The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Marsh commits to Michigan
>By Don Richter, Sports Editor
PUBLISHED: July 24, 2008
Dexter's Bret Marsh has endured a busy spring and summer. The recently graduated Dreadnaught standout wrestler competed in the prestigious Disney Duals last month and also signed to continue his grappling career at the University of Michigan.
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Marsh, who'll follow his older brother Jeff as a wrestler at U-M, said he chose the Wolverines because of his familiarity with the program.
"I've spent the last five years around it and my whole life around the campus," he said. "I know all the wrestlers and I have a good relationship with all the coaches. The school is great and the wrestling program is really going to help me get better."
Marsh said older brother Jeff, a recent U-M graduate and one of six Wolverine wrestlers to qualify for this year's NCAA Championships, influenced his decision to go to Michigan. Jeff competed at 157 pounds.
"Jeff's involvement in the Michigan wrestling program really is what led me to choose to attend there," Marsh said.
Marsh ended his Dexter career this past season finishing fourth at 119 pounds in the Division 2 state meet. He had a 57-2 overall record. As a junior, Marsh was state champion at 112 with a 53-2 mark. As a sophomore, he was state runner-up at 103 with a 47-2 record.
"I will most likely be wrestling 125 for the first few years (at U-M)," Marsh said. "Hopefully, I grow a little bit and I can go 133 or 141 by my senior year. The weight training program there will really help me gain mass."
Marsh has set high standards for himself off and on the mat at Michigan.
"My goal at U-M is to be a national champ," he said. "I want to also gain a clear path on my future after college and branch out and experience new things within these next five years."
While signing with Michigan, which placed seventh at last year's NCAA meet, is impressive, Marsh also raised a few eyebrows with his performance at the elite AAU Scholastic Duals, better known as the Disney Duals, June 22 through 27 in Orlando, Fla.
The event brings together the best high school grapplers from throughout the nation. States organize multiple teams for the meet. Michigan brought three teams to the duals, including Michigan Red, Michigan Blue and Michigan Freeze.
Marsh, who wrestled at 119 for Michigan Red, helped lead his squad to a second-place national finish. Michigan Red lost to the Ohio Samsons 30-18 in the meet's championship match.
Overall, Michigan had an impressive performance with its three teams finishing in the top 10. No other state had a better overall placing. Michigan Blue ended up fourth, while Michigan Freeze was sixth.
Marsh finished 8-4 over the course of the rugged, nationally renowned tournament.
"I was pleased with my wrestling," he said. "One of the matches I got knocked out on the mat and lost after that. But all my matches that I lost I was winning at one point. I was happy most of the time with my wrestling, but I could have gone undefeated. But knowing I wrestled and beat some of the top kids in the nation feels good."
Along with Marsh, other notable wrestlers on Michigan Red were Division 1 state champions Ben Bennett (171) and Kyle Waldo (112) from Rockford, Jeremy Bommarito (145) from Hartland and Alex Ortman (160) from Temperance Bedford. Others included Division 4 state champion Brandon Zeerip (140) from Hesperia, Division 2 state champ Jacob Burge (171) from Mason and Division 3 state champ Andrew Schutt (130) from Yale.
Against the Ohio Samsons, Marsh lost a close 5-4 decision to Troy Opfer from Sandusky (Ohio) St. Mary Catholic Central. Opfer was state runner-up in Division III in Ohio last season.
Marsh said he learned a lot from the national-level tournament.
"The experience as a whole taught me a lot about wrestling, defense and to always be deliberate with my moves," he said. "But losing to Samsons could have been avoided if I would have won and the 112-pounder Kyle Waldo would have won. We both lost by one (point) in the last 30 seconds."
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