ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club is proud to announce the addition of former Boise State heavyweight standout J.T. Felix to its 2015-16 senior-level freestyle program. Felix, who is in his first season of full-time freestyle competition, will wrestle at 97kg/213 pounds.
“I’m humbled by the faith that the University of Michigan and the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club has placed in me,” said Felix. “I don’t have a lot of freestyle experience. It hadn’t been a lifelong dream of mine. But they believe that I’m capable of shocking the world, and I’m really excited to make this transition. I’ll be proud to represent this community on the international level.”
“I was very impressed with J.T. Felix the first time I saw him wrestle a few years ago and contacted him at the end of his senior season,” said CKWC coach Sean Bormet. “He was a little light as an NCAA heavyweight, but 97kg is really an ideal weight class for him. I believe J.T. has a tremendous amount of untapped potential. With the exceptional training partners and coaching he will get with our club at Michigan, I’m excited to watch him develop and excel in freestyle wrestling.”
A collegiate standout at Boise State (2011-14), Felix was a three-time NCAA qualifier at heavyweight, advancing to the Round of 12 in all three appearances, and claimed the 2014 Gorriaran Award, earning three falls in a combined 6:59. He also captured the Pac-12 heavyweight title as a senior in 2014, defeating Oregon State’s Amarveer Dhesi, 7-1, in the championship bout. He also reached the Pac-12 finals as a freshman and junior.
Off the mat, Felix excelled in the classroom, earning multiple NWCA All-Academic (2013, ’14) and Pac-12 All-Academic (2012, ’13, ’14) honors. He took a season away from wrestling in 2014-15 while finishing his undergraduate degrees in chemistry and biology at Boise State. While in Ann Arbor, he will prepare for the MCAT and an eventual career in medicine.
Felix will make his CKWC competitive debut this fall.
