U-M's Kellen Russell (College) & Taylor Massa (H.S.) MI Athletes of the Year

16 posts / 0 new
Login or register to post comments
Last post
May 17th, 2012 at 12:33 PM
#1
Everyone Murders
Everyone Murders's picture
Joined: 12/14/2010
MGoPoints: 574
U-M's Kellen Russell (College) & Taylor Massa (H.S.) MI Athletes of the Year

The Detroit Athletic Club named two-time NCAA wrestling champion Kellen Russell its Michigan Collegiate Men's Athlete of the Year.  Given the competition of Denard Robinson, Draymond Green (I feel dirty writing that, but give the devil his due), Trey Burke, etc., it is quite an honor.  And well-deserved:  4-time B1G champion, 33-1 this season, and .918 overall win percentage.  He's only the second Wolverine to achieve the [ed. men's] honor in the 16 year history of the award (swimmer Davis Tarwater won in 2006) [ed. which was expanded to include collegiate athletes in 2006 - see HopeInHoke's comment below for a nice table, etc.].

In the H.S. division, rising freshman wrestler Taylor Massa won the award.  Taylor's from St. Johns, MI and attends St. Johns H.S..  This rising Wolverine will bring a 231-0 H.S. record with him, along with various other awards - the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award among them.  This young man is legit, and we look forward to seeing him represent U-M over the next four years.

Congratulations to Kellen and Taylor, and Go Blue!  Links below. 

       

Kellen Russell                                Taylor Massa

http://msay.thedac.com/

http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/051612aaa.html

  • "Of course I care about that stuff.  To the point of irrationality.  It will always be Michigan first, cancer second."  Jim Mandich (RIP)
Top
Tags:

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
May 17th, 2012 at 12:38 PM | His second straight national championship... (Score:3 Normal)
MGoShoe
MGoShoe's picture
Joined: 04/23/2009
MGoPoints: 19323

...likely gave Russell a (single) leg up on his competition.

Massa sure looks like one to watch in the coming years.

LSA '89 - MBB Natl Champions, Big 10/Rose Bowl Champions | @MGoShoe

May 17th, 2012 at 12:44 PM | Great story. (Score:0 Redundant)
May 17th, 2012 at 12:49 PM | Many people underestimate how (Score:3 Normal)
jcorqian
jcorqian's picture
Joined: 10/18/2010
MGoPoints: 178

Many people underestimate how tough wrestling is since its not really a spotlight sport, but it probably takes way more hard work and determination than football or basketball. It's essentially a solo sport going against some of the toughest and most athletic people. This is totally deserved; Kellen Russell is a fantastic representative of Michigan.

May 17th, 2012 at 1:37 PM | I object (Score:1 Trolling)
restive neb
restive neb's picture
Joined: 04/06/2009
MGoPoints: 535

"...it probably takes way more hard work and determination than football or basketball"?

How do you figure?  I think that the level of "hard work and determination" is more variable by individual than it is by sport.  In every sport, there is a spectrum of both talent and effort.  The extraordinary participants possess both, regardless of sport.  I would find it hard to believe that wrestlers are inherently more dedicated to their sport, thereby possessing more determination, and putting in more effort, than do participants of other sports.  I've heard many arguments for which sport is the best, but "we try harder than you" is a new one for me.

May 17th, 2012 at 2:05 PM | to piggyback (Score:1)
TheTruth41
TheTruth41's picture
Joined: 10/07/2010
MGoPoints: 306

Team sports as well take a team so you not only have to be dedicated and put the time in yourself but also have the additional dimension of creating the same with your teammates. I realize wrestling is overall a team sport but is possible to win a championship by yourself. Extremely tough for a stud 5* qb to snap himself the ball, block all the defenders, throw the ball, then go run downfield and catch your own pass. it takes a team effort and the chemistry you have to have is another dimension that isn't as critical in individual (team) sports.

Perfect example being the 03-04 pistons. no superstars but their ability to play like one took them to the top. it's extremely tough to replicate...just look at seasons since, but when you have it its extremely tough to stop.

May 17th, 2012 at 2:39 PM | I have to defend the poster. (Score:3 Insightful)
UMdad
UMdad's picture
Joined: 05/14/2009
MGoPoints: 1973

I have to defend the poster. there are no lazy, out of shape wrestlers getting by on talent alone. the amount of time and energy spent training for wrestling is unmatched in college or H.S. athletics.

May 17th, 2012 at 2:56 PM | I still think it's a simplistic argument (Score:2 Normal)
restive neb
restive neb's picture
Joined: 04/06/2009
MGoPoints: 535

There are so many different elements that go into being successful in any sport, and so many different types of skill that are important, even across different positions within the same sport.  To say that wrestlers are the most dedicated and the hardest workers is silly.  Have you compared time spent studying film?  Does that count toward "dedication and hard work?"  Division 1 athletics is hard work.  To say that one sport's athletes' efforts are "unmatched" is nonsense, and is likely to be rooted in bias toward a specific sport, or a specific type of effort.  Wrestlers are likely, on average, in better shape than athletes in football, due to specialization, but that doesn't mean they are more dedicated or harder workers necessarily.

May 17th, 2012 at 3:09 PM | Well, evidently I hit a (Score:2 Insightful)
jcorqian
jcorqian's picture
Joined: 10/18/2010
MGoPoints: 178

Well, evidently I hit a nerve.  I apologize; I have a very healthy respect for wrestling being from the state of Iowa.

