Eagle Athletics

To honor the tremendous success of Central Athletics this year, CMU held a pep rally to celebrate national tournament appearances by football, baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, cross country, men’s wrestling, women’s wrestling, men’s golf, track and field, softball, volleyball, and cheer, and a national title for dance. The event packed Puckett Field House and concluded with a special recognition of new athletic director Jeff Sherman, ’83. There were 688 special T-shirts printed to commemorate the day – one T-shirt for each victory Sherman had during his 37-year tenure as head men’s basketball coach.

Eagle Broadcaster

Proud Of His Alma Mater

BY RACHEL MOORE

High above the seats in Puckett Field House or the bleachers at Davis Field, nestled in the confines of the press box or birds' nest, you will often hear a familiar voice. One that serves as a voice for Eagle Athletics.

Charlie Brown, ‘78, has served as the voice of Central Methodist University football and basketball for the past four seasons. You can also hear him broadcasting local high school games around Missouri as one of the lead broadcasters of Prepcast Sports, a regional streaming network that specializes in high school and college athletics.

During his time with the Eagles, Brown has been on the call for many notable milestones, including the women’s basketball sweep of the Heart regular season and tournament championship in 2019-20, the men’s basketball upset victory over No. 3 William Penn in December 2021, and the football upset of sixtime defending Heart South football champion Baker University this past fall. Central’s football program went on to win its first outright conference championship since 1975.

Brown’s passion for Central Athletics is clear. He loves to tells stories of his time as a Central baseball player and later as an assistant coach.

His story, however, starts in the small town of Saint Mary, 13 miles south of Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Brown attended Ste. Genevieve High School, where he played both baseball and basketball. During his senior year at Ste. Genevieve, admissions representative Braxton Rethwisch, ’64, visited his school in November of 1973, looking for the next generation of Eagles.

Brown went through the process of visiting campus and applying to Central.

“What really interested me about Central was the class size,” he said. “It was small. I was not going to do well in a class of 200 students. When I came to campus in the fall of ‘74, I only knew one person, who was a fellow classmate from Ste. Genevieve.”

Brown came to Central on an academic scholarship and quickly acclimated himself to life on campus. He tried out for a thenstruggling baseball program and made the team as a pitcher. The program, which was last in 1974, flipped the script the following year, winning the conference tournament championship over William Jewell College. Brown concluded his time as the program record holder in wins with a 16-4 overall mark.

Following his career as a player, Brown spent many a night in Puckett Field House as the public address announcer for basketball, recruited by Hall of Fame basketball coach Ken Ash.

After obtaining a degree in business administration, Brown aspired to work his way up the corporate ladder and become the head of a company. Following a brief stint working out of the area, Brown found his way back to Fayette and was working at a bank when

Coach Steve Phipps asked him to join his staff as an assistant baseball coach.

Central baseball is deeply rooted in Brown’s life and it comes through in one very special story.

“My wife, Cynthia, recalls that she went on her honeymoon with 18 college guys,” Brown said. “We were going to get married on the pitcher’s mound at the baseball field between games of a doubleheader. However, a rainout changed that, and we were able to get married at the house we planned on living in at Boonville.”

Brown continued to coach before moving on full-time as a banker. He also did work for the local radio station in Boonville in 2014.

“I called up the radio station director and told him, ‘Listen I have never broadcasted a game in my life, but I know a lot about baseball.’ The director gave me a shot and once I got through the first year of baseball, I moved on to softball and then basketball and football,” Brown said.

During one of Brown’s games, he met James Damon of Prepcasts Sports. Damon asked him if he ever wanted to do more than just broadcast games to give him a call.

Soon thereafter, Brown made that phone call and was able to expand Prepcasts coverage to Smith-Cotton, Boonville, and Warrensburg, all of which are under Brown’s supervision. He remained connected with Central Methodist through several coaches, notably Jeff Sherman, ’83, now the director of athletics, and Mike Davis, ’83, head women’s basketball coach. He made his broadcasting debut in Fayette in fall 2017 with the football program and added men’s and women’s basketball the following season.

When asked to reflect on this unique return to his university and the format of his contributions, Brown stated, “It’s nice to come back and give back, and I try to get some of the Central folks that I know to come back and help with broadcasts because I know they are interested in it. They have stories that many people would find interesting, such as David Fox, ’83, and Danny Widhalm, ’85, just to name a couple.”

Both Fox and Widhalm were staples of the men’s basketball program in the early 80s and are part of Hall of Fame teams.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed what has happened with the athletic department and am elated that every sport is competitive,” Brown said. “It is encouraging to see this school grow, to see it excel academically, athletically, and as a true partner with the city of Fayette. It's my alma mater, and I am proud of it.” Central Methodist entered NAIA National Tournament play as the Heart of America Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champions and as the top seed in the Bowling Green bracket of the opening round. Coach Pat Reardon’s team won a 1-0 pitchers’ duel against St. Mary of the Woods to begin the tournament, followed by a Day two split against Tennessee Wesleyan, 0-1, and Campbellsville, 5-4. Central concluded its season with an 8-7 loss to Tennessee Wesleyan in the Opening Round Championship by a final of 8-7.

Prior to the national tourney, the Eagles completed a sweep of the Heart Conference Tournament Championship with two wins over Mount Mercy (2-1, 3-1) in the championship series. Central reached the championship after surviving a Day Three split, falling 4-0 to Mount Mercy but bouncing back with a 6-0 win over Evangel. The loss snapped a 28-game winning streak for the Eagles, the longest streak in the last 15 years.

Nine Eagles were recognized with AllConference honors, including Madison White as Player of the Year and Mykala Johnico as Freshman of the Year. Joining White and Johnico with First Team nods were Keighlan Cronin, Kelli Gorman, Katelyn Kiser, Micaela Harcrow, and Kelena Oots. Madison Love earned Second Team honors, while Mykayla Pennell was named Honorable Mention. Reardon was also named Heart Coach of the Year for the ninth time in his career and his staff was named the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association Region V Coaching Staff of the Year. In addition, five Eagles were named All-Region including Madison White (First Team), Keighlan Cronin (First Team), Mykala Johnico (First Team), Katelyn Kiser (Second Team), and Micaela Harcrow (Second Team). Mykala Johnico was also named a finalist for the 2022 NFCA NAIA Freshman of the Year.

Baseball Back-to-Back Conference Champs

The Central Methodist University baseball team claimed the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament trophy with a 4-3 win over Mid America Nazarene on May 10, punching their automatic ticket to the NAIA national tournament for the second straight year. Central overcame an early 2-0 deficit and held off a ninth-inning surge by the top-seeded Pioneers for the win.

Coach Nate Breland’s team then entered the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round as the No. 2 seed in the Bellevue Bracket, where they lost a tight game against Tabor College 5-2 in 10 innings. The Eagles then fell to Concordia (Neb.) by a final of 10-3 to close their season.

Ten team members earned All-Conference honors, including Robbie Merced, the Heart Player of the Year. Bobby Nichols and Nick Merkel joined Merced on the First Team, while Jeff Vance, Tanner Sears, Cole Luedeking, Beau Atkins, and Sebastian Escobar earned Second Team nods. Tommaso Giarola and Grant Victor received Honorable Mention recognition for the Eagles, who held an overall record of 4215 at season’s end.

CMU Events: 2022 Hairston Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

The Central Methodist University Department of Athletics inducted its 2021 Hairston Hall of Fame class on January 8, 2022. The Hairston Hall of Fame was established in 1983 through a gift from William L. Hairston, ‘33, and honors the outstanding accomplishments of CMU athletes, coaches, administrators, and teams.

This year’s inductees include Amy Dority, ‘97 (women’s basketball), Daniela Georgieva, ‘05 (track), James Hazlett, ‘83 (baseball), Jill Pratte (athletic trainer), Francis “Gene” Reardon (softball coach), Michele Rupard, ‘15 (softball), Melvin Tillman, ‘14 (men’s basketball), Eric Trelz, ‘80 (football), Aubrey Utley, ‘14 (softball), the 1982-83 men’s basketball team, and the 2014-15 softball team.

Director of Athletics, Jeff Sherman, ’83, Gene Williams, ’80, Dale Mason, ’79, and Tom Stine, ’79

Melvin Tillman, ’14, and Derek Kitch, ’13

Daniela Georgieva, ’05 James Hazlett, ’84 Melvin Tillman, ’14 Michelle Rupard, ’15

Aubrey Utley, ’14

1982-83 Men’s Basketball Team: Mike Davis, ’83, Dan Widhalm, ’85, Ron Mills, ’83, Richard Tharp, ’85, Mark Dempsey, ’85, and Jeff Sherman, ’83

Eric Trelz, ’80

More photos from the 2022 Athletic Hall of Fame: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ cmueagles/albums/72177720295872192

Central Women’s Basketball Makes Fab Four Appearance

The Central Methodist women’s basketball program put together one of the most storied seasons in program history during the 202122 campaign, finishing with a record of 31-6 in a season that was highlighted by a remarkable run in the NAIA National Tournament.

