What I did on my summer vacation: Cody Magrum

8/30/2007

WHAT HE DID: Magrum finished 12-1 at AAU Disney Duals in late June wrestling for Team Samsons out of the Cleveland area. His only loss was in overtime to two-time state champion John Weakley of Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. Ironically, Magrum and Weakley will be college teammates at Ohio State. Magrum went 5-2 at 189 pounds in freestyle at Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D. in mid-July. After winning five matches to begin the tournament, he dropped two straight to fall one match shy of becoming an All-American. He won the ning all 13 of his matches wrestling for Lake Erie Wrestling Club at AAU Junior Olympics in Knoxville, Tenn., in late July and early August. Magrum lifted weights three days a week and practiced at Lake Erie in Fremont or Oregon four days a week; attended wrestling camp at Ohio State as well as training camps for Disney Duals and Junior Nationals.

HOW IT HELPED: Anytime you can get that many matches in it s a win because it gives me a lot more mat time and experience. Wrestlingdifferent styles helps me out with folkstyle [high school style]. Magrum was disappointed with his showing at Junior Nationals, regarded as the nation s toughest amateur wrestling tournament. His losses were to the third-place finisher, Zac Nielsen of Minnesota, and the runner-up, Iowa s Brodie Ambrose. Magrum twice defeated Ambrose in the summer of 2006. Two or three kids on the podium I had already beaten either at Junior Nationals or different tournaments, so it was pretty disappointing to see them up there and not me.

OUTLOOK: Magrum verbally committed to Ohio State in June and hopes to wrestle at 174 pounds as a freshman before moving up to 184 for the remainder of his career. He will probably wrestle at 189 this season, but 215 is a slight possibility. Regardless, he should be a strong favorite to win his third straight state championship. Magrum would be Oak Harbor s first three-time state champion. An undefeated season would be awesome, but in all honesty, stuff happens. You have bad matches, or you get hurt. That third title s pretty much what s on my mind.