Let me rephrase my statement: to wrestle at the championship level, the individual athlete must make more sacrifices (e.g. put up with more pain/physical endurance) than an individual athlete who plays football on a championship team.

You are all correct in saying "hard work" and "dedication" is somewhat subjective and very individualized.  However, I stand by my above statement saying wrestlers must endure more physical hardship to win a championship than football players.

I doubt many of the posters who responded have been close to wrestling.  It is a truly grueling sport.

May 17th, 2012 at 3:52 PM | Comparing Football to Wrestling (Score:3 Normal)
Everyone Murders
Everyone Murders's picture
Joined: 12/14/2010
MGoPoints: 574

I don't know who makes more sacrifices or suffers more hardship - that seems really tough to quantify, especially when you take into account relative time in the weight room, practice sessions, etc.  I think athletes in both sports get pushed to their limits.   Both require discipline, dedication, talent, and smarts.  And I suppose there's a reason a lot of athletes excel at both sports, since the personal qualities it takes to succeed in each sport overlap quite a bit.  (Consider Reilly Reiff a prime example of this.  Stud wrestler and stud lineman.)  I don't know that one sport requires "more sacrifice" or "more hardship" than the other.  They are both tough sports in which to excel.  It might be best to leave it at that.

But I agree with jcorqian 100% that wrestling is much more grueling than most people realize.  Training sessions are absolutely exhausting (physically and mentally).  Making weight can be brutal (and at times unhealthy).  And the matches are wonderfully intense.

The thing I love about wrestling is that it is a no b.s. environment.  If you win it's because you won, and if you lose it's because you got beaten.  There's no teammate to share the blame.  And results almost always reflect actual performance, rather than an official's error. 

As far as it being a "team" sport, there are elements of teamwork that non-wrestlers don't always appreciate - a good wrestler helps his teammates in practice, helps spot tendencies in opponents, and does other things to contribute to the team's success.  That stated, the team aspect of wrestling is nowhere near the team ethos that football, basketball, hockey, and soccer.  Again, making these two sports difficult to compare with respect to who works the hardest to excel.

  • "Of course I care about that stuff.  To the point of irrationality.  It will always be Michigan first, cancer second."  Jim Mandich (RIP)
May 17th, 2012 at 7:21 PM | As someone (Score:2)
MichFan1997
MichFan1997's picture
Joined: 08/04/2008
MGoPoints: 6244

who has done pretty much all these sports and some point in time, none of them are as tough as wrestling. Not even close. 

Follow me on Twitter @gfraley05

May 18th, 2012 at 10:52 AM | I'll just leave it at (Score:1)
jcorqian
jcorqian's picture
Joined: 10/18/2010
MGoPoints: 178

I'll just leave it at this: 

An objective person who has played or been around both sports would say that a college football practice is nowhere near as physically demanding as a wrestling practice.

Again, I'm only talking about it from a physical/exhaustion perspective, which is what I see as toughness.  Of course there is time spent in the film room and memorizing plays, but that doesn't really take "toughness."  It's not like wrestlers don't study either.

I'm a ridiculous Michigan football fan first and foremost, but I really like to see the wrestlers get their due.  It always seems those kids are working their asses off and they rarely get the recognition for it.

May 17th, 2012 at 1:08 PM | Also of note (Score:3 Informative)
Raoul
Raoul's picture
Joined: 09/29/2009
MGoPoints: 5515

Madison Ristovski, incoming women's basketball freshman, was one of the six female finalists for the high school award.

Twitter: @Raoul_000

May 17th, 2012 at 1:29 PM | All College Winners (Score:5 Informative)
HopeInHoke
HopeInHoke's picture
Joined: 04/24/2012
MGoPoints: 124



Year Name School Sport
2006 Davis Tarwater Michigan Swimming
  Lisa Winkle  Calvin College Track and Field
2007 Drew Stanton Michigan State  Football
  Becky Weima Calvin College Swimming
2008 Jeff Lerg Michigan State  Hockey
  Tiffany Ofili Michigan Track and Field
2009 Tim Hiller Western Michigan Football
  Katie Cezat Hillsdale College Basketball
2010 Dan LeFevour Central Michigan Football
  Alyssa DeHaan Michigan State  Basketball
2011 Brandon Eckerle Michigan State  Baseball
  Lexi Zimmerman Michigan Volleyball
2012 Kellen Russell Michigan Wrestling
  Catherine Leix Wayne State Swimming
       
  School Number of Winners  
  Michigan 4 (2 men, 2 women)  
  Michigan State 4 (3 men, 1 women)  
  Calvin College 2 (2 women)  
  Western 1 (1 man)  
  Hillsdale 1 (1 woman)  
  Central 1 (1 man)  
  Wayne 1 (1 woman)  

 

May 17th, 2012 at 1:39 PM | Taylor is from my hometown.  (Score:2 Normal)
RONick
Joined: 02/04/2009
MGoPoints: 656

Taylor is from my hometown.  Kid is a tireless worker and an extremely technical wrestler.  He will be a great Wolverine.

May 17th, 2012 at 10:20 PM | Wrestling (Score:2)
yoyo
yoyo's picture
Joined: 02/11/2011
MGoPoints: 466

is the most difficult sport in my opinion.  As opposed to basketball and football, you can NEVER take off a play and let your teamates do a little more work because you're the only one in there.  Also, it takes every ounce of energy in your body to pin someone on their back.  It's hard to know unless you've played the sport.

Theme provided by Roopletheme; sidebars adapted from Chris Murphy.