TEAM MATSIMELA 2015
Donation protected
WRESTLING FUNDRAISER: TEAM MATSIMELA 2015
About Team Matsimela 2015
Team Matsimela 2015 was organized around the goal of financing the preparation of up-and-coming wrestling phenome, Diallo Matsimela, for competing at the college level. In order to do get him ready by Fall 2015, he must work on strength and conditioning (gain 15 pounds of muscle) as well as compete in regional and national wrestling events.
About Diallo Matsimela
As a graduating senior from Annapolis High School in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Diallo Matsimela has shattered all stereotypes attributable to being the son of a single Black female.
Born and raised primarily in Detroit, Matsimela (and Mom) found refuge from urban stagnation in a small suburban school community south of the City. There, he experienced academic and athletic success.
The fact that Matsimela maintained a 3.2/4.0 GPA and scored a 25 on the ACT—without any accommodation for his learning style (so-called ADHD)—was phenomenal in and of itself.
But in addition to winning his daily battles against disorganized trails of worksheets, Matsimela earned the distinction of becoming a 2x All State Wrestler (189#) with an overall record of117-10.
Matsimela was recently included on Michigan Grappler's “Class of 2015: Elite” List (ranked #44/50) and named to their “2015 Regional Dream Team East” at 189# (1st Team)
What made Matsimela’s athletic achievements stand out was that he had no wrestling background before high school. He attributed much of his success to having to wrestle Hunter McCoy for the 189 spot during Freshman and Sophomore years.
“Wrestling against Hunter was tough,” Matsimela recalled. “He was so much better than me. And I had just started. All I knew was that if I wanted to stop getting beat by Hunter, I had to get better. And I did.”
By Junior year (2014), Matsimela won the 189 spot. He placed 1st at MHSAA Districts and Regionals, and 3rd at MHSAA States. He ended his first season as a starter with a record of 53 – 2.
As a Senior (2015), Matsimela again placed 1st at Districts and Regionals, and 3rd at States with a record of 54 – 1. In his mind, he had fallen short of his goal.
Reflecting on his inability to become a State champ, Matsimela said: “Coming in 3rd place 2 years straight is a great accomplishment, but I want to be number 1. I believe that with the right coaches, I can only get better.”
Matsimela considered out-of-state offers to attend the University of Chicago, Ohio State, Cornell, Columbia, NYU, Iowa State, Wartburg, and Campbell (NC), to name a few. He reasoned that if he attended college in a cold region, he might as well stay in Michigan. He thus narrowed his sights to offers from Davenport, Adrian, Muskegon, Central Michigan, and Michigan State.
Since Matsimela had fused his lifelong desire to become a virologist to his newfound dream of becoming an NCAA wrestling champ, he knew that finding a premed biology program held equal weight to locating an up-and-coming wrestling squad with dedicated coaches.
After careful consideration, Matsimela decided to commence his life as a student athlete at Central Michigan University, wrestling in Division I under the direction of Head Coach Tom Borrelli and Assistant Coach Ben Bennett. He has decided to declare his major as either Biology: Pre-Graduate/Pre-Professional or Biology/Biomedical Sciences.
When asked to what he attributed his wrestling success, Matsimela answered: “I believe I’m successful because I’m always willing to learn. I put in extra work, before and after practice. And I have no problem going up against guys with greater training or higher ranking than me. I’ve been wrestling as an underdog since I first started as a freshman.”
Matsimela currently fights off senioritis as he studies for the last of 3 Advanced Placement exams in Biology, English, and Chemistry. He also trains 4 days per week at Dearborn Heights Wildcats Club in preparation for the upcoming USA Wrestling Central Freestyle and Greco-Roman Regionals in Indianapolis, IN and Asics/Vaughn Cadet and Junior Nationals in Fargo, ND.
Team Matsimela 2015 Funding Goals
USAW Regionals USA Wrestling Central Regional Championships ($225), Indianapolis, IN, 15-17 May 2015 http://usawevents.sportngin.com/page/show/1019235-central-regional-championships
U of M Technique Camp ($430), Ann Arbor, MI, 12-15 July 2015 http://www.michiganwrestlingcamps.org/camp-info/technique-camp/
ASICS/Vaughan Cadet & Junior Nationals ($1,200), Fargo, ND, 18-25 July 2015 http://usawevents.sportngin.com/fargo
Powerhouse Gym (Dearborn) Membership [June-August 2015]: Summer Special ($80), 3633 Telegraph Road, [phone redacted]
AWolf Personal Training [June 2015]: ($30 per session * 3x per week * 4 weeks = $360) @ [email redacted]
Protein and Dietary Supplements ($75 per month * 4 = $300)
#
CROWDFUNDING AMOUNT = $3000 (Rounded up and including Gofundme fee)
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Team Matsimela 2015 appreciates all donations, small and large. Matsimela intends to pay your kindness forward when he is better positioned in life.
#
Matsimela Wrestling: Video Highlights
Diallo Matsimela (195#) 2015 MHSAA District and Regional CHAMPIONSHIPS Highlights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQgMAwdQdI
Matsimela v Alcaro (195#) 2015 NHSCA Senior Nationals HIGHLIGHTS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW4fm8BCgEE
Local Press on Matsimela
Annapolis' Matsimela Ready To Complete Perfect Season PHOTO GALLERY http://www.miprepzone.com/pressandguide/results.asp?ID=8787
Annapolis' Matsimela Wins District Title, Three Cougars Place PHOTO GALLERY http://www.miprepzone.com/pressandguide/results.asp?ID=8751
Annapolis' Matsimela, Freshman Gross Qualify For State Finals PHOTO GALLERY http://www.miprepzone.com/pressandguide/results.asp?ID=8762
Coach References
Victor McGuire, Annapolis Head Coach, @ [email redacted]
About Team Matsimela 2015
Team Matsimela 2015 was organized around the goal of financing the preparation of up-and-coming wrestling phenome, Diallo Matsimela, for competing at the college level. In order to do get him ready by Fall 2015, he must work on strength and conditioning (gain 15 pounds of muscle) as well as compete in regional and national wrestling events.