After posting second-place finishes in both the Heart regular season and tournament championship, the Eagles really got hot and encapsulated the true meaning of March Madness. Central entered the national stage as the No. 4 seed in the Liston Bracket of the tournament.

The Eagles would begin their tournament run with a matchup against Freed-Hardeman in the first game of the Alexandria quadrant on March 11 in Alexandria, La. CMU cruised to a convincing win over a team that had ousted Central from the tournament four years ago, by a final score of 79-61.

CMU punched its ticket to the opening round championship against Talladega on March 12 and recorded its best offensive output of the year. CMU dropped 118 points against the Tornadoes to secure a spot in the NAIA Round of 16 in Sioux City, Iowa.

The Eagles then had the tall task of having to knock off the defending NAIA National Champs, Westmont College, featuring the reigning National Player of the Year, to make it to the quarterfinals. CMU won the heavyweight battle, outscoring the Warriors in the fourth quarter 23-16 to earn a 71-65 win.

Central marched on and secured a 10-point victory over Marian (Ind.) in the quarterfinals, solidifying their spot in the NAIA Fab Four. This marked the first national semifinal appearance for the Eagles since the 1998-99 Hairston Hall of Fame team.

Despite falling short in the national semifinals 82-62 to eventual champion Thomas More, the Eagles rewrote the record books, and in doing so set a foundation of success for years to come. Altogether, Central knocked off the No. 4, and No. 2 teams in the country en route to a Fab Four finish.

The Eagles were 17-1 at Puckett Fieldhouse and rattled off win streaks of 10, 8, and 8 games.

Indoor Track Teams Succeed at Conference Meet

The Central Methodist Track and Field program made history this year as the women claimed their first Heart Indoor Conference Championship ever in Maryville, Mo.

The women placed first out of 12 teams, edging out Grand View, with 156 total points, while the men finished sixth of 13 teams with 76 points.

The highlight on the women's side was sophomore sprinter Kailey Johnson, who was the highest point-scorer for the second year in a row with 38 total points. The Columbia, Mo. native placed first in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.80, a new school record. This was followed by a first-place finish in the 60m dash in a time of 7.72 and a first-place standing in the long jump with a mark of 5.49m.

Johnson also took third in the 200m dash with a time of 25.68 and earned second in the 4x400m relay, clocking in at 3:59.40 with teammates Jessica Bailey, Dayana Montenegro, and Rhakala Blackmon.

Fellow freshman Megan Aubuchon joined Johnson on the podium with a third-place finish in the 60m hurdles with a final time of 9.11 seconds.

Junior Kaitlyn Weber was crowned the conference champion in the triple jump at 11.38 meters, good enough to hit the 'B' standard for the national championships. Sadie Heisner finished third in the event with a mark of 11.03 meters.

Weber also posted a third-place finish in the long jump at 5.29 meters, while Carter Hawkins won the pole vault with an NAIA 'B' standard mark of 3.42 meters. Heisner joined Hawkins on the podium with a second place standing at 3.27 meters.

Lilian Patterson earned a second-place standing in the 3000m racewalk at 18:16.90. Montenegro hit the 'A' standard in the 600m run with a time 1:35.99 seconds.

On the men's side, senior thrower Taylor Bottomley won both the men's shot put and weight throw. In the shot put, the senior out of Harrisburg, Mo. hit the 'A' standard with a final mark of 16.08 meters and submitted a record-breaking throw in the weight throw at 21.66 meters, the best throw in the nation this season.

Freshman Ethan Smith won the heptathlon with 4586 points, claiming victory in both the 1000m run and the shot put. Mohammed Nyaoga placed third in the 400m dash at 49.39 seconds. He joined the 4x400m relay team of Curis Johns, Alexander Ayala, and Adam Trachsel that earned a silver medal with a time of 3.19.33 seconds.

Men’s Basketball Returns to NAIA Tourney

The Central Methodist men’s basketball team finished the 2021-22 season with an overall record of 22-11, an appearance in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals, and their first trip to the NAIA National Tournament since the 2017-18 season.

