Murphy named MIAA Most Valuable Wrestler

FREELAND, Mich. – Olivet College junior Hunter Murphy has been named the 2021 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Most Valuable Wrestler.

Wrestling at 149 pounds, Murphy posted a 7-0 record against MIAA opponents to help the Comets win the 2021 MIAA Championships. At the MIAA Individual Championships January 30, he posted a 4-0 record and followed that with a 3-0 record at the MIAA Dual Meet Championships February 13. Each of his seven wins were bonus point victories.

At the individual championships, Murphy had three wins – 17-1 technical fall over Jacob Colbart from Adrian, 36-second pin over Zach Jandereski from Alma and 17-4 major decision over Isaac Hawkins from Trine – in pool play. In the championship bout, he pinned Noah Nieman from Adrian in one minute and 23 seconds.

At the dual meet championships, Murphy won a 17-1 over Mason Priest from Alma, and then pinned Colbart in 2:16 and Isaac Hawkins from Trine in 57 seconds. The Comets posted dominant team wins in the three dual matches – 35-9 over Alma, 33-9 over Adrian and 37-9 over Trine. Olivet won 23 of the 30 bouts, with bonus point victories in 17.

"Hunter is a guy who represents all we look for in a student-athlete: academic excellence, dedication to his wrestling craft and a championship lifestyle," said Olivet head wrestling coach Brandon Brissette. "He put in the time and effort the last two years developing himself and taking advantage of every opportunity to grow presented to him. Now Hunter is shining on the mat, especially against MIAA competition. He leads our team in bonus wins by being absolutely tenacious with opportunities for back points off of his offense. We are excited about Hunter's chance to place out in Iowa at the NWCA Division III Championships as well as his continued growth in the next two seasons!"

Murphy was one of a seven Olivet wrestlers to earn All-MIAA honors this season. The seven honorees match the 1984 team for the most selections for a single season in school history. Those seven wrestlers along with four others were finalists at the MIAA Individual Championships. The remaining nine finalists were four each from Adrian and Alma, and one from Trine.

The Comets have now each of the three MIAA titles since the league reinstated wrestling prior to the start of the 2018-19 season. Overall, Olivet has won 13 MIAA championships, including nine consecutive from 1972-1980. Murphy is the sixth Comet to be selected as the MIAA Most Valuable Wrestler.