Bremerton wrestler Thor Michaelson commits to Stanford University
As one of the top wrestlers to represent Kitsap County in recent memory, Bremerton's Thor Michaelson can't afford to rest on his laurels during his senior year.
Not when he's aiming to compete at one of the most prestigious colleges in the country: Stanford University.
Michaelson announced his commitment to the Cardinal last week, choosing Stanford over Oregon State University and California Baptist University. Now comes to waiting game. Not only is Michaelson, who'll begin next season with a career record of 85-3, aiming to win his second high school state title this winter, he must also have a flawless performance in the classroom in order to secure admission to Stanford, which has a 5% acceptance rate.
Michaelson said when he took an unofficial visit to Stanford last fall, he was told he'd be an extreme longshot, despite his 3.85 grade point average. He responded by altering his academic schedule at Bremerton to include more advanced placement and honors classes.
Michaelson is no longer a longshot, but he knows he must finish his senior year with a strong academic performance in order to gain entry into his dream school.
"I've been talking to them pretty much every week on my grades," said Michaelson, who took an official visit to Stanford two weeks ago. "I have to have 4.0 this year, my essays need to be perfect, letters of recommendations need to be perfect."
Stanford's wrestling team finished 5-4 overall during the 2021-22 season and finished third at the Pac-12 championships.
Bremerton won the Olympic League title last winter with Thor and his younger brother, Lars, leading the way. Thor finished 36-1 and won the Class 2A title at 160 pounds with a 5-2 victory over Enumclaw's Westin Triplett. Lars won the 170-pound class with a technical-fall victory over North Kitsap's Zakaria Hammou.
Thor Michaelson, who placed second at state as a freshman, has experience competing on the international stage. In 2019, he won a pair of gold medals at the Pan-American U15 Championships in Panama. In 2021, he went undefeated in eight matches at the UWW Cadet & Junior Pan American Wrestling Championships in Mexico. In September, he earned a silver medal in the Beach World Wrestling Championships in Romania.
Michaelson said the chance to compete for Stanford will be fascinating.
"The level of competition just wrestling in college, especially at the D-I level, is just ridiculous," he said.
Michaelson's ultimate goal is two-fold: become a national champion while working toward a degree in environmental engineering.
"That was another really big factor in my decision," he said.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Bremerton senior wrestler Thor Michaelson commits to Stanford
