The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 13 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS ❱ Getting To Know Wrestling Freshman Beau Mantanona One of the foundations for the future, Beau Mantanona is redshirting for Michigan this season, but he has shined in limited action. Redshirts are able to compete in five varsity competitions, and Mantanona has taken advantage in gain- ing valuable experience at 165 pounds. He has posted a 15-6 record, the majority of his matches coming as an unat- tached wrestler in open tourna- ments, with five of his six losses coming against top-10 oppo- nents. Mantanona registered a prep career record of 125-5. His younger brother, Brock, signed a national letter of intent with Michigan in November and will join him in Ann Arbor next season. Here are some things about Mantanona that you might not have known: Best Aspect Of Being From Bermuda Dunes, Calif: "The weather and the different activities that I'm able to do out there. The weather is always per- fect, and I'm always able to spend a lot of time outside." Favorite Restaurant In Ann Arbor: "Stray Hen Cafe." Best Meal He Can Cook By Himself: "I don't think I have very good cook- ing skills." Favorite Professional Athlete: "My older brothers, Anthony and Troy. They wrestled in college at Oklahoma, and both are my idols, the people I looked up to." Sport He Enjoys Playing Besides Wrestling: "Definitely football. I played it for a couple of years when I was younger, and that was a sport I really enjoyed. I watch college and the NFL, and play some flag football in my free time." Favorite TV show: "Sons of Anarchy." Favorite Movie: "Stand by Me." Why He Chose Michigan: "A lot of it was just the balance of a great wrestling team and also the great academics. And the people. When I visited, I bonded with the people and the coaches, everyone … I felt like it was the best fit." What He Hopes To Do After Michigan: "I don't know for sure, but a career I've always wanted since I was a little kid is to be a WWE wrestler." Favorite Memory At Michigan: "Just traveling with the team. Those are really fun trips. We went to Vegas this year, and that was a really fun trip that I enjoyed." What He Hopes To Get Out Of His Experience At Michigan: "Just trying to be the best team and the best wrestler I can possibly be. I know that, at my best, I can be a national champion. And then with the team that we've got, the people we've got and the people we've got coming in, I think we can get a national cham- pionship team, too. If I can accomplish both of those, that would be awesome." — Clayton Sayfie Freshman Beau Mantanona is redshirting this sea- son, but entered U-M as the No. 23 overall wrestler and No. 2 152-pounder in the country, according to FloWrestling. PHOTO COURTESY U-M ATHLETICS During his time at Michigan, he had 54 catches for 565 yards and 2 touchdowns. ROBY KAISER BEQUEST TO FUND SEVEN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS U-M Athletics announced on Feb. 19 that it received a $10.8 million bequest from the estate of Robert H. "Roby" Kaiser, which will fund seven student- athlete-endowed scholarships among the baseball, football, men's hockey, men's and women's basketball, softball and volleyball programs. According to Michigan, "bequests, which fall under the umbrella of planned giving, support the future of Michigan Athletics and, like endowments, have a lasting impact on the athletic depart- ment's ability to remain self-funded." "We are incredibly grateful for Roby's passion for Michigan Athletics, and the breadth of his generosity which will im- pact so many of our student-athletes for years to come," athletics director Warde Manuel said in a statement on Feb. 19. "Our athletic teams that repre- sent this university were an important part of Roby's life, and for him to rec- ognize that in this way is truly inspir- ing. His generosity makes an incredible difference in our ability to support our student-athletes." Kaiser, a native of Adrian, Mich., and 1972 graduate of Michigan's College of Pharmacy, established a bequest for four sports in 2014 in football, men's and women's basketball and hockey. In 2016, he funded the softball version and added baseball and volleyball to the list in 2020 to be awarded after his passing. Kaiser died in December 2022 after suf- fering a brain hemorrhage. "We are so proud of Roby for what he has done and will continue to do for Michigan Athletics through his gen- erous endowed scholarship fund do- nations," Roby's eldest brother, Steve Kaiser, said in the release. "Roby, Tom, Kristine and I all put ourselves through college with our savings and student loans, so we know how beneficial these funds are. Roby would be pleased to know how grateful these student-ath- letes are for their endowed scholarships. He truly bled maize and blue!" — Anthony Broome