The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543845
APRIL 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 13 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Sergio Lemley is 149-pound wrestler who is redshirting this year. He qualified for the NCAA Championships at 141 in each of the previous two seasons. The Mount Carmel (Ill.) High product captured three Illinois state titles, winning at 132 (2023), 126 (2022) and 113 (2020) pounds, and also col- lected an Indiana state championship with Chesterton High at 120 pounds in 2021. Here are some things about Lemley you may not have known: Best Aspect Of Being From Chesterton, Ind.: "Grow- ing up, there isn't a ton to do, and that allowed me to be able to appreciate new experiences better, especially here at Michigan." Favorite Restaurant In Ann Arbor: "My go-to is Rice- wood. I think it was ranked in the top-50 barbecue spots outside of Texas in the U.S." Best Meal He Can Cook By Himself: "Rice, soy sauce and a nice sirloin steak and some eggs." Favorite Professional Athlete: "I really liked Conor McGregor. He's a beast. He was more than just a UFC fighter; he was so valuable to the franchise. He basically built the franchise. Having that personality outside of the octagon and talking s--- and backing it up is definitely something that I admired." Favorite Movie: "'The Wolf of Wall Street.'" Favorite TV Show: "'The Sopranos.'" Why He Chose Michigan: "The best combination of athletics and academics that you can get, especially in the Big Ten." What He Hopes To Do After Michigan: "Right now, I'm in communications. For right now, I don't plan on wres- tling after college, but then again, you never know. One day, one year at a time. One thing I do want to tackle after college, at some point, is own my own type of business. I'm really into tech, and the tech space is exploding right now. I think there's a lot of opportunity in that. So, after college I would like to hop on that." Favorite Memory At Michigan: "The football team winning the national championship my freshman year. Pretty special." Overall Experience At Michigan: "I've had a lot of growth since I first got here. I'm wrapping up my third year, and I've grown in ways that I didn't think I would be able to grow, especially outside of wrestling, getting to know a va- riety of different people you could never even imagine were possible, especially living in Chesterton, Ind. Just experienc- ing new people and new things, really, opened my horizon and is taking me places where I never thought I'd be." — Clayton Sayfie ❱ Getting To Know Wrestling Junior Sergio Lemley Using 2025-26 as a redshirt season for personal growth, Lemley bumped up a weight class to 149 and has posted a 22-1 record while competing unattached to Michigan in open tournament settings. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY