LOCAL

Eastern Michigan sports team cuts put Lansing area two-sport star's future in limbo

Eric Lacy
Lansing State Journal
Kolin Leyrer, 19, is a Holt native who is contemplating his future at Eastern Michigan University. He is a freshman who just completed his first season on the wrestling team.

LANSING -- The elimination Tuesday of four Eastern Michigan University athletic programs has a former two-sport star from Holt angry and concerned about his future. 

Kolin Leyrer, 19, finished his freshman season on the Eagles' wrestling team this month. The wrestling program, along with men's swimming and diving, women's tennis and softball, were eliminated Tuesday to reduce expenses by $2.4 million. 

Leyrer said he may transfer because of the administration's decision.

"They are taking our opportunity to compete at the Division I level and ripping it right from us," Leyrer said. "To have it taken away from us is the worst thing possible.”

As a Holt High School wrestler in 2017, Kolin Leyrer, right, had a 45-2 record and became a state champion. Leyrer just finished his freshman season on Eastern Michigan's wrestling team and may transfer. Officials decided Tuesday to cut the sport.

Leyrer starred at Holt High School in both wrestling and football and will get help from his coaches to decide what to do with his remaining three years of athletic eligibility, he said. He hasn't ruled out a return to football. 

The cuts at Eastern affect 58 male student-athletes and 25 female student-athletes, according to a news release. 

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Leyrer said he's currently on a partial wrestling scholarship at Eastern that he would be allowed to keep if he stays.

"It’s been anger, sadness," Leyrer said of his reaction to the cuts. "You can’t really describe it. It’s a feeling I’ve never really felt before."

Kolin Leyrer was a star quarterback at Holt High School who earned honorable mention all-league honors. He was a senior in 2017 and just finished his first year with Eastern Michigan's wrestling team. He may transfer because officials decided Tuesday to cut the sport.

EMU officials said Tuesday the university will honor all scholarships of affected student-athletes who want to stay there and remain eligible "in accordance with university and athletics department policies." 

Leyrer and his teammates found out about the cuts during a 7:30 a.m. meeting Tuesday inside EMU's football complex.

They weren't notified of the meeting until coaches sent a team-wide text message at about 5 p.m. Monday. 

EMU President James Smith and Scott Wetherbee, the school's athletics director, attended the meeting but didn't provide many specifics about the school's financial standing, Leyrer said. 

Smith said in a statement officials are "saddened by having to make this move, which is necessary as we continue to align the university budget with enrollment and state funding trends." 

Eric Lacy is a reporter for the Lansing State Journal. Contact Eric Lacy at 517-377-1206 or elacy@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricLacy.