COLLEGE WRESTLING: TIOGA'S MACUMBER SIGNS TO WRESTLE AT CORTLAND (2 PHOTOS) (2024-06-20)

By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER - Tioga senior Drew Macumber was focused on attending SUNY Cortland even before he decided he’s wrestling in college. So, the fact he’ll be able to continue wrestling, and attend his first choice of schools made it an easy decision for him.

Macumber signed his National Letter-of-Intent to wrestle at Cortland here recently during a ceremony in the middle school auditorium that featured 13 Tioga seniors signing to play at the next level in four different sports.

“Cortland was probably my top option before I even decided I was going to wrestle in college,” said Macumber. “I like the campus, and it’s close to home.

“When I visited, I met the (wrestling) coaches, and I decided, I wanted to wrestle at the next level.

“It was a really late decision to wrestle,” added Macumber. “I never thought, in my entire life, wrestling is what I’d be doing in college.”

Macumber didn’t focus on wrestling until his freshman year, but Covid limited him to just a couple of matches, but he still ended up qualifying for States in all three of his full varsity seasons.

“I wrestled in the youth program, and broke my arm, so I started playing basketball, then I started back into wrestling my freshman year,” he said.

Tioga coach Kris Harrington said there are a couple factors that will make him successful at the next level.

“I think he’s got a lot in the tank, he’s never just played one sport, so to be able to specialize is going to be a huge benefit,” he said. “For a three-sport athlete to focus on one, it will shorten the playbook … and he won’t short-change himself.

“He just needs to wrestle, and specialize. I just think him being focused on one sport … he could have one of the higher ceilings because we don’t know what his ceiling is right now.

“I think we’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg with Drew,” added Harrington. “He’s literally been a four-month-a-year wrestler, so having some focused training, he could turn a big corner.”

Macumber knows he has work to do before stepping foot on a collegiate mat.

“I’m going to have to work hard,” he said. “I’ll go to practice and do my best every day.

“The coach wants me to eat, and get as big as I can,” noted Macumber. “We’ll see where I am next season, it will be fun.”

“I’ll be lifting this summer, eating as much as I can, and wrestling around with the guys,” he added.

Harrington said getting stronger will be a key for Macumber.

“The weight room is a big piece of the puzzle for Drew,” noted Harrington. “He’s super-athletic, I don’t think he’ll have to worry about athleticism, but the horse-power sometimes got the best of him in some of his matches this year.

“In the college weight room, with like-minded people, I think he’ll be able to make up that space during his freshman year,” he added.

Macumber is undecided on a major.

“I’m not sure what I’m going to major in,” he said. “I want to be a state trooper, so I can get a degree in whatever I want.”

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IN PHOTO 1: Tioga’s Drew Macumber. … PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.

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