As a high school wrestler, Mike Maguire started at the bottom. He put in the time and effort to become a state champion and hold the best win-loss record in Clarkston’s history. Maguire, with a state championship at 119 pounds and a 58-3 record behind him, is embarking on his collegiate career.
Maguire joined Derek DelPorto’s team at Eastern Michigan University, where he has been practicing three days a week. In true Maguire fashion, he has been running and weight training on his own outside of the team.
‘After states I just sat around for a couple weeks and I was putting on the pounds quick. I thought I’d rather start now than play catch up later,? Maguire said.
‘I can stay consistent now and won’t have to worry about it later on at all.?
The current regiment qualifies as ‘taking it easy? by Maguire’s standards, but should leave him ready to pounce during the season.
‘I didn’t want to do a tournament and then college comes around and you get all burned out. I thought I would just take it easy until practice starts,? he said.
As to be expected, there is a learning curve that comes with the jump to collegiate level.
?(Coach DelPorto) told me yesterday, ‘If you make a shot, from high school, you have to make it six inches better. And if you want to lift someone, you have to lift them six inches higher.? It’s a big step from wrestling kids in high school. They have respect for you and it’s not like that at all in college,? Maguire said.
Maguire, 18, has been taken in by older members of the team who are helping show him the ropes. During practices, the team breaks into groups of four to wrestle.
‘I get my butt kicked, but that’s to be expected,? Maguire said.
Maguire’s noticed the independent nature of college wresting and a shift in intensity with the Eagles.
He is part of a 15-wrestler recruiting class, and one of 11 state champions, which was ranked 23rd in the nation by InterMat Wrestling, an amateur wrestling publication. DelPorto expects Maguire to be one of five true freshmen competing for a spot at 125 pounds.
‘He’s actually in a good spot. He’d rather be wrestling against another true freshman. It’s an advantage for him,? DelPorto said.
Maguire attended the National High School Seniors Wrestling Championships with two wrestlers and knows six of his new teammates from high school.
Going into his senior season at Clarkston, Maguire knew he wanted to wrestle in college, but he was unsure about what division level he would end up at. Landing with the Eagles in Division I was a surprise to him.
DelPorto sounded more confident of Maguire, whom he saw at the state championships at The Palace of Auburn Hills in March.
‘We knew about Mike all along, but I wanted to wait until the state tournament. He did a great job and that’s why he’s with us,? DelPorto said. ‘He was almost a college-type wrestler right (then).?
Being coached by Joe DeGain at Clarkston was another factor in DelPorto’s search. DeGain, a four-time letter-winner at the University of Michigan, taught Maguire to wrestle more maturely.
‘Any time your high school coach is a former college wrestler, it’s going to give him that type of style,? DelPorto said. ‘We look for certain things…and Mike had all those things.?
Maguire plans to study business management at EMU, but for his first semester, he’ll only be doing pre-requisites.
‘I’m excited. I liked when they said the biggest class I’ll be in will have 32 people. It’s like a high school campus and their sports excel so much that they are in (Division) I. Everything is within walking distance and my class schedule fits really well with the rest of my schedule,? Maguire said.