ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Two-time NCAA champion Kellen Russell will join the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club to pursue his post-collegiate freestyle career, the club announced Monday (July 3). Russell will compete at 66kg/145.5 pounds.
Russell capped his collegiate career with his second straight NCAA title in 2012, posting a near-perfect 33-1 record against a tough national field at 141 pounds. With his 6-4 overtime victory against Iowa’s Montell Marion in the championship match, Russell became the sixth wrestler in U-M program history to capture multiple NCAA titles. After trading one takedown and two escapes apiece through the match’s first seven minutes, Russell countered a shot midway through the sudden-victory frame, stuffing the head before spinning around behind to wrap up the Hawkeye and bring him to the mat and end the bout with 23 seconds on the clock.
The Wolverine captain also defeated Marion, 7-2, in the 141-pound Big Ten Championships final, becoming just the 11th four-time Big Ten champion in conference history and the first in Michigan history. Russell was named the co-Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships.
Russell’s lone loss of the 2011-12 season came against Ohio State’s Hunter Stieber in the quarterfinals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December. Russell avenged that setback to Stieber with a 5-2 decision in the NCAA semifinal round. The Wolverine won his final 26 matches of the season and claimed 71 of 72 matches over his junior and senior campaigns.
He completed his collegiate career with a 134-12 record, tying for eighth place on Michigan’s all-time wins list. His career win percentage of .918 ranks second in program history.
The Wolverine captain excelled in freestyle throughout his prep career, capturing both junior (2006) and cadet (2005) national titles in Fargo, N.D. He earned a wildcard selection to the 2012 Olympic Trials, posting a 1-2 record at 60kg/132 pounds.
