Family Ties
Freshman wrestler Wynn Michalak is not one to complain when things get tough in the wrestling room.
He goes about his business and finishes the job.
Some of that mental toughness came from his parents, Al and Karen Michalak, who both were athletes at CMU in the 1970s.
Al threw the shot put on the track team, while Karen played three sports — field hockey, basketball and track and field.
“I think he knows what we went through in college,” she said. “He does not try to compare what we did to what he is doing.”
Being surrounded by the collegiate atmosphere at a young age helped prepare him.
“I know they helped me when I was young and trying to push me to that work ethic they had as athletes,” Wynn said.
Karen and Al also instilled a no-quit attitude in him.
“You never give up in the middle of something,” Karen said. “No matter how hard it is, you have to finish it up and see it to the end.”
As a freshman on one of the top college wrestling teams in the Midwest, Wynn was faced with all sorts of adversity.
And the knowledge he gained from his parents paid off as he became the first ever freshman All-American in CMU wrestling history.
Wynn’s accomplishment is one of many for the Michalak family.
- Al: Threw shot put at CMU (1973-75)
- Karen: Played field hockey, basketball and ran track. (1974-78)
- Wynn: First CMU freshman All-American (2005)
Karen was the first woman ever to be inducted into the CMU Athletic Hall of Fame when she was nominated in 1988.
Some famous CMU hall of famers include former NBA player Dan Majerle and former NFL player Ray Bentley.
“It was a big surprise. I thought my career was over,” Karen said. “For someone to select me and to be nominated with professional athletes was a terrific honor.”
Karen also is a member of the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame.
She said balancing the three sports was hard, but it made her a better student.
“I think it helped me budget my time,” she said. “If I did not keep busy, I don’t think I would have spent my time wisely.”
Times are different now, and she said she probably would not play three sports.
“I think it is hard enough just to play one sport,” said Karen, who played on three field hockey NCAA tournament teams.
She went to CMU to play basketball, but while there, she was introduced to field hockey and track and decided to participate in them as well.
“I ran track just to stay in shape,” she said.
Wynn heard a lot about CMU from his parents while growing up and it proved to play a big factor later in his life.
“We always used to tell Wynn stories about the stars on our team,” Al said. “We would introduce him when we came to Mount Pleasant.”
The Michalak family was close to CMU as Wynn was growing up.
“When I was younger, we used to come up for some of the alumni field hockey games,” Wynn said. “I just heard stories about how much the campus has changed, and how athletics have changed.”
Wynn said visiting campus when he was young helped his decision when he was choosing colleges.
“I still had a lot of ties to people here,” he said. “I knew the campus and I knew the town and I knew it was a great community.”
Al said coming to CMU was totally Wynn’s choice.
“I think in the back of our mind’s we were hoping he would choose Central,” Al said. “We really liked coach (Tom) Borrelli.”
Still, Wynn does not feel like he is following in his parents footsteps.
“When I first got here I was a little wary about following in their footsteps,” Wynn said. “Now, I am trying to make my own goals and do my own thing here.”
