I think it is paramount, in order to be successful in college wrestling, to have a solid support system behind you. I believe I truly do and that backbone can take you a long way. It starts with my family and my girlfriend. My family has been behind me the whole way and are tremendous in all they’ve done for me the past fifteen plus years in wrestling. In order to date a wrestler, your girlfriend has to be super understanding and supportive, and Sarah is both of these. My family and Sarah are my number one fans.
I think at Michigan I have great teammates and coaches that really want me to succeed. Kellen Russell is my roommate and we feed so well off each other – I want to see him do well and he wants to see me thrive. Same goes for all my other teammates. Plus, our whole coaching staff, including the Churella’s have been great throughout. One person who has been there the whole way since I got to Michigan has been Coach Kulczycki. I think he is the first person at UM who believed I could be successful at the college level, maybe before even I did. There have been so many great influences here, but Coach K has been my most consistent. Come March at NCAA’s he will be the first person I hug when I walk off the mat.
I believe more than ever once you get deep into wrestling you win not only for yourself, but for your whole support system – family, girlfriend, teammates, training partners, coaches. etc. I remember my true freshman year when Nick Roy became an All-American, I was so ecstatic. I had worked out and hung out a lot with him down the stretch and I felt like I was part of his victory. It is stuff like that, that makes wrestling so special. You might be out there by yourself, but you are really not.
The journey has been great! We would not have had it any other way. The thrills have made us all grow together as a family and friends. Bring it home in “11.
You da man! Love ya!