Michael Chandler
11/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 29, 2004
The Missouri Wrestling Program has a knack for recruiting top in-state recruits and has done it again with the addition of freshman Michael Chandler. Chandler, who will compete in open tournaments in the 157 pound weight class is a native of High Ridge, Mo., and a graduate of Northwest High School. A redshirt this season, Chandler is eager to begin his career in the Black and Gold and has known for a long time that Missouri is where he wanted to spend his collegiate years.
"It's been a dream of mine to wrestle at Missouri since I started wrestling," Chandler said. "There are so many options academically, that I saw it as a perfect fit both academically and athletically." While Chandler is excited to begin his career he does realize there are quite a few differences between high school wrestling and collegiate wrestling, namely coming in the intensity.
"In high school it felt like you had all the glory, people knew who you were, now it's like you have to work really hard to prove yourself, which definitely makes it more intense, it increases tenfold in comparison," Chandler said.
The wrestling transition isn't the only change that Chandler will be making this season; the other change will be taking place off the mat--adjusting to college life. Chandler acknowledges that the biggest transition he has faced so far has been time management, but says that other issues are different too.
"Classes are a lot harder than they were in high school," Chandler said. "The classes are large and it's sometimes hard to know what to take notes on and since the classes are so large it's hard to make individual relationships."
Chandler is looking to use his redshirt season as one to improve those areas that he needs to improve, taking special interest to wrestle more top and bottom.
"The one area that I'm looking to improve on is wrestling both top and bottom," Chandler said. "We (Missouri) aren't a big riding state, so I didn't work much on this in high school. "I'm learning to do that here and it helps that coach (Smith) is putting a big emphasis on that."
As far as goals go Chandler mentions both some team goals, and some individual goals, that he has for himself this season.
"The team has goals of having the older guys stepping up and being All-Americans and for myself I want to use this year to develop physically and technically so I can contend for a starting spot in a few years."
Chandler has been hanging out with the upperclassmen, working with them on his escaping and riding techniques and will soon be ready to continue on his Black and Gold path, but for now he's content with just soaking up all the knowledge that the upperclassmen can provide because in Chandler's words, "they've been through it all and are extremely knowledgeable." -Jessica Poole
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