Central’s most notable victory of the season came December 8, when the Eagles upset No. 3 ranked William Penn 79-73 inside Puckett Field House. Sophomore guard Jonathan Brown recorded a career-high 35 points in the victory over the Statesmen.

At the end of the regular season, four Eagles were named to Heart All-Conference teams including Jonathan Brown (First Team), Fode Camara (Second Team), Tim Cameron (Honorable Mention), and Isaiah May (Honorable Mention). Brown earned Third Team All-American honors from the NAIA, becoming the first Eagle since 2017-18 to be recognized.

In addition, Cameron was also recognized as the Heart Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the Bevo Francis Top 100 Watch List by Small College Basketball in early January. The list features the top players from NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA Division I and II, and the USCAA and NCCAA. With the appointment of Head Coach Jeff Sherman to Director of Athletics, Associated Head Coach Matt Sherman was named Head Coach on March 15, 2022.

Matt Sherman Takes Reins as Eagle Basketball Head Coach

The best assistant coaches always get “the itch.” They eventually want to have a program of their own. It was no different for Central Methodist University’s former assistant and now head coach, Matt Sherman, ’10.

“I was probably about to pay attention to the itch to start looking,” Sherman said. “You know, I never thought I would even be an assistant here. These changes are all about timing, and things lined up nicely for me and for my family.”

They did indeed. After 37 years as head basketball coach, Matt’s father, Jeff Sherman, moved upstairs to the athletic director position, and President Roger Drake didn’t hesitate to offer the head coach position to the seven-year assistant coach.

Matt is hitting the ground running. He was able to hire his assistant coach quickly. He is recruiting, and he’s finishing up the non-conference schedule for the 2022-23 version of the Eagles, who are coming off of an NAIA national tournament appearance.

“I’m excited to see if we could build on this past year,” he said. “Not just to get back to the national tournament but to achieve consistency and to make it an expectation to be there every year.”

Matt is no stranger to success and to high standards. He received all-state honors in his senior year at Fayette High School, and he helped guide the Falcons to the state quarterfinals.

He moved on to Central to play for the Eagles and helped CMU reach the 20-win plateau for three consecutive seasons. The Eagles had a 28-7 record his junior year and advanced to the NAIA tournament where they upset Georgetown (Ky.) in the opening round of what was arguably one of the greatest wins in Eagle history.

Matt was an NAIA all-American and graduated from CMU with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. In 2015, he was one of the youngest to ever be inducted into Central’s Hairston Hall of Fame.

Matt and his wife, Stasia, live in Fayette. Stasia is the director of alumni engagement at CMU. They have a son, William, and a daughter, Charlotte.

Veteran Coach Jeff Sherman Spells Out Goals For New Role As Athletic Director

For the first time in more than 37 years, the sidelines in Puckett Field House during men’s basketball games will be patrolled by someone other than Jeff Sherman, ’83, the longest-tenured and winningest coach in the history of Central Methodist University. However, those wishing to find Jeff won't have to look too far. He has moved quarters to the student center as the Director of Athletics.

“When this job came open and I was asked about it, there were a couple things that stood out from my standpoint more than others,” Sherman said. “One is to work at a university that has been very good to me,” noted Sherman. “And a university that has been good to others whom I met through the community or via work. The support from our administration for the athletics department and the potential makes this the place to be.”

Sherman has long been a fixture at CMU, with a tenure beginning in 1980 as a member of the men’s basketball team. While with the Eagles, he helped lead CMU to its first Heart Conference Championship in 1981. Despite sustaining a knee injury his senior year, Sherman remained an active participant in the world of basketball. Following graduation in 1983, he held coaching positions at the high school level before returning to CMU as an assistant coach under Hall of Famer Ken Ash.

Following Ash’s departure after the 198485 season, Sherman was appointed as the head basketball coach – at age 24. That was the beginning of one of the most successful basketball coaching careers in not only the state of Missouri but the entire country. Sherman amassed 668 career victories, numerous conference championships, and NAIA national tournament appearances. For his efforts as a coach, he has been inducted into two Hall of Fame classes.

Sherman said he had a lot to learn during his time on the sidelines. When asked what he has picked up during his time as a basketball coach Sherman said, “Balancing academics. Our players earning their degree has always been important, not only to me but their own families. Those families trust us to help prepare their child and set them up for future successes.”

Despite relinquishing control of a program he loves dearly, Sherman feels it is in the right hands. It didn’t take long for the newest basketball coach to be named, as the reins were handed over to Jeff’s son, Matt, a 2010 alumnus of Central and his father’s assistant coach.

