USM Wrestler Mike Morin Ranked First in Nation
November 20, 2009
Senior captain Mike Morin at the Roger Williams Invitational, held November 14 at Roger Williams College, Bristol, R.I.
USM wrestler Mike Morin of Fryeburg is picking up where he left off. Last year, he became USM’s first wrestling All-American, placing fourth in the NCAA Division III National Championships tournament and compiling an astounding 40-2 record in his 165-pound class.
This year, the latest Brute/adidas NCAA Division III individual rankings place the senior captain number one in the United States and has him favored to win this year’s NCAA Championship. Morin’s record currently stands at 4-0 after winning his weight division at the Roger Williams Invitational, held on Saturday, November 14 at Roger Williams College in Bristol, R.I.
And as his coach, Joe Pistone, points out, the business major is as successful in the classroom as he is on the mat. Morin was named to NCAA Division III Wrestling Coaches Association’s All-America Scholar Wrestling team last year, and earlier this month was named a USM William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete for maintaining a minimum 3.0 grade point average during the 2008-2009 academic year.
Balancing multiple responsibilities is a common trait among Morin and the team’s other two captains, junior Bill Cole, a criminology major from Madbury, N.H. and senior Doug Christensen, a general management major from Middletown, N.Y.
Cole, who is ranked fourth in the latest New England Wrestling Association individual rankings, is a three-year member of the Air National Guard and has two years under his belt as a volunteer DJ on the 1:30 to 4 a.m. shift for WMPG Radio at USM. Christensen, a two-time All-New England Wrestler earned Pilgrim League Scholar-Athlete honors earlier this year and also was named to the All-America Scholar Wrestling team and a USM William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete.
The University of Southern Maine (USM) offers its 10,000 plus students more than 115 areas of undergraduate and graduate study. USM’s location in southern Maine, a region cited as one of the most liveable in the country, offers a range of educational, cultural and recreational opportunities.
