2011-12 Men's Wrestling

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2011-12 Men's Wrestling Coaches
Matt Lowers Image
Matt Lowers
Head Coach- 2nd Season

Coach Lowers is beginning his 2nd season guiding the Patriot Wrestling team. Under Lowers guidance the Patriots placed 21st in the 2011 NAIA National Tournament. Larone Madison became the 1st All-American Lowers coached at UC. In 2010-2011 the Patriots qualified 9 student-athletes to the National Tournament. The Patriots placed 3 wrestlers on the Mid-South Conference All-Academic team (Derek Murdock, Zack Barkett, Garrett Harrison). The Patriots also were honored with 1 Daktronics Scholar Athlete in Garrett Harrison as well as a NWCA Academic All-American in Derek Murdock. As a team the Patriots finished just outside the top ten in the team academic standings with a 2.91 gpa. "We were not satisfied with our finish in 2011, but I feel like we made the necessary steps to help reach our team and individual goals in the future. We have a great group of returners as well as a large and talented recruiting class coming in."

Lowers is a native of Wadena, MN where he was an All-State athlete while competing in wrestling, football, and track and field for Wadena-Deer Creek High School. After suffering a severe neck and back injury in high school, Matt attended Concordia College where he was graduated in 2006 with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in coaching.
 

Coach Lowers commented, "I am excited to get to work with the athletes and begin working towards helping them reach their individual goals which will in turn result in the team reaching our goals."

Lowers leads UC after previously serving three years as the head assistant at St. Cloud State University (SCSU). In 2009 at SCSU, Lowers helped direct a team that finished with a 14-7 dual meet record and a 7th place finish in the NWCA National Duals. His student-athlete's accolades include 8 National Qualifiers, 4 All-Americans, a team high 7th place finish, a team that finished 2nd in NCAA Division II Academic Standings, and 8 NCAA Academic All Americans.
 
In his first two seasons, Matt helped coach 15 National Qualifiers, 6 All-Americans, and 9 Academic All-Americans. The 2008-2009 Husky Wrestling Team set 4 program records and won an astounding 500 individual matches on the season with 111 of them coming by fall. The post-season was equally impressive for the SCSU Wrestlers as they set team records for the most points scored in the regional tournament with 112. The Huskies qualified 8 out of 10 wrestlers to the NCAA Division II National Tournament in the process of setting that record. The 8th Place finish at the NCAA's was the highest finish for a SCSU Wrestling team since 1983. The 44 team points scored was another record for the Huskies. Of the 8 NCAA Qualifiers 3 earned All-American honors.
 
Before joining that staff, Lowers was with the 2007 National Champion University of Minnesota Wrestling team staff. Matt joined the Gophers in 2006 when the team captured the Division I National Dual Team Championship, Big Ten Championship, and finished second at the NCAA's. In 2007 the Minnesota Wrestling team repeated as National Dual and Big Ten Champions and also won the NCAA's for the third time in school history. While also serving as an assistant with the University of Minnesota's wrestling team, Matt worked as the Director of Wrestling Operations for J. Robinson Intensive Camps. J. Robinson Intensive Camps have set the standard for intensive camps while training over 3000 athletes each summer.
 

Prior to his time with the Gophers and J. Robinson Camps, Matt spent three seasons as an assistant at his alma mater Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. In his final two seasons at Concordia, Lowers was able to work with Minnesota and North Dakota Hall of Fame Coach Clay Nagel. During those two years with the Cobber's, Matt played a significant role in helping Nagel by more than doubling their roster size and equaling the schools highest ever dual meet win record. During this time, Lowers also served as the Director of the Cobber Wrestling Camp which, in its first two years of operation, averaged over 285 campers per year while bringing in a world class staff.

"I am very excited to have Matt Lowers as our new head wrestling coach," said Cumberlands Athletic Director Randy Vernon. "Matt brings a great deal of experience with highly regarded wrestling programs to our program and I am sure our wrestling team will flourish under his leadership. We have always had a successful wrestling program and I am certain we will continue to be a top program in the NAIA under Coach Lowers leadership."
 

     
 
Enock Francois Image
Enock Francois
Grad Assistant- 2nd Season

Enock Francois is entering his second season as the graduate assistant for the University of the Cumberlands (UC) Men's Wrestling program.  "We are very excited to have Coach Francois on our staff," stated Patriot Head Coach Matt Lowers. "He had an outstanding career as an athlete and I am confident that he will continue to maximize the level of competiveness in our room."

Enock Francois was graduated from Palm Beach Gardens High School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida where he was a four year varsity wrestler with 100+ high school career wins.

Francois then studied and graduated from California Baptist University (CBU) with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. His time at CBU helped him become an experienced and accomplished wrestler, earning NAIA All-American honors in 2010 as a NAIA National Finalist in the 174 lbs division. He also wrestled and competed for three years at Northwestern College in Orange City Iowa. While there he was a two time NAIA All-American with 100+ wins.

Francois expects to maximize his potential as a coach and bring out the best in the UC wrestlers. "The greatest thing about coaching is being able to be a part of the success of the young men I am able to coach.  Having an impact in their life athletically and spiritually is an awesome feeling.  The most rewarding feeling is always seeing them get their hands raised in triumph, as well as watching them walk across that Graduation platform at the end of their career," said Francois.
 
"Enock is a high energy driven person who has high moral standards," said Lowers. "I believe he will be perfect for the type of culture we are trying to build at the University of the Cumberlands."
 
Coach Francois is perusing an education degree and plans on graduating from the University of the Cumberlands. He also hopes to continue to compete as a wrestler in the freestyle circuit.