As the starting heavyweight for Gopher Wrestling, Belle Plaine’s Michael Kroells steps into a larger-than-life tradition
By Lexi Diederich
Midway through its 2014-15 season, the University of Minnesota wrestling team is 8-0 (4-0 in the Big Ten), appearing to be as strong as many of the great teams the Gophers have put on the mat in recent seasons. Perhaps the biggest change for the Gophers from recent seasons, quite literally, is redshirt sophomore and Belle Plaine, Minn. native Michael Kroells. Known among his teammates for routinely drinking five gallons (or more) of milk per week and his Academic All Big-Ten prowess in the classroom, Kroells makes an impression as large as his imposing frame.
While Kroells has a chance to help his team achieve its goals of bringing home the program’s fourth national title this season, doing so demands filling a role vacated by one of the most-decorated wrestlers in program history. Kroells took over as the Gophers’ starting heavyweight for Tony Nelson, who is one of only four Gophers to ever win multiple individual national championships. Nelson finished his career with four All-America honors, three Big Ten Championships and two NCAA Championships.
Kroells sees himself continuing the lineage of heavyweight dominance for the Gophers that Nelson helped build. Of the 22 individual national champions in Gopher history, seven have competed at heavyweight, more than any other weight class.
Since he fully embraced wrestling in fifth grade, Kroells has watched his hometown college team with passionate eyes. College wrestling didn’t seem like a reality for him until he started improving practice by practice, season by season, a pattern that has come to embody Kroells and his vision of success. Before long, a high school state championship was within reach, as was a college wrestling career.
“To me, a state championship equaled wrestling in college,” Kroells said. “I figured if I got [a state title], I would be alright.”
For the former Scott West High wrestler, the challenging road to a state championship really began in 10th grade. While prominent Gopher alumnus Dan Zilverberg helped expose him to high-level wrestling at a young age, Scott West coach Al Flynn helped him overcome a key mental barrier. One of Kroells’ weaknesses was getting pinned. Flynn was able to teach Kroells the art of keeping his shoulders off the mat by pinning him to the mat and forcing him to free himself of the coach’s hold. After about a month of practices spent struggling to get loose, Kroells finally fought off Flynn, a turning point in his career. For the rest of his prep career, pinning Kroells became a rarity and the wins began to pile up.
By winning individual state titles in 2011 and 2012, Kroells had a collection of college wrestling options. The future Aerospace Engineering major narrowed his options to Minnesota and Cornell.
“I knew I wanted to wrestle at the highest level,” Kroells said. “I wanted to be a four-year starter but have great partners, too. I knew that if I had Tony helping me out, it would be a great opportunity.”
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Walking into practices facing Gopher coaches and wrestlers, however, was different than Kroells expected.
“The first couple of times it was like a war and I had to prove myself,” Kroells said. “But now, I focus on improving. It matters how I perform on the mat, not about trying to prove something to someone in the room.”
Now entrenched as the Gopher starter, Kroells has compiled a record of 17-7 this season, including three wins over nationally ranked opponents, most recently wrapping up a 23-12 victory for the Gophers by defeated ninth-ranked Billy Smith of Rutgers. Kroells’ success has garnered national attention, as he’s ascended from unranked to begin the season to No. 12 in the country at his weight according to InterMat rankings. His performance to this point in the season has galvanized Kroells’ focus on the goal he shares with his Gopher teammates – an NCAA Championship. The team placed second on the national stage last year, and Kroells believes it can only go up from there.
“Success, to me, is always improving,” Kroells said, reinforcing a philosophy he’s lived by for years. “For us to succeed, we can improve our placing and take the title.”
On the mat, Kroells continues to be one to watch. He brings an exciting style to heavyweight, looking to score more than many of his large-bodied peers while remaining strong and deliberate in his technique.
“This year, I am much more patient,” Kroells said. “I still wrestle aggressively and push into guys, but if I am going to shoot, I’m going to make it a good one.”
With an improved technique, confident attitude and ambitious goals, Kroells is eager to conquer the challenges that remain this season and add to the tradition of Gopher heavyweights.
“I want to [be an] All-American,” Kroells said, referring to his goal of placing among the top-eight at the NCAA Championships this season. “It’s going to be a tough goal, but I am not limiting myself.”
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