For Dylan Gilcher, the past offseason was all about refining and refurbishing his arsenal in anticipation of what lies ahead.

Michigan had a vacancy in the starting lineup at 149 pounds with the graduation of two-time All-American Austin Gomez and Gilcher intended to fill it. The redshirt freshman was the Wolverines' lone returnee at that weight, but was nothing was ever guaranteed.

 "I kind of expected to be the starter at 149 this season, but obviously had to work very hard to get better and earn it," Gilcher said. "Last summer, I really focused on getting to my offense more, essentially re-learning basics from hand fighting, snap moves, head locks, taking smart shots and everything else because this season was going to be different, of course, than my redshirt year."

Gilcher, who started two duals last season before Gomez's transfer from Wisconsin was complete, then benefitted from being one of Gomez's training partners after he arrived in Ann Arbor. That partnership continued during the summer as Gomez prepared for the Olympics.

Finally, Gilcher was poised to start at 149 following Michigan's wrestle-offs only to experience a sudden setback after a third-place showing at the season-opening Clarion Open. 

"It was frustrating because I tweaked my knee while I was jogging before our first dual (on Nov. 17), which prevented me making my first dual start for a while," he said.

The injury was nagging enough to keep Gilcher from competition until a 2-2 showing at the Midlands Championships, including a win over past NCAA qualifier Ryan Burgos of Edinboro.

At last, Gilcher made his season dual debut against Maryland on Jan. 10 with a close, 4-3 loss to two-time NCAA qualifier Kal Miller, now ranked #32. It was also the four-time Michigan state champion's first career Big Ten dual. 

Gilcher followed that with arguably the two biggest wins of his career thus far within 48 hours of each other.

First, he gutted out a 5-4 tiebreaker decision over Northwestern's Sam Cartella, #23 in the latest rankings. The result was vastly different from the pair's previous meeting when Cartella rolled to a 13-0 shutout during last season's Michigan State Open.

Gilcher then breezed to an 11-3 major decision over now-#25 Drew Roberts (Minnesota), a 2024 NCAA qualifier. A 4-1 win over former Detroit Catholic Central teammate Clayton Jones (Michigan State) on Sunday upped Gilcher's record to 9-6 this season, including a pair of major decisions. 

He has climbed to #27 in the rankings, ninth among Big Ten wrestlers, and is one of six ranked freshmen at 149.

"The season has gone alright since I recovered from the injury, but there is no doubt I have not wrestled my best match yet," Gilcher said. "I'm continuing to work on my technique because there is still room for improvement there. I'm also working on reducing my body fat percentage so making weight is a little easier."

While training partners for several years, Jones, a two-time state champion, and Gilcher had never squared off in competition. The cautious nature of the match was understandable given their familiarity with each other.

Gilcher broke a scoreless tie with an escape just six seconds into the second period and nearly added a takedown later in the period.

Jones opted to begin the final period in the neutral position and the score stayed 1-0 until just over 20 seconds remained when Gilcher pressed forward, forcing Jones to the edge of mat. 

Gilcher then pounced, utilizing a body-lock position to lift Jones and take him down. Jones avoided a shutout with a late escape. 

Gilcher's win gave the Wolverines a 9-6 lead on the way to a 27-12 win.

"Clayton and I have always been close to the same weight, so we were training partners throughout high school and became great friends as well, so it was kind of sucked because one of us was going to lose," Gilcher said. "We both know each other's strengths and weaknesses well, so that make it tough, but with my 1-0 lead, I knew he would eventually have to come at me. I was able to turn my defense into an offensive move to get the winning takedown when he did."

Gilcher's resume made him a highly-touted recruiting target.

In addition to the four state titles and 140-4 prep record, he was a Super 32 champion, two-time Pan American gold medalist and a Fargo freestyle All-American. Gilcher also placed fourth at the U20 World Team Trials as a high school junior and senior.

He strongly considered joining older brother, Derek, at Indiana before committing to Michigan. Derek Gilcher, currently ranked #31 at 174, is a 2023 NCAA qualifier who captured three state championships. 

"I consider Indiana a great program on the rise under coach Angel Escobedo, so it would have been great to be a part of that and having my brother there as well would be a great situation, but I liked that Michigan was closer to home," Dylan said. "Michigan had also just won the Big Ten and taken second at NCAAs when I committed, so I was excited to be part of one of the top wrestling programs and academic institutions in the country."

Gilcher went 10-8 last season with five bonus-point wins and decisioned Columbia's Richard Fedalen in his first college dual match. He also knocked off NCAA qualifier Jeffrey Boyd (The Citadel) at the Cliff Keen Invitational.

"What I've really liked about being at Michigan is the great team bond we share with everybody being super friendly from day one," Gilcher said. "The coaching staff has always been there to help me improve as a wrestler and a person. They are always asking if there is anything I need and that kind of support, inside the wrestling room and outside of it, means everything."

The Gilcher brothers, whose wrestling journeys began when at the ages of 4 and 7, continue to be sources of strength and support for each other. 

"It's been a long road in wrestling for both of us, starting so young," Derek said. "We've always made time for each other and it's a great feeling knowing we can reach out to each other at anytime to talk about anything. We're closer in weight now than in high school, so it's more fun now because we can scrap a little when we see each other."

Gilcher's final match of last season came on Jan. 14, meaning he is elated to be wrestling in March this time in at least the Big Ten Championships.

His chances of making the NCAA Championships appear solid, especially if he beats #30 Mason Shrader of Central Michigan in Sunday's home dual and follows with a respectable showing at the Big Ten Championships.

Gilcher was 23rd in the midseason NCAA coaches rankings. 

"I'm very excited to be in the thick of the action in March rather than just a spectator like last year," he said. "Competing against the nation's top caliber of wrestlers at the NCAA Championships has been a dream of mine from a young age. I have not wrestled at my best yet this season and I'm excited about doing that at Big Tens and NCAAs."

Heindselman Hits Century Mark

With a 21-5 technical fall against Michigan State’s Luke Vanadia Sunday, Michigan heavyweight Josh Heindselman reached 100 career victories against 49 losses. He blitzed Vanadia for seven takedowns in just 5:13 to achieve the milestone. 

The redshirt senior, who transferred from Oklahoma following last season, is 18-2 this season with 12 bonus-point wins (three pins, nine technical falls).

Heindselman ranks first among heavyweights and is tied for fourth in the Big Ten and seventh in the nation in technical falls. He has needed just a combined 40 minutes, 17 seconds to record his nine techs, an average of 4:29 each. 

Heindselman's .900 season winning percentage is easily best of his career, surpassing last season’s .750 mark (24-8). Heindselman, ranked #7 after beginning season at #10, has lost only to #1 Gable Steveson (Minnesota) and #2 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) this season. 

The four-time NCAA qualifier, who reached the round of 12 last season, is still seeking his first podium finish, but his chances appear good after a recent win over Ohio State’s Luke Feldman, fifth at last year’s NCAA Championships.