The USM wrestling team entered the 2008-2009 with justifiably high expectations.
Out of 95 NCAA school offering NCAA Division III in the country, USM boasted an incoming recruiting class ranking within the top-five.
The incoming class, coupled with a core of standout returning wrestlers including five NCAA All New England Athletes, three NCAA New England Finalists, and three NCAA New England Champion/NCAA National Qualifiers formed a team with historically good potential.
Head Coach Joe Pistone is well aware of this year’s potential for both the success of team as a whole, as well as the success of some standout individual players.
“This wrestling team in particular has a very special place in the USM wrestling history as this is the most talented team that the program has seen,” Pistone said.
Several men on the team are enjoying particularly successful individual performances thus far.
Junior Doug Christensen (Middletown, NY), an All New England wrestler last year, has put together a solid season to date with the majority of his matches coming in the 149-pound weight class.
Recently, Christensen, dropped to the 141-pound class in hopes of capturing the 2008 New England Championship at the lower weight.
Along with Christensen, senior Mike Dumas (Kennebunk) has had an outstanding season so far.
Dumas has tallied 23 wins this season, an impressive number in itself, but 19 of those 23 wins have come by way of pinning his opponent. He is the NCAA national leader in this category, spanning all divisions, a title no Husky wrestler has held before.
Senior Mark Moyer (Somerville, NJ) continues his solid contributions to this talented team, building on his two previous All New England seasons. Moyer will contend for the New England Championship in his weight class hoping to then advance to the NCAA National Championships in his final semester at USM.
Standout senior captain Stephen Valastro (Montgomery, NY) is on track to gain his second New England Championship title. He sits at 19-2 on the season and has won both the Roger Williams and Oneota State Invitational. On his way to winning the Oneota event, Valastro triumphed over Luke Baum, who was number three nationally at the time.
Heading the deeply talented team through both performance and leadership this season has been junior captain Mike Morin (Fryeburg).
Morin is on track to have what could be the best season of any USM wrestler to date. Coming off a 2008 New England Championship and NCAA National qualification, Morin boasts a perfect 32-0 record for the season. He is currently ranked fifth nationally in the 165lbs class and has won all four invitationals he has competed in.
Morin stands a good chance at not only repeating as the New England Champion, but also succeeding in capturing the first-ever National Championship for the school: a goal he doesn’t shy from stating.
“With the season winding down my end goal is to go into New Englands undefeated, win that tournament to get to nationals, and then become a National Champ and All-American. Last season I made it to nationals, but came up short going 0-2.”
His perfect record so far this year suggests he is fully focused and determined to reach his goal. While some might let the pressure of continued perfection become a mental burden, Morin uses it in his favor.
“I think this year I’m having a good year because I’m just getting older and gaining more experience each year. For me its real mental and I think just having more confidence is helping me get through some of my tougher matches. I think if anything it gives me a little more confidence to know that I haven’t been beaten this year and hopefully I can continue that way.”
On top of Morin’s exceptional individual performance in contest, Pistone praises him for his contributions to the team as leader.
“He has been the rock of the program this entire year. His athletic accomplishments are in direct correlation with how he carries himself in the community, his habits in the classroom, and the way he leads this team. His successes in those capacities have been very instrumental and influencial to the younger members of the USM wrestling program. If it wasn’t for Mike, some of our younger Huskies wouldn’t have seen the success they have seen as Mike has consistently acted as a mentor for these gentleman.”
In return Morin credits his coach and teammates for his success.
“Wrestling is individual but I think my team mates and coaches play a big part in my success. The big thing is having great practice partners that help me get better everyday.”
With a match left to go for the team, a best-ever second-place finish in the NCAA Pilgrim League standings (a sub league of the New England Wrestling Association) is within reach.
From there the Huskies will send their top ten wrestlers to the New England Championships where each will have a shot to advance on to the NCAA National Tournament in Iowa, where Morin and company will look to make history for the university.