It’s a new season for the No. 14 Michigan wrestling team, and with that comes new faces. Starting the season off in a dual meet against Virginia Military Institute, the Wolverines had a strong showing, greatly in part to their four new additions.
Michigan’s introductory lineup included three freshmen in the lightweight bouts: 125-pounder Henry Aslikyan, 133-pounder Moses Mendoza and 141-pounder Kellen Wolbert. Redshirt freshman heavyweight Niko Sahakian rounds out the newcomers after missing last season due to an ACL injury. Despite the meet being all four wrestlers’ first collegiate match, they all fought with comfort, leading to four dominant victories.
Aslikyan started the meet for the Wolverines in an aggressive manner. Scrambling for any offensive opportunity, he took his opponent down just 20 seconds into the match. He maneuvered four takedowns to his opponent’s three escape points and maintained control of the match for its entirety. His poise throughout led to an impressive pin at the end of the first period, marking the first win in both Michigan’s season and his collegiate career, all during his debut…