Durham sets a good example

Multi-sport athlete takes on his senior seasons

Michael Durham, a senior at Warren Central, is a three sport athlete and a model
student. Durham makes everything done at Warren Central look easy. He plays varsity in three
different sports and has maintained a 3.2 GPA.
“Sports made me who I am and set my path,” Durham said. He started his first sport at
the age of four, playing on a tee ball team. It didn't last long, leaving his interests for tee ball at
age six and moving on to bigger and better things with soccer.
“It was probably one of my favorite sports that I played, it was exciting and I was a
natural,” Durham said.
Soccer lasted a lot longer, sticking with him up until middle school, when he started
dabbling into multiple sports. He started playing basketball in 5th grade, after being asked to
play in the fourth grade tournament at his elementary school. It was his first time playing
basketball, but it just stuck to him.
“I played in a tournament in 4th grade and it all came naturally to me,” Durham said.
The three sport athlete started his third sport in 7th grade when football first called his
name.
“My family wanted me to play football and at the time football was where it was at,”
Durham said.
Durham played basketball until he got cut from the basketball team in 7th grade. Later
that winter he headed into the wrestling room.
“The football coach also coached wrestling and told me I would be a good fit for the
team, I fell for wrestling almost immediately,” Durham said.
At this time in 7th grade, he quit soccer and started track which he has kept doing
through his senior year.
“When I first started playing three sports at a time they just kept coming back as the
months went by and then it just became routine,” Durham said.
Durham is expected to do something great this year. He is chasing a state title in both
track and wrestling, as well as being a varsity linebacker on the football team.
“The best part about sports is the people and the people are a big part of why I play,”
Michael said.
He has just come off an upsetting loss in semi state last year in wrestling, and a great
state run in track for the 300 meter hurdles and the 4x400 meter run. He had just recently won
the varsity spot on the football team, but he’s playing like he’s been there for years.
“Now that I’m on varsity I feel like there’s a lot more I’m responsible for now,” Durham
said.

Sidebars:
-Michael Durham finished his last season ranked #23 in the state
-Michael Durham ended his last season with a record of 37-5
-Michael Durham placed 2nd at greco state and 6th at freestyle state in the junior class