Whitford

[HenDog 1]

Any truth to the rumor he is not going to be at Michigan this year? Thanks for any info.

[Guest Hammerlock3]

heard something similar (from a very unreliable [but real person] source)

[Brew 0]

I have heard he will not be at michigan.

[wreferee 8]

Unfortunately, his focus and tenacity on the mats does not carry over to the books/classroom sufficiently for this outstanding wrestler to qualify currently for participation at D1 level. The possibility does exist for a year away to prove academic qualifications adequate for transfer to a more elite level of collegiate competition, but even enrollment at junior college for the coming year seems questionable. While disappointing to all looking forward to seeing him in the Maize and Blue, Ben has eliminated that possibility from his future. All best to him, regardless.

[Pinnum 840]

Sounds like a good candidate for a post grad year at a prep school. Blair is the traditional choice for wrestlers but there are a lot of other options.

[LemonPie 1,368]

Sucks for Michigan, but just get him to the OTC. 145.5 seems like a great fit in the long run.

[Old_Marine_Wrestler 245]

Sucks for Michigan, but just get him to the OTC. 145.5 seems like a great fit in the long run.

Long run? There isn't going to be a 66kg weight in the near-term: #thanksFILA6weights

[fudge_tunnel 118]

but even enrollment at junior college for the coming year seems questionable.

 

Uhhhh...........yikes

[Billyhoyle 2,480]

but even enrollment at junior college for the coming year seems questionable.

 

I understand a recruit not being able to pass the enrollment requirements for UM, but are there even any requirements to get into a JC? How bad could this possibly be? Don't you get into Junior College as long as you graduate high school or get a GED?

[tec87 349]

I don't really like speculating on this kind of stuff and I have no inside knowledge whatsoever on Whitford's situation, but if this is true that he will not be going to Michigan this fall, one would have to think there is more to the story than grades. If this was just a grades issue, this story would have came out months ago and not a couple weeks before the fall semester starts.

[buck 65]

Well there's always Edinboro.

[TritonCollegeWrstlng 0]

Ben has multiple options that he is currently exploring. Not all of them are on the NCAA Division I level, but they certainly are not poor options either.

[Pinnum 840]

I don't really like speculating on this kind of stuff and I have no inside knowledge whatsoever on Whitford's situation, but if this is true that he will not be going to Michigan this fall, one would have to think there is more to the story than grades. If this was just a grades issue, this story would have came out months ago and not a couple weeks before the fall semester starts.

 

Maybe not.

 

Though I don't know the Michigan Educational system, it could be possible there are exit exams or summer school courses he was working on completing. That would be the only reason I could think of that would make Junior College not seem like an option.

[wreferee 8]

but even enrollment at junior college for the coming year seems questionable.

 

I understand a recruit not being able to pass the enrollment requirements for UM, but are there even any requirements to get into a JC? How bad could this possibly be? Don't you get into Junior College as long as you graduate high school or get a GED?

 

Re: "questionable" -- It seems more an issue of intent or attitude or, if you will, desire.

 

For some whose "wrestler" persona leaves no room for "student" or "scholar/athlete" in their identity.......( Not saying Whitford is the next Cejudo, but..... ) OTC may be a best option. Although a Michigan diploma seems to have exceeded his grasp, there are many other worthwhile, respectable accolades within reach.

[tec87 349]

I don't really like speculating on this kind of stuff and I have no inside knowledge whatsoever on Whitford's situation, but if this is true that he will not be going to Michigan this fall, one would have to think there is more to the story than grades. If this was just a grades issue, this story would have came out months ago and not a couple weeks before the fall semester starts.

 

Maybe not.

 

Though I don't know the Michigan Educational system, it could be possible there are exit exams or summer school courses he was working on completing. That would be the only reason I could think of that would make Junior College not seem like an option.

 

He graduated HS the beginning of June and Michigan doesn't have exit exams.

 

 

He could always go down the road from St. Johns and wrestle for CMU. :D

[Roadkill 75]

Perhaps he did not have the scores on the ACT/SAT and took them in June, results usually take 4 weeks to get back.

[Guest Hammerlock3]

The idea that he was recruited to Michigan and can't get into a junior college (if true, but again I have heard similar things) seems too goofy to be consistent.

[Gantry 1,872]

If he graduated high school, how can he not be eligible for a JUCO? That has to be total BS...

[greenmt. 4]

He has a high school diploma and can't get into JUCO? What ever happend to, no child left behind?

[Frank_Rizzo 336]

This doesn't pass the sniff test. How could he have gotten into Michigan and then suddenly not had the grades?

[Sheerstress 174]

It doesn't appear to be a question of whether or not he could get into a junior college or a preparatory school.

 

Rather, he wants to wrestle, but has absolutely no desire to be in school at all right now, and hasn't indicated that he will have a change of heart anytime soon. I think both he and the program realize this, and came to the conclusion that there's no point of enrolling him only if he's going to be an early academic casualty. So he'd be best served by a place where he could train uninhibited, hence the OTC. Maybe after a few years, he'll realize his wrestling career won't last forever, and that he needs an education to move up the ladder once he's done competing.

 

Too bad, but college isn't for everyone.

[BRGuy 37]

if he is throwing in the towel on the education he might as well take his hand at making some money and wrestle the tour acw event but he best not think he will fall back on school afterwards like deitchler did after taking Olympic money

[pushout 0]

Ben's a good kid and a great wrestler. Just because he signed an NLI with Michigan does not mean he was enrolled. I would think ACT, HS GPA etc. had a lot to do with why he didn't go to UofM. Not sure of his out of school MO but nothing would surprise me. I think he is a PERFECT candidate for the OTC, hes a smart kid who puts academics secondary to wrestling not unlike many others. Cant they go to school at OTC as well as train full time? I hope for the best with him and think he will need to get out of SJ's Mi to improve his situation and give his future a better shot both in wrestling and in life.

[tec87 349]

Ben's a good kid and a great wrestler. Just because he signed an NLI with Michigan does not mean he was enrolled. I would think ACT, HS GPA etc. had a lot to do with why he didn't go to UofM. Not sure of his out of school MO but nothing would surprise me. I think he is a PERFECT candidate for the OTC, hes a smart kid who puts academics secondary to wrestling not unlike many others. Cant they go to school at OTC as well as train full time? I hope for the best with him and think he will need to get out of SJ's Mi to improve his situation and give his future a better shot both in wrestling and in life.

 

Yes there are colleges in Colorado Springs and often times, athletes that are training at the OTC will take classes there and work on their degrees. Now the catch to that is whatever the criteria is for starting your D1 clock. If he is planning on going to a D1 school in a year, he might not take classes as a means of holding off on his eligibility clock starting.

[tec87 349]

The rich get richer. Michigan just got a verbal from Whitford's HS teammate Logan Massa who is a junior this coming year.