The 100th edition of Michigan's wrestling team was among its most successful with a powerful lineup that captured its first Big Ten championship in 49 years and equaled a program record with six NCAA All-Americans in finishing second at the NCAA Championships. 

The Wolverines went 12-1 against a loaded slate of duals opponents, including 7-1 against teams which appeared in the final NWCA Top 25 rankings. 

Much of that firepower is gone, however, as six departed starters combined for two NCAA championships, 15 All-American finishes and 25 NCAA tournament appearances during their careers. 

The good news is that all the departures did not entirely rob Michigan of talent and experience. Far from it. The roster still boasts three All-Americans — Will Lewan (157) Cam Amine (165) and Mason Parris (285) — and five other NCAA qualifiers. 

Coach Sean Bormet recently discussed the makeup of this year's squad on the Conqu'ring Heroes podcast, hosted by former Michigan All-American offensive lineman and NFL All-Pro Jon Jansen. 

"Team 101 has a good mix on the roster with a tough, experience nucleus and some very talented young guys fighting for time in the starting lineup," Bormet said. "I'm really excited to see how everything unfolds because the intensity and effort of the entire team has been tremendous during the entire preseason. These guys really want to win and, up and down the lineup, I feel really confident about where this team is at."

While more will be known following Thursday's team wrestle-offs, here is a look who will likely fill the six vacancies in the Wolverines' starting lineup. 

125 Pounds: The Wolverines have options here. Senior Jack Medley has started 33 dual matches during his time at Michigan and placed fourth at the Big Ten Championships in 2020. He owns a 51-30 career record and has wins over All-Americans Micheal DeAugustino (Northwestern), Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) and Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State). 

But Medley isn’t a sure thing to make the Michigan lineup. The Wolverines also have Kurt McHenry, a lightning-fast junior who arrived in Ann Arbor with a decorated resume. McHenry won two Cadet World titles, three Beast of the East championships and posted a 147-6 career record for St. Paul’s School in Maryland. He went 5-0 last year in open competition. 

141: Gone is three-time All-American, four-time NCAA qualifier, Tokyo Olympian and World bronze medalist Stevan Micic. He’ll likely be replaced by one of two juniors — either Cole Mattin or Pat Nolan. 

Mattin compiled a 10-6 record last year that included a fourth-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, where he pinned three-time NCAA qualifier Parker Filius of Purdue. 

Nolan wrestled in eight duals for the Wolverines last season, filling in at 141, 149 and 165 and posting a 6-8 overall record. 

149: Replacing three-time NCAA qualifier Kanen Storr is freshman Chance Lamer, a four-time Oregon state champion, who is ranked #22. Lamer redshirted his first year in Ann Arbor last season and finished 17-2 in open competition with eight bonus-point wins. Lamer's biggest win was a decision over two-time NCAA qualifier Marcus Robinson (Cleveland State), who is ranked #18 at 149.

174: Logan Massa, a three-time All-American and five-time NCAA qualifier, held down this spot last season. Enter sophomore Joseph Walker, an Indiana state champion. He went 14-4 in open competitions last season, including six bonus-point wins. Walker's most noteworthy win came against two-year Central Michigan starter Bret Fedewa, who finished with a 14-4 record last season. 

Senior Max Maylor could be another option for the Wolverines here. He went 10-4 last season. 

184: While there is no replacing five-time All-American, Big Ten champion and Olympic bronze medalist Myles Amine, the Wolverines have a significant transfer to fill this spot in Matt Finesilver, #13 in the latest rankings. 

A three-time NCAA qualifier while wrestling for Duke, Finesilver finished 29-9 last season, mostly at 174 pounds, reaching the Round of 16 at the NCAA Championships. 

His best wins came against four-time NCAA qualifier Hayden Hastings (Wyoming), who is ranked #14 at 174, three-time qualifier Michael O'Malley (#10 at 174), Oklahoma's Gerrit Nijenhuis (#17 at 165) and Cornell's Chris Foca (#21 at 174). 

Finesilver has also beaten All-Americans Marcus Coleman (Iowa State), ranked #5 at 184, and Daniel Bullard (North Carolina State). 

A Colorado state champion, Finesilver brings an 80-29 career record into this season. 

197: Junior Bobby Striggow, a Minnesota state champion, is tasked with filling the leadership and talent void left by the departure of four-time NCAA qualifier and 2019 All-American Patrick Brucki.

