The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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E BY ANDY REID ric Grajales was preparing to take on his newest spar- ring partner, but he already knew what to expect. "I've been beaten up in practice before," he said, sheepishly smiling as a few teammates laughed from the corner of the team room. "So I knew what it was going to be like." It wasn't just another wrestler across the mat. It wasn't even an elite scholarship athlete, like the ones Gra- jales regularly sees at practice. On this particular day, Grajales was sparring with a potential Olympian. In the last year, the Michigan wrestling program has undergone significant changes, hiring two new assistant coaches, Sean Bormet and Donny Pritzlaff, who are both consid- ered to be among the best instructors ence here at Michigan, being able to wrestle with those guys all the time. It's awesome that you always have people there to push you and beat you. Sometimes, it takes getting beat up a little bit to make you better, and that's what they'll do." The opportunity to train with some of the best athletes in the country has had immeasurable impact on the cur- rent roster. "If you look at all the best pro- grams in the country, they have some sort of senior-level training involved. I think it's a big part," Michigan coach Joe McFarland said. "Wrestling is a very hands-on sport, and to have your guys be able to train with these elite-level athletes is a great thing for our guys. Just to be around them, to listen to them, to watch them, to train with them, it's just a great thing." country, have combined to spark an already successful program. "It feels like our entire program is changing," Grajales said. "We've al- ways wanted to win, but we're start- ing to see a little more success, and people are getting excited about that. People want to win, and we're doing whatever it takes to get there. "The new coaches really give off the expectation of winning. Every day we're trying to win every situ- ation, win everything. It's rubbing off on everyone, and it's great for the program." Bormet and Pritzlaff, along with new volunteer assistant Kyle Massey, have brought a more aggressive mindset to training and preparation. "Obviously, when you bring three new coaches in, there's going to be a change in the environment," McFar- With A Revamped Staff And Olympic-Hopeful Sparring Partners, U-M Storms Into 2011-12 NEW ENERGY in the country. The Wolverines have also bolstered the Cliff Keen Wres- tling Club inviting international-level wrestlers to join its ranks. Wrestlers like Jimmy Kennedy (145.5 pounds), who was a three-time All-American at Illinois and placed second at the 2010 Freestyle Uni- versity World Team Trials, and Jake Herbert (185 pounds), who was a member of the U.S. team at the World Championships in 2009 and 2010, fill the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club roster. When they're not traveling across the world to compete amongst inter- national champions, the Cliff Keen wrestlers live, train and practice in Ann Arbor — alongside the Michi- gan team. Two or three times a week, Grajales and his teammates square off against the elite talent — and usually lose, badly. "It's phenomenal," said Grajales, a redshirt sophomore 149-pounder. "We really have a unique experi- Redshirt sophomore Eric Grajales captured the 149-pound title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 2-3 by topping Air Force's Cole Von Ohlen in the championship match. PHOTO BY TONY ROTUNDO/U-M SPORTS INFORMATION But more than that, the attention that the Cliff Keen club and the new staff have received within the wres- tling community has helped Michi- gan in the recruiting department, too. Taylor Massa, from St. Johns, Mich., is ranked as the No. 1 overall senior in the country and the top wrestler nationally in the 170-pound division by Intermat. He's already signed on to join the Wolverines next season. His high school teammate, Ben Whit- ford, who is rated as the second–best junior in the country and the No. 2 145-pounder nationally, is verbally committed to the Wolverines. "If you're a top recruit in the coun- try, that's something you're looking for," McFarland said. "You want to go somewhere that has that piece in place, where these guys can train with the best. If they have aspirations to been an NCAA, World, Olympic champion, we have those pieces in place no here at Michigan." The new staff, the addition of the Cliff Keen group and the 2009 open- ing of the Bahna Wrestling Center, the Wolverines' 18,000-square-foot training facility that rivals the best collegiate wrestling buildings in the land said. "It's more intense, which I think is good. It's been more positive, and expectations are high." And wrestlers are already starting to see dividends. At this year's Cliff Keen Las Ve- gas Invitational, Grajales won his first college tournament, beating Air Force's Cole Van Ohlen, 9-1, in the 149-pound finals. He finished the tournament with a 4-0 mark, boasts a 9-2 record on the year and is ranked No. 4 in the nation in his weight class by Intermat. "I see a lot of changes in myself," Grajales said. "Winning the tourna- ment was big for me. But it wasn't about winning the tournament — it was about winning every position, every match. It comes back to what we work on every day. It's the little things." Fifth-year senior Justin Zeerip, ranked No. 6 in the 174-pound divi- sion, has also seen major improve- ments this year. Zeerip has raced out to an 11-1 re- cord this season, the lone defeat a 6-5 loss in the third period of the Cliff Keen Invitational final to Cal Poly's Ryan DesRoches. JANUARY 2012 THE WOLVERINE 57