanen Storr — take Olym- pic redshirts certainly complicates this season for Michigan head coach Sean Bormet. However, taking advantage of these types of opportunities is part of the program's philosophy. "During the recruiting process, we look for kids who have aspirations to win Olympic gold medals," Bormet said. "It's the pinnacle of our sport. Winning an NCAA championship is also part of that, but the Olympics only come around every four years. "We're committed to our athletes and the preparation it takes to have your best chance to succeed." Michigan will be without Micic and Amine, both three-time All- Americans at 133 and 174 pounds, respectively; Massa, an All-American as a redshirt freshman at 165 pounds; and Storr, who posted a 26-8 record at 141 pounds last season. "It's challenging," Bormet admit- ted, "but we have a group of young guys that are very talented and have been working very hard. It's going to give a lot of them an opportunity to shine. I think they'll be ready to embrace the challenges." That group includes redshirt fresh- man Will Lewan at 157 pounds (he beat teammate Alec Pantaleo, who placed third at the NCAA Champion- ships last year, 10-8 in overtime to win the Michigan State Open last fall); red- shirt sophomore Ben Freeman, a four- time undefeated Michigan state champ and former top-50 overall recruit, at 141; and redshirt sophomore Jelani Embree, another blue-chip recruit who returns after going 13-7 overall and 7-1 in duals last season at 184. Big Ten Predicted Finish: Top four with powerhouses Iowa, Penn State and Ohio State — who might be the best three teams in the country. Coach's Expectations: "I've told everyone else on the team that they have to be ready to wrestle this year," Bormet said. "You may start out red- shirting, but you may get pulled out of redshirt. You may be No. 2 on the ros- ter, but at any given time, you've got to be ready to be put in the lineup and go. "Everyone on this roster is on no- tice that they need to be training at their best." Top Wrestler: Sophomore heavy- weight Mason Parris lost in the match to be an All-American as a true fresh- man last season and then won a Junior World Championship this summer. Wrestler To Watch: Redshirt senior Austin Assad won the Cleveland State Open at 125 pounds last year and will try to make the lineup at that weight with last season's starter, Drew Mat- tin, moving up to 133 pounds. "He looks really good this fall and has been really impressive in the pre- season," Bormet noted. Must See Event: Iowa, ranked as the best dual team in the country this preseason by WrestleStat.com, visits Ann Arbor Feb. 8. ❑ OLYMPIC SPORTS UPDATE Wrestling Team Will Be Without Four Olympic Redshirts Second-year head coach Sean Bormet led the Wolverines to a fifth-place finish at last year's NCAA Championships. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Men's Cross Country National Ranking: No. 17 in Oct. 21 coaches' poll Best Performance — Tied for second place at the Big Ten Preview Sept. 28: Redshirt juniors Jacob Branch (third) and Jacob Lee (fourth) both finished among the top five in the eight-kilometer race at the Ohio State Golf Course, which will host the conference championships in November. Only Penn State finished better than the Wolverines. MVP: Redshirt Junior Devin Meyrer finished 21st at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational Oct. 4, pacing the Wolverines to a seventh-place team showing. He was also the top fin- isher at the prestigious Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitation Oct. 18, placing 36th. Women's Cross Country National Ranking: No. 8 in Oct. 21 coaches' poll Best Performance — Fourth place at the Pre-National Invitational Oct. 19 — Though the Wolverines won the Big Ten Preview Sept. 28, placing fourth in a Pre-National field that included 37 squads and four of the top 10 was even more impressive. U-M's six top-50 finishers were the most of any school at the event that was hosted on the same course Updates On Olympic Sports In Progress