About Diallo Matsimela
As a graduating senior from Annapolis High School in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Diallo Matsimela has shattered all stereotypes attributable to being the son of a single Black female.
Born and raised primarily in Detroit, Matsimela (and Mom) found refuge from urban stagnation in a small suburban school community south of the City. There, he experienced academic and athletic success.
The fact that Matsimela maintained a 3.2/4.0 GPA and scored a 25 on the ACT—without any accommodation for his learning style (so-called ADHD)—was phenomenal in and of itself.
But in addition to winning his daily battles against disorganized trails of worksheets, Matsimela earned the distinction of becoming a 2x All State Wrestler (189#) with an overall record of117-10.
Matsimela was recently included on Michigan Grappler's “Class of 2015: Elite” List (ranked #44/50) and named to their “2015 Regional Dream Team East” at 189# (1st Team)
What made Matsimela’s athletic achievements stand out was that he had no wrestling background before high school. He attributed much of his success to having to wrestle Hunter McCoy for the 189 spot during Freshman and Sophomore years.
“Wrestling against Hunter was tough,” Matsimela recalled. “He was so much better than me. And I had just started. All I knew was that if I wanted to stop getting beat by Hunter, I had to get better. And I did.”
By Junior year (2014), Matsimela won the 189 spot. He placed 1st at MHSAA Districts and Regionals, and 3rd at MHSAA States. He ended his first season as a starter with a record of 53 – 2.
As a Senior (2015), Matsimela again placed 1st at Districts and Regionals, and 3rd at States with a record of 54 – 1. In his mind, he had fallen short of his goal.
Reflecting on his inability to become a State champ, Matsimela said: “Coming in 3rd place 2 years straight is a great accomplishment, but I want to be number 1. I believe that with the right coaches, I can only get better.”
Matsimela considered out-of-state offers to attend the University of Chicago, Ohio State, Cornell, Columbia, NYU, Iowa State, Wartburg, and Campbell (NC), to name a few. He reasoned that if he attended college in a cold region, he might as well stay in Michigan. He thus narrowed his sights to offers from Davenport, Adrian, Muskegon, Central Michigan, and Michigan State.
Since Matsimela had fused his lifelong desire to become a virologist to his newfound dream of becoming an NCAA wrestling champ, he knew that finding a premed biology program held equal weight to locating an up-and-coming wrestling squad with dedicated coaches.
After careful consideration, Matsimela decided to commence his life as a student athlete at Central Michigan University, wrestling in Division I under the direction of Head Coach Tom Borrelli and Assistant Coach Ben Bennett. He has decided to declare his major as either Biology: Pre-Graduate/Pre-Professional or Biology/Biomedical Sciences.
When asked to what he attributed his wrestling success, Matsimela answered: “I believe I’m successful because I’m always willing to learn. I put in extra work, before and after practice. And I have no problem going up against guys with greater training or higher ranking than me. I’ve been wrestling as an underdog since I first started as a freshman.”
Matsimela currently fights off senioritis as he studies for the last of 3 Advanced Placement exams in Biology, English, and Chemistry. He also trains 4 days per week at Dearborn Heights Wildcats Club in preparation for the upcoming USA Wrestling Central Freestyle and Greco-Roman Regionals in Indianapolis, IN and Asics/Vaughn Cadet and Junior Nationals in Fargo, ND.
Team Matsimela 2015 Funding Goals
USAW Regionals USA Wrestling Central Regional Championships ($225), Indianapolis, IN, 15-17 May 2015 http://usawevents.sportngin.com/page/show/1019235-central-regional-championships
U of M Technique Camp ($430), Ann Arbor, MI, 12-15 July 2015 http://www.michiganwrestlingcamps.org/camp-info/technique-camp/
ASICS/Vaughan Cadet & Junior Nationals ($1,200), Fargo, ND, 18-25 July 2015 http://usawevents.sportngin.com/fargo
Powerhouse Gym (Dearborn) Membership [June-August 2015]: Summer Special ($80), 3633 Telegraph Road, [phone redacted]
AWolf Personal Training [June 2015]: ($30 per session * 3x per week * 4 weeks = $360) @ [email redacted]
Protein and Dietary Supplements ($75 per month * 4 = $300)
#
CROWDFUNDING AMOUNT = $3000 (Rounded up and including Gofundme fee)
#
Team Matsimela 2015 appreciates all donations, small and large. Matsimela intends to pay your kindness forward when he is better positioned in life.
#
Matsimela Wrestling: Video Highlights
Diallo Matsimela (195#) 2015 MHSAA District and Regional CHAMPIONSHIPS Highlights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQgMAwdQdI
Matsimela v Alcaro (195#) 2015 NHSCA Senior Nationals HIGHLIGHTS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW4fm8BCgEE
Local Press on Matsimela
Annapolis' Matsimela Ready To Complete Perfect Season PHOTO GALLERY http://www.miprepzone.com/pressandguide/results.asp?ID=8787
Annapolis' Matsimela Wins District Title, Three Cougars Place PHOTO GALLERY http://www.miprepzone.com/pressandguide/results.asp?ID=8751
Annapolis' Matsimela, Freshman Gross Qualify For State Finals PHOTO GALLERY http://www.miprepzone.com/pressandguide/results.asp?ID=8762
Coach References
Victor McGuire, Annapolis Head Coach, @ [email redacted]
Organizer
Shirley Moore
Organizer
Dearborn Heights, MI