“Matt is ready to lead; he is more than qualified and is loyal to the university” the elder Sherman said. “What made it better in my eyes was that he was my son, he’s had success here, and he was born and raised in this community. He is one of our own.”

Matt was a four-year starter and two-time NAIA All-American during his career in an Eagle uniform. His 433 career three-pointers remains the school record to this very day. For the past seven years, Jeff has groomed his son for this position. Matt has served alongside his father for the past seven seasons, first as an assistant coach and then as associate head coach. For his accomplishments as a player, Matt was inducted into the Hairston Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2015.

As Jeff turns his attention to the administrative side of the athletic department, he already has goals he would like to see achieved over the next year.

“We have a phenomenal coaching staff, and we have tremendous success within our teams,” he said. “We must identify what our needs are to maintain that success and what we need to do to get better. I want to be the guy behind the scenes, and my goal, if I’m doing my job right, is no one will really notice me a lot.”

The ultimate goal, though, for Jeff is simple: continue to win championships and build character. “The goal should be to develop lifelong leaders of character through academic and athletic excellence within our administration and coaching staff,” said Sherman. “If we can help better our student-athletes during their time as players, we can help prepare them not just for their time here at CMU but for life after.”

Central Restructures Leadership in Athletics, Student Life

Dr. Roger Drake announced major changes to CMU athletic department earlier this spring. The athletics department will now report under the umbrella of Dr. Joe Parisi, vice president of enrollment and athletics, with longtime basketball coach Jeff Sherman as the new athletics director. Parisi will guide the overall strategic direction and culture of athletics.

President Roger Drake chose not to do a national search, saying “we have plenty of talent right on this campus.” “We have a great depth of leadership here to take us into the future,” Drake continued. “I’m looking forward to what’s next.”

Jeff Sherman leaves an unmatched basketball legacy at CMU as one of the longesttenured coaches in the nation. He is the winningest coach in Central Methodist history, with one 30-win season, four conference titles, a divisional title, five NAIA national tournament bids, three Sweet 16 finishes, and 14 seasons ranked in the top 25 in the NAIA.

Parisi, who has been at Central nearly five years, is one of the winningest wrestling coaches in NAIA history, with seven national championships under his belt. He has athletic management experience at three different institutions.

CMU Acquires Former Dollar General

Abuilding that sat vacant on the Fayette Square for more than three years will soon have new life, and Central Methodist University will have one of the largest collegiate Esports facilities in the country.

The 6,000 square foot space held Fayette’s Dollar General store three years ago. Central plans to rehab the space and open its new Esports facility in the fall.

“This is an enormous commitment to Esports,” said Dr. Joe Parisi, vice president for enrollment management and athletics. “Esports produces such quality students. We’re excited about the future. We project having more than 100 Esports competitors in the next year or two.”

Central is “reimaging” the space, and will commit square footage to each of the games the teams compete in – Fortnight, Rocket League, Rainbow 6, Madden, Hearthstone, and League of Legends – providing a “modern and sought after” gaming facility. Not only will it be the home of CMU’s teams, there will be tournaments and high school nights in the facility, Parisi said.

“This gives us a chance to host events and engage with Howard County high school students who have been looking for a place to compete,” Parisi said.

Mike Dimond, ‘85, executive director for Fayette Main Street, was encouraged by the news and said the change was positive for Fayette, filling an empty building and bringing more activity to the square.

Men's Golf Claims Heart Tournament Championship

The Central Methodist men's golf program made history this spring, winning the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship at Raymore Golf Course in Raymore, Mo.

It marks the first Heart Championship for the program since the 2013 season. Central finished the tournament with a three-round score of 877, 11 strokes better than secondplace Mount Mercy and 25 strokes better than third-place Grand View.

The men qualified for the NAIA Men's Golf National Championships, taking place at Talon press time from May 17-20, at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill.

In addition to its championship finish, Central swept the Heart superlative awards. Head coach Stephen Main was named the Heart Men's Golf Coach of the Year. Overall, Main led the CMU men to seven top-three finishes at tournaments this year.

Senior Matias Baccola won the individual title with a three-round score of 206, including an impressive final two rounds of 68 and 66. For his efforts, Baccola was named the Heart Men's Golf Player of the Year and landed on the Heart All-Conference Team.

