Central Michigan University Athletics
Coping & Connecting: Wrestling
6/17/2020 3:31:00 PM | Wrestling
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Landon Pelham took up distance running. Drew Hildebrandt made two camping trips out west. Others took jobs. All dealt with it.
The timing of the quarantine triggered by COVID-19 could not have been more cruel to the Central Michigan wrestlers, who in early March were days from departing Mount Pleasant for Minneapolis and the crescendo of their season, the NCAA Championships, when everything shut down.
"It was extremely disappointing for me," said Hildebrandt, a junior who was later named a First Team All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. "I was heartbroken. The first day I just kind of sat around. It was almost like mourning the loss of a loved one; obviously it's not to that extent and I'll get another year, but it was depressing. Then I was like, I need to get away."
Hildebrandt and Pelham were among the six Chippewas – Matt Stencel, Dresden Simon, Logan Parks and Drew Marten were the others – who qualified for the nationals. It was to be the final collegiate wrestling tournament for Parks, the lone senior in the group.
"My heart breaks for the Logan Parkses of the world," Pelham said. "That kid has worked his entire life for that moment and to be a part of a special team, and I think he played an instrumental role in changing the culture of the team to what we are now.
"For him not to get that last year to prove himself and to everybody that he had what it takes to be an All-American – he was right there with the best guys in the country – I really thought he was going to put it together."
As was the case for every CMU team and student-athlete, making it successfully through the semester became a top priority at the outset of the quarantine. It wasn't an easy transition from classroom to online learning for every student-athlete on the roster, but they all managed, coach Tom Borrelli said.
"Some people need that face-to-face interaction," he said. "They just learn better that way. We had to make sure everybody had the resources at home to complete their coursework online. They went home and you're wondering, Do they have internet access? Do they have a laptop? Do they know how to get in touch with their professors? How to get in touch with our academic advisors? Are they capable of handling the course load online?"
Despite the bitter disappointment of missing the NCAA Championships, the quarantine has given the Chippewas a respite from the sport that can be physically taxing, mentally taxing and emotionally exhausting.
"Normally we take two weeks off (after the season) and then we get right back in to training for some offseason things," Borrelli said. "This year we weren't able to do that so we got a little bit more time for their bodies to heal and to heal mentally which I think can be a positive as long as we can get back to doing something soon. That's the negative, when are we going to be able to get back to do something as a group."
Both Hildebrandt and Pelham said the time off has helped them to re-charge. They will be two of the leaders on next season's team, which will carry high expectations.
"I've never wanted to train more in my life, never wanted to train harder in my life," Pelham said. "Probably for the first time since high school my body feels 100 percent right. I think it's been really good for everybody to sit back and recharge and focus in.
"As a team I think we have some pretty lofty goals – we had some pretty lofty goals this year – we have even bigger goals next year; we have really high expectations for everybody. I'm hoping everybody's refreshed and ready to get started."
Pelham, who wrestles at 197 pounds, said that in the absence of weights and a training facility, he has taken advantage of the workout program laid out by Holly Stark, a CMU assistant director of strength and conditioning. He also has taken his aerobic fitness up a notch, or several notches.
"Coach Borrelli probably won't believe this, but I've actually gotten into distance running," Pelham said. "He'll think that's a white lie. But it's something (I've been) horrible at, so it's attacking a weakness that I have. Just been doing a ton of running and cycling and stuff like that. I actually ran a half-marathon with the help of Drew Marten. That's my big accomplishment of quarantine so far."
Hildebrandt's coping mechanism also involved physical challenges which led to peace and perhaps a measure of personal enlightenment. He made two camping/hiking trips, one to Zion National Park in Utah, the other to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.
"Camping, I feel like, is the best way to keep yourself busy at these times," he said. "Those parks are so inspirational. I kind fell in love with them and you just think about the beauty in front of you and you don't really think about the past or the things that could have been.
"You're not thinking about coronavirus or that I could be wrestling at the national tournament right now; you're thinking one foot in front of the other and Wow look at this beautiful scenery -- and watch out for rattlesnakes!"
Now, as restrictions are eased, campus re-opens, and the focus turns to next season, the Chippewas still aren't certain when they may be able to the mat.
"We can maybe get back soon to lifting and conditioning in outdoor spaces with some social distancing and stuff like that, but that's not wrestling," Borrelli said. "Staying sharp in wrestling, you have to be pretty close to another guy to get that."
Said Hildebrandt: "I know everyone's just itching to get back on the mat. That's the first question we all ask, 'Hey, when can we come back?' Everyone is going to be highly motived and ready to wrestle when we come back."
