Although many of us are dreading the winter season and the cold weather it entails, Michael Russo could not be more excited for the start of wrestling here at Prep. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Mike, Brown University’s newest wrestling commit, to learn more about him and his accomplishments on and off of the mats.
Michael Russo, a Cedar Grove native, began to wrestle when he was in third grade. Ever since then, Mike has had a passion for wrestling. He wrestled all throughout middle school and as high school drew nearer, Mike needed to decide on what school he would attend. Russo cites his mom and his “Freshman for a Day” experience as the deciding factors in his decision to come to St. Peter’s Prep. His mother grew up in Jersey City and was familiar with the school; this made it easier for her to introduce the school to her son. Russo refers to his mom as someone he looks up to. He admires her passion and optimism. “She completely changed my mentality over the years”, said Russo. As for his “Freshman for a Day” experience, he absolutely loved it. When asked about how Prep has treated him over the past three years, he responded with a smile, “The academics have been rigorous but manageable. I love the sense of community here and I feel like it’s only grown over the past three years.” He also cited his immersion trip to West Virginia over the summer as being one of his most cherished memories here at Prep.
Mike’s personal accomplishments at Prep include his achievements both on the mat and in the classroom. He placed 6th in states last year at 113lbs and placed 7th overall at Junior Nationals in the same weight class. Even though he is a decorated wrestler, Mike still takes pride in his strong GPA, his Magis Award freshman year, and his involvement in the West Virginia immersion trip over the summer. Michael Russo is equally as talented on the mat as he is in the classroom. When asked about his commitment to Brown, Russo stressed the importance of the school’s academic prowess and his overall comfort level on campus. After visiting in August, Russo fell in love with the school’s freshman curriculum and beautiful campus. He also spoke highly of Brown’s new wrestling coach, Todd Beckerman.
Russo, a captain on the wrestling team for the second year in a row, stressed the importance of maintaining his grades throughout the winter when asked about his goals for the upcoming season. Although he would like to win an individual state title at 120lbs this year, his main goal is to lead the entire team to a state title. Mike was chosen captain for a reason; he has tremendous leadership abilities and often leads by example in the weight room and on the mats. He is very well-respected among the wrestling team.
Although Mike may seem to be all-business at Prep, he is a teenager, after all, and enjoys watching movies and listening to music. His favorite movie is The Godfather:Part I and his favorite musical group is “A Tribe Called Quest.” His favorite hobbies include listening to music, lifting, and playing the piano. (Mike is a former Jazz Band member.) He also loves to eat spaghetti (in the offseason, of course).
If you are to learn anything about Michael Russo through this article, it should be that he is a highly motivated young man. When asked what motivates him, he responded, “You get what you put in. If I feel like I’m not working as hard as I should be, I know I’m not going to get the results I want. I take things day by day and I put one-hundred percent into every day.”
On behalf of the Petroc staff, I would like to wish Michael the best of luck this upcoming wrestling season and once again, congratulations on committing to Brown University.