Teammate Tomas Lopez Mazzalay was recognized as the Heart Newcomer of the Year and a Heart All-Conference performer. Sophomore Aaron Teece finish tied for fourth with a three-round score of 219, while Tiago Swart landed just outside the Top 10 with a T12. The duo of Teece and Swart rounded out the Heart All-Conference performers from CMU.

Cade Basson placed T16 with scores of 77, 72, and 79 for a final tally of 237.

Eagle Envy Dance Wins National Championship

The Central Methodist Eagle Envy Dance Team took home its first national title this spring, in the NAIA Hip Hop Division of the 2022 NDA College Dance National Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla. The title comes in the first season under interim head coach Matt Fohn, ’20.

Envy began the preliminaries of the Hip Hop competition with a score of 85.5429, putting them in second place heading into the finals. CMU then tallied a finals score of 89.0 to win the championship.

Central also competed in the NAIA Jazz Division, posting a sixthplace finish with a score of 83.3143.

Women’s Wrestling Making Noise

The Central Methodist women’s wrestling program had numerous individual accomplishments during the 2021-22 season. The Eagles received votes in the national polls on several occasions and featured as many as four wrestlers in the individual rankings.

The first-year duo of Lillian Gough and Alexis Miller both made history, becoming the first women’s wrestlers in program history to earn Heart Wrestler of the Week honors in December of 2021.

Central posted three first-place finishes at the EZFlex Open on January 8 in Ottawa, Kan., and Gough was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the event. Central concluded the year with four topfour finishes at the Heart Conference Championships and a trip to the NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Invitational in Jamestown, N.D. In addition, six women were recognized by the National Wrestling Coaches’ Association as NAIA Scholar AllAmericans.

Shelton Stars For Men’s Wrestling

CMU men’s wrestling spent a majority of the season mentioned in the national polls, receiving votes in the rankings for six consecutive weeks. Central’s Brenden Shelton was among the top wrestlers in the NAIA at 285 pounds. The native of Colon, Mich. was ranked as high as No. 6 in mid-December and qualified for the NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championships March 4-5 in Wichita for the second-straight season. Shelton is Central’s first-ever two-time NAIA National Qualifier.

New Wrestling Coach Schmitz Has Winning Background

Central Methodist University’s new director of wrestling and head men’s wrestling coach comes to the Eagles with no shortage of hardware. Sam Schmitz has three consecutive national titles as the women’s coach and several top-five finishes as men’s assistant coach at McKendree University.

“I’m nervous, and I’m excited,” said Schmitz, who started his job at Central in April. “This is a big step for me and for my family.”

Schmitz said that one thing won’t be any different, though.

“The recipe for success doesn’t change,” he said. “It always has come straight from my heart.”

Schmitz has nine years of experience under his belt as a head coach, but some of that coaching prowess was learned from his old college coach and now Central Methodist’s vice president for enrollment management and athletics, Dr. Joe Parisi.

“His success was unmatched as a head coach, and I did a lot of learning,” Schmitz said. “He created the blueprint, especially with the small things he did outside of coaching. I’ve learned from that. I’m not going to do exactly as he did, but I’m adding my own touch and making the approach mine.”

Parisi said that he and athletics director Jeff Sherman, along with President Roger Drake, have high expectations for their new coach.

“He’s got great tools and a great heart,” Parisi said. “He is a master technician and an excellent recruiter. We can’t wait to see the changes in our program.”

As a college wrestler under Parisi, Schmitz was an NAIA All-American on two of Parisi’s seven national championship teams.

He has a proud history with Parisi, but Schmitz is also looking forward to working with legendary coach and now CMU athletic director Jeff Sherman.

“You see a lot of things in 37 years as a head coach,” Schmitz said. “I can’t wait to visit more with him and learn.”

Schmitz has three consecutive NCWWC national championships under his belt at McKendree. In addition, Schmitz was the one coach nationally to serve as a clinician earlier this year at the prestigious high school national championships.

Besides being the men’s head coach at Central, Schmitz will serve as the director of wrestling, overseeing the Eagles’ successful women’s wrestling program and head coach Brieana Delgado. She is looking forward to learning from the veteran.

“He has a great reputation, and I’m looking forward to working with him,” Delgado said. “I’m also looking forward to re-connecting with his wife, who is one of my old teammates.”

Schmitz, from Oregon, comes to Central with his wife, Michaela, a three-time national champion and the first female to win a boys’ high school championship. They have two children.

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