When Mike Cannon began his wrestling career at AU, he was not expected to be much more than an average wrestler. As a redshirt senior and the team’s captain, Cannon leaves as one of the most successful wrestlers in school history.
Cannon credits the AU coaching staff for his success at AU and allowing him to realize his full potential.
“I wasn’t highly recruited,” Cannon said. “Coming in, I didn’t know what to expect.”
On March 7, Cannon won his second-straight 184 pounds Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championship. With the win, Cannon joins former Eagle and national champion Josh Glenn as the only two wrestlers in AU history to make four NCAA Tournament appearances. He joined four other Eagles at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Omaha, Neb., which began last Thursday, March 18. He advanced to the second round after scoring a second-period fall. His contributions helped the team end its season as the No. 14 team in the country.
When Cannon arrived on AU’s campus, the wrestling team was one of the worst in the country. Just three years before his arrival, the university eliminated the wrestling program. However, boosters raised money to get the program going again.
“This year has been memorable,” Cannon said. “I’ve seen the program grow from being a nobody-team that no one really knew... to now being kind of a powerhouse team.”
There is no doubt that the Eagles will struggle to replace Cannon’s presence when he graduates at the end of the year, according to AU Wrestling Coach Mark Cody.
“It’ll be very tough to fill his shoes,” he said. “Losing [Cannon] is tough because you can always rely on these guys to score points for you every time. We brought in two very solid recruits at [Cannon’s] weight that we think are going to be consistent winners, but it’ll take a year or two to get to that level.”
His first season on the AU wrestling team, Cannon sat out the first season as a redshirt. During this time, he worked out with then-Assistant Coach Pat Popolizio, who is now the wrestling coach at Binghamton University. His training helped raise his confidence level as a wrestler.
“I trained with him all year and all summer,” Cannon said. “Just wrestling him really gave me that confidence because he was a really good wrestler in college. He would kick my butt and kick my butt, and one day something clicked. I was like, ‘I’m not going take this from him anymore.’ I went in there and started fighting. I was borderline throwing punches.”
By the time Popolizio took the Binghamton job, the two were “neck and neck,” he said.
The experience allowed Cannon to reach unexpected levels. The athlete, who was recruited essentially to take up a roster spot, was now one of the best wrestlers on the team.
Production is not the only thing that will be lost when Cannon graduates. With 12 freshmen on this year’s team, upperclassman like Cannon have had to play a leadership role for the younger, less experienced wrestlers like Kenneth Clessas.
“Wrestling with All-Americans is the best thing you can do to get better at wrestling,” Clessas said. “[Cannon] definitely is a leader on the team. If you’re not used to the tough practices, [the upperclassmen are] there to pick you up and put you back on your feet and get you moving.”
The wrestling circle is not the only place that Cannon is an All-American. He has also been an NCWA Academic All-American four years in a row.
“The biggest thing in our sport is that there is no professional level,” Cannon said. “Division I is the professional level in wrestling. So when you leave here, you need a degree. You need something to fall back on.”
After graduation, Cannon, an accounting major, will work for an accounting firm in Tysons Corner, Va. Cannon leaves the Eagles with the team in much better shape than when he arrived. He believes AU will be a powerhouse for years to come.
“Everybody knows AU,” Cannon said. “They know our name. They know where we’re from. It’s been awesome to be a part of it.”
You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.