Striggow has a 17-22 career record, including 12-13 last season when he started whenever Brucki was out of the lineup. His best win to date has come against NCAA qualifier Garrett Hoffman (Indiana). 

Polling Data 

Despite having to replace so many quality starters, Michigan is still ranked fifth in the first National Wrestling Coaches Association Top 25. This is the third straight year the Wolverines have been ranked in the top five to begin the season, something only Penn State and Iowa can also claim.

It's likely a sign of how much faith the poll's voters have in the program's ability to reload. No team in the top 10 lost as many as starters. Iowa and Nebraska lost five, but all other top-10 teams lost no more than two. 

Big Day At The Big House

Oct. 15 was one memorable day for the Michigan wrestling program as members of the last season's team were recognized on the field at Michigan Stadium during the Wolverines' win over Penn State. Wrestlers and coaches received their Big Ten championship rings. Their conference title and NCAA runner-up trophies were hoisted into the air. NCAA champion Nick Suriano and Michigan's NCAA all-around gymnastics champion, Paul Juda, were recognized in a separate ceremony at halftime. 

"To revisit everything we accomplished last season (that day) was very special for our team," Bormet told Jansen. "Being recognized on the field at the Big House and seeing those guys beaming with pride and satisfaction after all the hard work they put in and all they accomplished was special."

Heisman Trophy winner, College Football and Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Woodson, there to mark the 25th anniversary of his Heisman and Michigan's 1997 National Championship team, mingled with the team on the field and posed for photos. 

And that's not all, as Bormet shared with Jansen.

"Charles Woodson comes over to congratulate us and shoots a double-leg on one of our guys," he said. "This goes on for about 10-15 seconds. Charles almost had him. It was a pretty good double-leg."

The excitement at Michigan Stadium was preceded by excitement at the team's annual football tailgate party. Many supporters and alumni of the program stopped by, perhaps none bigger than 23-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Michael Phelps. 

From 2004-08, Phelps attended classes at Michigan while training under then-Wolverines coach Bob Bowman. Phelps also served as a volunteer assistant coach during that time.

A Legend Returns

Two days after all the excitement at Michigan Stadium, it was announced that Michigan wrestling legend and 1984 Olympic Greco-Roman gold medalist Steve Fraser is joining the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club staff as the Chief of Donor and Alumni Relations.

“There is no one better qualified to serve in the role of Chief of Donor and Alumni Relations for the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club,” said CKWC president and three-time NCAA champion Mark Churella said in a news release. “Steve is a Michigan Man in the best possible way. He checks all the boxes. His success as an athlete, coach and philanthropic relationship skills are outstanding. Steve has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to the sport of wrestling, and we are very fortunate to have him put his talents to work for the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club.”

Fraser, a two-time NCAA All-American during his Michigan career (1977-80), became the first American wrestler to ever capture Greco-Roman Olympic gold when he won the 90kg title at the Los Angeles Games. 

Fraser also won a gold medal at the 1983 Pan American Games and was a member of the 1979 and 1982 U.S. world teams. Fraser was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor in 2006.

He spent 19 years as USA Wrestling’s National Greco-Roman Coach (1995-2014) and led Team USA to its only Greco-Roman team title in world championships history in 2007.

Fraser also served as USA Wrestling’s national coach at five Olympic Games — from the 1996 Atlanta Games to the 2012 London Games.

More Mat Time For Bormet?

In one of the lighter moments of Bormet's appearance on Jansen's podcast, both discussed how they wished they still had at least one more season of eligibility.

"I would put on the singlet again tomorrow if I could," said Bormet, a two-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion during his Michigan career (1991-94).

Jansen then asked Bormet about how much time he does spend on the mat during practices.

"I don't get on the mat as much as I would like to, but I'm hoping to do more of that this season," Bormet said. "A couple of cups of coffee before practice and I'll be good to go."

Televised Duals

Big Ten Network has announced its broadcast schedule for the coming season and three of Michigan's duals will be televised, starting with a Jan. 20 clash with defending national champion Penn State. 

The Wolverines' Jan. 27 home dual against Ohio State will also be broadcast along with a road dual against Iowa Feb. 10. 

BTN will also provide coverage of the Big Ten Conference Tournament March 4-5. Michigan hosts the tournament this season, a year after the NCAA Championships took place at Detroit's Little Caesars Arena.

"I can't tell you how many people I ran into this summer who told me going to the NCAA Championships was the first time they ever went to see college wrestling," Bormet told Jansen. "Consistently, the message was, 'That was the most exciting college athletic event ever, from start to finish.'"