The timing of the quarantine triggered by COVID-19 could not have been more cruel to the Central Michigan wrestlers, who in early March were days from departing Mount Pleasant for Minneapolis and the crescendo of their season, the NCAA Championships, when everything shut down.
"It was extremely disappointing for me," said Hildebrandt, a junior who was later named a First Team All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. "I was heartbroken. The first day I just kind of sat around. It was almost like mourning the loss of a loved one; obviously it's not to that extent and I'll get another year, but it was depressing. Then I was like, I need to get away."
Hildebrandt and Pelham were among the six Chippewas – Matt Stencel, Dresden Simon, Logan Parks and Drew Marten were the others – who qualified for the nationals. It was to be the final collegiate wrestling tournament for Parks, the lone senior in the group.
"My heart breaks for the Logan Parkses of the world," Pelham said. "That kid has worked his entire life for that moment and to be a part of a special team, and I think he played an instrumental role in changing the culture of the team to what we are now.
"For him not to get that last year to prove himself and to everybody that he had what it takes to be an All-American – he was right there with the best guys in the country – I really thought he was going to put it together."
As was the case for every CMU team and student-athlete, making it successfully through the semester became a top priority at the outset of the quarantine. It wasn't an easy transition from classroom to online learning for every student-athlete on the roster, but they all managed, coach Tom Borrelli said.
"Some people need that face-to-face interaction," he said. "They just learn better that way. We had to make sure everybody had the resources at home to complete their coursework online. They went home and you're wondering, Do they have internet access? Do they have a laptop? Do they know how to get in touch with their professors? How to get in touch with our academic advisors? Are they capable of handling the course load online?"
Despite the bitter disappointment of missing the NCAA Championships, the quarantine has given the Chippewas a respite from the sport that can be physically taxing, mentally taxing and emotionally exhausting.
"Normally we take two weeks off (after the season) and then we get right back in to training for some offseason things," Borrelli said. "This year we weren't able to do that so we got a little bit more time for their bodies to heal and to heal mentally which I think can be a positive as long as we can get back to doing something soon. That's the negative, when are we going to be able to get back to do something as a group."
Both Hildebrandt and Pelham said the time off has helped them to re-charge. They will be two of the leaders on next season's team, which will carry high expectations.
"I've never wanted to train more in my life, never wanted to train harder in my life," Pelham said. "Probably for the first time since high school my body feels 100 percent right. I think it's been really good for everybody to sit back and recharge and focus in.
"As a team I think we have some pretty lofty goals – we had some pretty lofty goals this year – we have even bigger goals next year; we have really high expectations for everybody. I'm hoping everybody's refreshed and ready to get started."
Pelham, who wrestles at 197 pounds, said that in the absence of weights and a training facility, he has taken advantage of the workout program laid out by Holly Stark, a CMU assistant director of strength and conditioning. He also has taken his aerobic fitness up a notch, or several notches.
"Coach Borrelli probably won't believe this, but I've actually gotten into distance running," Pelham said. "He'll think that's a white lie. But it's something (I've been) horrible at, so it's attacking a weakness that I have. Just been doing a ton of running and cycling and stuff like that. I actually ran a half-marathon with the help of Drew Marten. That's my big accomplishment of quarantine so far."
Hildebrandt's coping mechanism also involved physical challenges which led to peace and perhaps a measure of personal enlightenment. He made two camping/hiking trips, one to Zion National Park in Utah, the other to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.
"Camping, I feel like, is the best way to keep yourself busy at these times," he said. "Those parks are so inspirational. I kind fell in love with them and you just think about the beauty in front of you and you don't really think about the past or the things that could have been.
"You're not thinking about coronavirus or that I could be wrestling at the national tournament right now; you're thinking one foot in front of the other and Wow look at this beautiful scenery -- and watch out for rattlesnakes!"
Now, as restrictions are eased, campus re-opens, and the focus turns to next season, the Chippewas still aren't certain when they may be able to the mat.
"We can maybe get back soon to lifting and conditioning in outdoor spaces with some social distancing and stuff like that, but that's not wrestling," Borrelli said. "Staying sharp in wrestling, you have to be pretty close to another guy to get that."
Said Hildebrandt: "I know everyone's just itching to get back on the mat. That's the first question we all ask, 'Hey, when can we come back?' Everyone is going to be highly motived and ready to wrestle when we come back."
Players Mentioned
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
2026 MAC Championships Ben Bennett Interview
Saturday, March 07
2026 MAC Championships Andrew Austin Interview
Saturday, March 07
Chatting Chippewas - Ben Bennett
Wednesday, March 04
Wrestling Insider - 1.8.26
Thursday, January 08