The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/230001
"We're going to see the team develop and take off a lot more from this point," said Yates, who wrestles in the 165-pound weight class. "Out there, you know you have to attack, but it's hard to overcome that fear about getting scored on off your attacks. "It's really nice to see the guys overcoming those mental challenges and start to lay it out there. The younger guys are already starting to develop that, which is very encouraging." At heavyweight, the Wolverines have true freshman Adam Coon, who hasn't missed a beat since his career at Fowlerville (Mich.) High School, where he went 212-3 overall, won four straight state titles and was ranked the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2013 class by InterMat.com. After winning the heavyweight title at the Cliff Keen Invitational, Coon jumped from No. 19 to No. 4 in InterMat.com's weight class national rankings (updated Dec. 17). Coon defeated then No. 3 Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State, an All-American two years ago before transferring and sitting out last season, and beat then-No. 5 J.T Felix of Boise State in the final, improving his season record to 13-0 with four falls. "The way he approaches his wrestling and everything else, he's a pretty serious guy," McFarland said. "He didn't take a back seat to anybody. He knows he can compete with and beat anybody. And that is the way he approaches every meet. "He's a quality kid. He's in the engineering school. He's just a high-character guy. He's been a great addition to our program, and he's going to be a great leader for us." At 197 pounds, redshirt junior Chris Heald is making inroads. He finished 4-3 to take eighth in his weight class at the Cliff Keen Invitational, improving his season record to 4-7. "Chris had a really nice weekend, and that was nice because he had lost a number of really close matches. It helped his confidence a lot," McFarland said. "He is a really good athlete and a great worker. He will pour everything he's got out there. To see him place was a really good sign." The Wolverines suffered a setback in the 184-pound division, when redshirt junior captain Max Huntley, then ranked 13th by Intermat, went down with an undisclosed injury in Las Vegas. Huntley's status was unknown heading into mid-December, but the Wolverines were giving another youngster a chance: Domenic Abounader, who won three consecutive Ohio state championships for St. Edward High School in Gates Mills, Ohio, recorded a 135-8 career record and was ranked the No. 1 182-pound prospect in the country by InterMat.com. After his first four collegiate matches, he remains unbeaten. "I'm excited about Domenic," McFarland said. "He is in the same category as the other young guys. He's a tough kid. I am really looking forward to watching him compete." At 174 pounds, the Wolverines are still searching for a clear-cut No. 1 starter, but redshirt sophomore Ben Ralston (4-4) appeared to be distancing himself from sophomore Jordan Thomas and freshman Ernest Battaglia.